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Submit and Moderate Questions for Bush and Kerry
Posted by
Roblimo
on Fri Sep 24, 2004 11:25 AM
from the if-you-don't-vote-you-have-no-right-to-complain dept.
from the if-you-don't-vote-you-have-no-right-to-complain dept.
We're teaming up with the New Voters Project Presidential Youth Debate to ask the two major party candidates "the 12 previously unasked questions that most concern young Americans." This is different from the usual Slashdot interview because we're asking you to submit questions through the New Voters Project site instead of as comments attached to this post. Next week you'll have a chance to help select questions for the candidates from among the top 50 asked by everyone -- not just Slashdot readers -- by first winnowing those down to 20 through the Slashdot moderation system, then by voting on the "final 12" displayed on the New Voters Project site. On October 12 we'll post the answers, and on October 19 we'll post candidate-supplied rebuttals.
Note that the idea here is to solicit questions specifically from voters 18 - 35, because this age group tends to vote less than older Americans, plus questions from people 13 - 17 who will be voters before long. But the question selection process is not age-restricted, and it's where your comments and moderation become most important, because one great hope here is to avoid asking questions the candidates have heard (and answered) over and over.
The other question-selecting moderators are groups like Youth Vote Coalition, Earth Day Network, Rock The Vote, Declare Yourself, and 18to35.org, plus lead moderator Farai Chideya.
Anthony Tedesco, founder of the Presidential Youth Debates, has been doing this since 1996. 2004 is the first time an entire online community has participated in the moderation process. It's a logical evolution of the group-questions idea, and Slashdot is the obvious community to choose not only because of the wide range of political views held by Slashdot readers but also because the primary Presidential Youth Debates tech guy, Dan Collis Puro (AKA Hero Zzyzzx), is a Slashdot member himself (and would be happy if you volunteer to help work on their all-FOSS Web site).
Anyway, this is an interesting experiment. Ask your questions, prepare to moderate and comment next week, and to read the candidates' answers and rebuttals when we post them next month.
The other question-selecting moderators are groups like Youth Vote Coalition, Earth Day Network, Rock The Vote, Declare Yourself, and 18to35.org, plus lead moderator Farai Chideya.
Anthony Tedesco, founder of the Presidential Youth Debates, has been doing this since 1996. 2004 is the first time an entire online community has participated in the moderation process. It's a logical evolution of the group-questions idea, and Slashdot is the obvious community to choose not only because of the wide range of political views held by Slashdot readers but also because the primary Presidential Youth Debates tech guy, Dan Collis Puro (AKA Hero Zzyzzx), is a Slashdot member himself (and would be happy if you volunteer to help work on their all-FOSS Web site).
Anyway, this is an interesting experiment. Ask your questions, prepare to moderate and comment next week, and to read the candidates' answers and rebuttals when we post them next month.
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should the gov decide who has the right to marry? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Funny)
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Kyoto (Score:5, Interesting)
Senator Kerry, How do you reconcile the strict environmental guidelines established by the Kyoto Protocols - which you have spoken in favor of - with the creation and continuation of high tech - and therefore high energy consumption - industries?
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Funny)
Bush: Son, there's no such word as hoom.
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Mod parent up (Score:5, Funny)
Both of my wives agree that the government shouldn't decide!
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Insightful)
We're not talking about polygamy here, or animal husbandry - just the union of two people in love. Where does the government get off trying to interfere with that?
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Insightful)
If marriage is viewed as an act of love, then government has not reason for involvement whatsoever. However, if you view marriage as the foundation platform for a family, then that view changes, for several reasons:
1) Stronger families mean that there is less need of government intervention in the general case. Strong families have less need of governance.
2) When children enter the picture, you have a lot of issues surrounding care, custody, etc., all for a child which has no real input into the matter.
When marriage is viewed as a foundation for a family, then there are legal reasons for the government to recognize or not recognize certain marriages (but again, legal recognition of marriage is not equivalent with marriage).
On a different topic, one could also point out the absurdity of calling anything between same-sex partners "marriage". Even in the past when same-sex relationships were viewed as being better than man-woman relationships, same-sex relationships were not considered, even for a second, marriage. Why? Because marriage is more about family than it is about affections.
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Insightful)
No shit. That's why they're trying to amend it.
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, are you my wife?
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Re:More to the point... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:should the gov decide who has the right to marr (Score:5, Insightful)
er. the law, which is what we're discussing here, only applies to people. can a horse be charged with murder? does it need to submit income tax returns? no. and it can marry or be banned from marrying either. your point is moot.
if you're going to argue against gay marriage then i would request that you stay away from over-dramatic implementations of the slippery slope fallacy.
