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On Debates and Candidates: The 20 Questions I Would Ask

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

On Wednesday evening, GOP presidential hopefuls Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley met in Des Moines, Iowa, for a debate, while former President Donald Trump was holding a moderated town hall a short distance away. These will be the last such events before the official start of the primary season with Iowa's caucuses next Monday. Here at RedState, we live-blogged both events--commented in real-time, in other words--and a good time was had by all.


See Related: Double the Fun: RedState Live Blogs DeSantis/Haley Debate and Trump's Town Hall


It is not, however, my intent to rehash either the debate or President Trump's town hall. 

Instead: One of my constant niggles on these events is the questioning; if I had a dollar for every time I've shouted at the screen, "Why don't you ask him/her this?" I'd have, well, a lot of dollars.

So, without further ado, here are some questions that, given the opportunity, I would like to put to any presidential candidate.

  1. On health care: Can you point out, in the Constitution, where anything to do with the delivery of or payment for health care is an enumerated power of the Federal government and, if you can't point that out, explain how the Federal government is allowed under the 10th Amendment to take any action in this quarter?
  2. Can you explain the constitutional justification for the Federal departments of Energy, Education, Environment, Homeland Security, the FBI, and Commerce? Follow-up: Would you sign a bill defunding and eliminating the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)?
  3. The President is, of course, head of the Executive branch of the Federal government. Given that the United States is now in a debt crisis, facing $34 trillion in debt, what Executive Branch agencies are you willing to eliminate to bring spending under control? Follow-up: Where will entitlement spending be cut to bring spending under control?
  4. What is your plan to deal with unfunded government pension liabilities? Follow-up: What is your plan to deal with the pending failure of Social Security?
  5. What are your plans to bring annual GDP growth to 5 percent or higher?
  6. What is the primary purpose of taxation?
  7. Would you lend your support to a bill mandating a work requirement for able-bodied adults who are receiving government welfare benefits?
  8. Would you lend your support to a constitutional amendment placing term limits on Representatives and Senators?
  9. Would you lend your support to a constitutional amendment requiring the Federal government to operate under a balanced budget at all times, except during a congressionally-declared war?
  10. Regarding the 2nd Amendment; how would you define the phrase "...shall not be infringed," and what Federal laws, including the 1968 Gun Control Act and the 1934 National Firearms Act, do you consider to be unconstitutional infringements of the people's right to bear arms? Follow-up: Would you lend your support to a bill mandating full reciprocity for all 50 states' concealed-carry permits?
  11. If Congress presented you with a bill outlawing civil forfeiture as a law enforcement tactic, would you sign it?
  12. Since the Supreme Court, in Kelo v. New London, essentially threw the doors open to eminent domain actions, including the seizure of private property to be handed to commercial developers, would you lend your support to a constitutional amendment limiting eminent domain seizures to essential infrastructure projects such as roadways, railways, and airports?
  13. Would you lend your support to amending the Reapportionment Act of 1929 to increase the number of House of Representatives seats, increasing the size of the House to ensure that each Representative represents no more than 250,000 citizens?
  14. Would you lend your support to a constitutional amendment eliminating birthright citizenship?
  15. What are your plans for closing the southern border and deporting all of the people who are currently in the country illegally?
  16. What do you see as the advantages, if any, of the United States remaining a member of the United Nations, and would you support the United States withdrawing from the United Nations?
  17. What do you see as the advantages, if any, of the United States remaining a member of NATO, and would you support the United States withdrawing from NATO?
  18. What are your plans for re-manning and re-equipping our armed forces?
  19. Can you define the Non-Aggression Principle, and explain how it applies to relations between the United States and other nations?
  20. Would you lend your support to a bill prohibiting any military intervention outside the borders of the United States without a declaration of war voted on and passed by Congress?

It's far from sure we'll see debates between the eventual GOP and Democrat presidential nominee candidates; the Democrats, in the event Joe Biden somehow remains the candidate, are understandably nervous about allowing him on a debate stage with Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, or Nikki Haley; it's likely President Biden, at this point, would badly lose a debate with an artichoke.


See Related: Democrats Skittish About Any Biden-Trump Debates, Citing 'Age' Concerns and Making Trump Look Good


What is certain, though, is that nobody will be asking any of the questions I've listed above. But then, the world's got no shortage of windmills to tilt at.

Have any questions of your own? The comments are yours!

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