GOP Softball Season to start Thursday with Minor League Game

[JollyRoger]

The first debate of the 2012 Republican presidential primary contest appears set to go forward Thursday – even if there is just one major candidate on stage.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is the only top-tier candidate expected to participate in the forum at the Peace Center in Greenville, S.C.

Fox News, which is producing the debate with the South Carolina Republican Party, said the other anticipated participants were former Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, restaurant executive Herman Cain and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

Former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, who was originally expected to be included, will not meet Fox News’ requirement of garnering at least 1% in the most five recent national polls, said Michael Clemente, senior vice president of news for the cable news channel.

Other Republicans considered likely or possible contenders in 2012 have opted not to participate, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Ambassador Jon Huntsman, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-fox-south-carolina-debate-20110503,0,4969337.story

It seems a bit strange that the big names are ducking Fox News at this point. Anyway, in addition to discussing the merits of any candidates that may or may not be exhibiting the courage to attend this debate, what questions would you ask?

I have a couple -

Do you think the people that still doubt that President Obama was born in the United States have legitimate reasons to hold those doubts? If so, please explain those reasons.

What May 1st event best demonstrated the qualities you like to see in a Commander-in-Chief - George W. Bush's 2003 speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln where he announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq or President Obama's 2011 speech from the White House where he announced the killing of Osama bin Laden?

 

[Ajidica]

Dang, if the republicans can't pull any serious candidate out of the hat besides T-Paw, I will be able to say "I've seen the presidential candidate jogging in short-shorts and had his daughter in my swim class".
That would be interesting.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Dang, if the republicans can't pull any serious candidate out of the hat besides T-Paw, I will be able to say "I've seen the presidential candidate jogging in short-shorts and had his daughter in my swim class".
That would be interesting.

Who is T-Paw?

 

[Zack]

Who is T-Paw?

T-Pain's father.

 

[Mercenary82]

I would ask them:

What are you're views on the Federal Reserve?

Should we be involved in Libya?

Do we still belong in Iraq and Afghanistan especially now that UBL has been killed?

Will you end the Patriot Act?

Did you support the bailouts?

 

[JollyRoger]

Who is T-Paw?

The current frontrunner

 

[Ajidica]

Who is T-Paw?

It is the Minnesota nickname for Tim Pawlenty.

I would ask them:

What are you're views on the Federal Reserve?

Should we be involved in Libya?

Do we still belong in Iraq and Afghanistan especially now that UBL has been killed?

Will you end the Patriot Act?

Did you support the bailouts?

So, more talking-point questions? The only one I can se being moderately enlightening would be the Federal Reserve questions. The war questions can safely be considered a "lets bash Obama for following our strategies" match.

A fun question would be to ask them to: "Demonstrate why your economic ideas are the best without using the words 'liberty', 'tax cut', 'freedom', 'jobs', 'big government', or 'founding fathers'."

 

[Formaldehyde]

My question would be:

Do you read any newspapers or magazines? If so, which ones?

 

[Mercenary82]

It is the Minnesota nickname for Tim Pawlenty.

So, more talking-point questions? The only one I can se being moderately enlightening would be the Federal Reserve questions. The war questions can safely be considered a "lets bash Obama for following our strategies" match.

A fun question would be to ask them to: "Demonstrate why your economic ideas are the best without using the words 'liberty', 'tax cut', 'freedom', 'jobs', 'big government', or 'founding fathers'."

Well I would like to know if any of the others besides Ron Paul will withdraw from Iraq/Afghan./Libya because that is the main thing bankrupting this country now along with the bailouts. Herman Cain said he supports the bailouts at a speech, so if him or someone else can get called on it during the debates it could weed them out sooner.

 

[JollyRoger]

If the real life equivalent of Jack Bauer thought your spouse or child possessed information regarding a ticking time bomb, how far would you be willing to let your wife or child be tortured so that the information could be acquired? What methods would be acceptable and not acceptable?

President Clinton was once asked, boxers or briefs. Given the recent history of conservatives, let me give an appropriate twist to that question - leather or lace?

 

[Cutlass]

Well I would like to know if any of the others besides Ron Paul will withdraw from Iraq/Afghan./Libya because that is the main thing bankrupting this country now along with the bailouts. Herman Cain said he supports the bailouts at a speech, so if him or someone else can get called on it during the debates it could weed them out sooner.