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Patriot Act (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Patriot Act (Score:5, Insightful)
Will this be like the war against drugs which seems to be perpetual and allow the government to fight both sides (Ollie North wasn't exchanging arms for jelly beans, was he)?
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My Question: (Score:5, Interesting)
Taxes and Spending (Score:5, Interesting)
Question for President Bush (Score:5, Insightful)
You have said that recent CIA estimates of the instability and dire situation in Iraq represent the CIA "just guessing." Since you are choosing to disregard the intelligence community's considered assessment of the situation, on what basis do you formulate your contrary assessment of the situation in Iraq?
The deficit (Score:5, Interesting)
Biggest mistake? (Score:5, Insightful)
In Soviet Russia... (Score:5, Funny)
For Both Parties (Score:5, Interesting)
1) Use of Military Power: Both approve of foreign intervention, but one party prefers to get the tacit approval of the international community before invading.
2) Tax Policy: Moving the marginal rates around only makes a difference of a few bucks to the average tax payer. The user fees are almost exclusively a middle-class burden, and neither party looks to decrease any of them.
3) Intellectual Property: Both parties are rushing to become the poster child for media conglomerates. They constantly chastize the 'media', but can't wait to lick their boots when it comes time to pass legislation regarding extending copyright protection (as one sleazy congressperson said: "Forever minus one year").
4) Drug policy: Neither party can put a stop to the madness that the drug war has brought us. Nothing useful has been accomplished in 30 years of police-state enforcement of drug laws. That is, unless you consider the fact that the US leads in per-capita encarceration as a 'positive' social gain.
These are just a few. Why shouldn't we view the Demopublican or Republicratic Parties as two sides of the same bad penny?
Re:For Both Parties (Score:5, Insightful)
They've screwed up the election process to make it extremely difficult to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Once upon a time, it was a write in ballot, not multiple choice.
After Perot appeared on the presidential debates, their media buddies helped them screw with those rules to make it virtually impossible for that to happen again.
For that matter, why are there no third parties in this "Youth Debate"? I'll tell you why, the last thing we want to do is have the youth find out that it doesn't have to be a two party system. Young minds are predetermined to see things in black and white anyways.
Go ahead slashdot, help brainwash another generation into believing in this complete perversion of representative democracy.
Of course, they're the same people with the same agenda. All these people screeching "We have to get rid of Bush! Vote Kerry because third party votes are wasted". Gah.
Kerry isn't going to end the war in Iraq, repeal PATRIOT, lower taxes, allow same-sex marraige, he's not going to do anything to change the status quo.
Presidential politics are purely smear campaigns, because there's no issue that they actually differ on significantly.
Futurama:
Jack Johnson "I say my opponents plan goes too far!"
John Jackson "And I say my opponents plan doesn't go too far enough!"
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Two-Party System (Score:5, Insightful)
Stop Posting Questions!! (Score:5, Informative)
This is different from the usual Slashdot interview because we're asking you to submit questions through the New Voters Project site instead of as comments attached to this post.
Re:Stop Posting Questions!! (Score:5, Funny)
Christ, don't you people even read the damn blurb?
Your ID# is 15591. You should know the answer to that by now.
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My Question (Score:5, Interesting)
How will we pay for the trillions that Social Security, Medicaid, and all of the other entitlement programs be handled?
How does having countries like Japan, China, and India who are buying our debt (thus allowing us to spend more money than we have), change the equation? How does the fact that Japan is heading for their baby boom retirement in 4 years change our equation?
Please answer in a fashion which is not compatiable to a 10 sound bite.
Thanks
Presidential debates (Score:5, Insightful)
-moitz-
To both candidates... (Score:5, Interesting)
And you believe them? (Score:5, Insightful)
The key-people will not answer questions straight and honestly, but will waffle around them or lie through their teeth.
The key-people won't even think about holding any words, promises or whatever once they're [still] in office.
So... who cares?
Double std in drug enforcemt for african americans (Score:5, Interesting)
As a followup question, what effect does this have on the health of democracy in states where a criminal record can render one ineligible to vote?
Human Space Exploration (Score:5, Interesting)
To Kerry: As president, would you direct NASA to continue with human space exploration of planetary bodies or would you contract it's focus to Earth and near-Earth subjects? (Please provide specifics as previous answers to this have been very vague [space.com].)
Globalization (Score:5, Insightful)
For President Bush (Score:5, Funny)
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them:
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not to Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.
4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states that he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
6. A friend of mine feels that, even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there "degrees" of abomination?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the
whole town together to stone them (Lev. 24:10-16)?
Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws (Lev. 20:14)?
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Would you like a pretzel? (Score:5, Funny)
Question for both candidates (Score:5, Interesting)
For the first time in history, this presidential election will make use of electronic voting machines to track more than half of all votes cast nationwide. Diebold is the largest manufacturer of these machines.
The Diebold machines have been proven insecure by numerous security analysts, and contain numerous security flaws. For example, it has been shown that anyone can change the electronic vote tallies by simply writing and executing a five-line computer script.
William W. O'Dell, CEO of Diebold and one of the largest Republican campaign contributors in the state of Ohio, has stated publicly that he will do "everything he can" to get George W. Bush re-elected.
My question is this: While there are clearly several advantages to electronic voting, do you believe that these problems could compromise the integrity of the 2004 election?
Death Penalty and Religion (Score:5, Interesting)
Mr Bush,
when interviewed during the last presidential campaign, you were asked by an interviewer if you had a role model. To this you replied that Jesus was the closest that you had to one.
During your tenure as Governor of Texas, more people were killed in Texas prisons, enacting the death penalty, than during the tenure of any previous Governor in modern times. You presided over an execution nearly every two weeks from the moment you took office.
Considering the commandment of 'Thou shalt not kill' directly from God, and considering Jesus' stance on killing, how do you explain this glaring discrepancy between 'do as I say, not as I do'?
Thank you for your answer.
Question: (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The draft (Score:5, Insightful)
http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:H.R .163: [congress.gov]
http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:S.8 9: [congress.gov]
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Re:The draft (Score:5, Insightful)
Most importantly, the miliary leaders do not want draftees.
Talk of starting a draft, it basically scare tactics from people who don't like President Bush. There is no realy support for it on either side of the aisle.
The only reason it is being talk about is that it helps to bring back the Vietnam era. Appearently the Democrats think that this is an effective strategy. We'll know in two months.
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Re:Question for Mr. Bush (Score:5, Interesting)
For me it was when he said that non Christians shouldn't be considered citizens, much less patriots. So if in his eyes I'm not a citizen, I guess there's no way for me to vote for him.
Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.
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Re:Question for Mr. Bush (Score:5, Informative)
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Another question for the candidates (Score:5, Insightful)
Bush: How do you respond to people who are very much concerned that your administration does not want basic to protect the basic checks and balances of our system?
Kerry: What are your thoughts on these issues? Why should I conclude that your administration will not continue these policies?
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Re:Question for Mr. Bush (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, that's incredibly disturbing. But let's clarify - it was Bush senior that was involved in that encounter, not Dubya.
Of course, the apple usually don't fall far from the tree....
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I HAVE A QUESTION FOR TEH PRESIDENT (Score:5, Funny)
PRESIDENCE BUSH: YA!!~ it's like slow and it's telling you all the stuff you did in the first one then the music kicks in and and the chief comes out and gets a gun the earf is on fire and chief is like fuck this im jumping and HE JUMPS PUT OF TEH SPACESHIP with angels singing and he lands on the bad guys and that annoying ai lady is like GO GET EM TIGER! WILDCAT IS ON TEH SPOKE!!!~`1 and theres less polys but rawkin bumb mappings you can view this on a special MICROSOFT xbox disk that comes with EB games store.
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Re:Just my luck... (Score:5, Funny)
Mr. President,
Should citizens be able to moderate and metamoderate presidential orders?
Killed auto emissions bill (-1 Troll)
Proposed flag burning amendment (-1 Flamebait)
9/11 speech (4 insightful)
Tax cuts (3 Interesting)
Tell everyone to go out and spend that $300 right away (5 Funny)
Record deficit spending (-1 Troll)
Invade Afghanistan in pursuit of al qaeda (5 Interesting)
Invade Iraq (-1 Flamebait)
Gay marriage ban amendment (-1 Flamebait)
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Re:Womens rights (Score:5, Informative)
It's called parental leave, it's provincial, in Ontario it's not a year, it is not full paid time off and fathers can take it too.
http://www.gov.on.ca/LAB/english/es/factsheets/fs_ preg.html [gov.on.ca]
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Re:What is the role of war? (Score:5, Funny)
Sir, you will probably be moderated down, as Edwin Starr has sufficiently dealt with this question.
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Re:From a conservative (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you care that over 10,000 Iraqi citizens have been slaughtered in the name of US foreign policy?
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Re:From a conservative (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:From a conservative (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm sorry to say that the war isn't over
That's because we never officially started a war. Congress and the President conspired to take on a military action that they call a "war" when it suits them, but never to actually produce a declaration of war, a cessation of war, or any other legitimate status. Who wants the formality of Articles of War (as the Constitution requires) when a blank-check, do-what-you-want, whenever-you-want permission slip will do just as well? Especially when people might then be interested to see an official end of wartime status, so the people and courts know when to resume the normal order of protecting those inconvenient things like civil liberties?
"Inter Arma Silent Leges (In times of War, the Law is Silent)."
"We are at war with Eurasia, and we have always been at war with Eurasia."
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