The bailouts turned a profit for the country.

 

[Mercenary82]

The bailouts turned a profit for the country.

Maybe if you are invested in Goldman and Sachs, AIG, GM or any of the others that participated in that theft. For the rest of us we get stuck with a bigger national debt and the interest on it. It only makes things worse, as it encourages risky behavior and rewards incompetence.

 

[Ajidica]

If I remember correctly, over 90% of the bailouts have already been paid back.
Anyhow, if you are going to criticize the government rewarding incompetance, look farther back the Obama. Try Greenspan when he bailed out the tech bubble by lowering interest rates.

 

[Cutlass]

Maybe if you are invested in Goldman and Sachs, AIG, GM or any of the others that participated in that theft. For the rest of us we get stuck with a bigger national debt and the interest on it. It only makes things worse, as it encourages risky behavior and rewards incompetence.

The government did extremely well on the bailouts. The debt is far smaller than it would have been if we had not done the bailouts. Not to mention we would have had 15-20% unemployment if we had not done them.

 

[Mercenary82]

If I remember correctly, over 90% of the bailouts have already been paid back.
Anyhow, if you are going to criticize the government rewarding incompetance, look farther back the Obama. Try Greenspan when he bailed out the tech bubble by lowering interest rates.

Yeah Greenspan is a big part of the problem, I mentioned how the "Greenspan put"
also incourages bad decisions in another thread on the financial crisis, he went back a lot further then the tech bubble also. Bush and the Republicans are also to blame as the bailouts started under them, and many of the Republicans running now supported it, so I would like the Republicans who will continue to do bailouts exposed.

I don't think 90% of the money has been returned either.

http://projects.propublica.org/bailout/main/summary
Altogether, accounting for both bailouts, $564 billion has gone out the door—invested, loaned, or paid out—while $259 billion has been returned.

The CNN Bailout Tracker puts the amount paid back at even less at $118.5 billion.

It is also the blatant unfairness of the whole thing, If a small business is failing they don't get governmment bailouts.

 

[JollyRoger]

If a small business is failing they don't get governmment bailouts.

Many small businesses fail in part because many small business people do not know how to get easily available government assistance.

 

[Mercenary82]

The government did extremely well on the bailouts. The debt is far smaller than it would have been if we had not done the bailouts. Not to mention we would have had 15-20% unemployment if we had not done them.

Any statistics that show how well we supposedly did on the bailouts?

 

[Cutlass]

Yeah Greenspan is a big part of the problem, I mentioned how the "Greenspan put"
also incourages bad decisions in another thread on the financial crisis, he went back a lot further then the tech bubble also. Bush and the Republicans are also to blame as the bailouts started under them, and many of the Republicans running now supported it, so I would like the Republicans who will continue to do bailouts exposed.

I don't think 90% of the money has been returned either.



The CNN Bailout Tracker puts the amount paid back at even less at $118.5 billion.

It is also the blatant unfairness of the whole thing, If a small business is failing they don't get governmment bailouts.

You do realize, I hope, that Greenspan did what he did because he is a Libertarian?

The bailouts were the difference between a recession and a depression. No one responsible can make the choice you want them to make. If they say they are against the bailouts, then they are either liars, or they prove that they have no business being in a position of power or responsibility.

 

[Mercenary82]

You do realize, I hope, that Greenspan did what he did because he is a Libertarian?

The bailouts were the difference between a recession and a depression. No one responsible can make the choice you want them to make. If they say they are against the bailouts, then they are either liars, or they prove that they have no business being in a position of power or responsibility.

Greenspan is just a corrupt shill for the bankers, that is his only ideology they are rewarding him for his service with well paid positions as a consultant.

Life can go on without Goldman and Sachs. When Lehman Brothers was allowed to fail that didn't cause a disaster.

 

[Cutlass]

Greenspan is just a corrupt shill for the bankers, that is his only ideology they are rewarding him for his service with well paid positions as a consultant.

Life can go on without Goldman and Sachs. When Lehman Brothers was allowed to fail that didn't cause a disaster.

Lehman absolutely caused a disaster. It's one of the worst things that happened in the whole crisis.