What I Would Ask Harris And Walz
It has now been announced that CNN's Dana Bash has won the journalistic sweepstakes and will be conducting a joint interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Thursday. This will fulfill a promise Harris made to sit down for an unscripted interview with the media before the end of the month.
Which directly leads to the question of what Harris and Walz should be asked about on Tuesday. So putting on our late-summer "If It Was Me" thinking cap, here are the questions I would ask Harris and Walz, if they were sitting down with me for an interview.
I only have one question for Walz, so I'll get that out of the way with first:
If elected, you will be the second Democratic vice president in a row who will serve under a president who had previously served as vice president. What would you ask a President Harris to assign to you, for you to become the administration's lead on? What would you want in your portfolio?
My guess is that the first thing Walz will say to this is "veterans," in some form or another. My guess is also that Walz will not respond with "the southern border," for obvious reasons. But it would be interesting to hear what Walz would like to focus on, no matter what he says.
Now my questions for Harris. They're a mix that ranges from hard-hitting to down-in-the-weeds to absolute softball questions, I fully admit.
This is your first sit-down interview with a journalist since your presidential campaign began. You have been criticized for not speaking to the press more often. So my first question is: when will you hold your first press conference as a candidate, where you take questions from an assortment of journalists? And my second question is: if you are elected president, will you commit to holding press conferences -- formal or informal -- at least once a month? Or some other regular timeline, at least?
The frequency of press conferences has been dwindling, in the past few decades. But since Kamala Harris is running on the concept of being "for the people," will she commit to at least talking to the press (as representatives of the people) on a regular basis? Joe Biden's track record on this front is pretty abysmal. So would things be different under a Harris presidency? Would we return to some sort of normal, regular schedule for these things? Even a president popping in to the White House Briefing Room on occasion to answer a handful of questions for a short period of time would be a significant improvement.
What is the deal with the debate over the debate? Joe Biden forced Donald Trump to debate him with his microphone muted when he wasn't supposed to be speaking. When Trump held debates previously with an un-muted mic, he just steamrolled over his opponents and the moderators, talking a blue streak, and they struggled to even get a word in edgewise. So why is your campaign team now demanding that the microphones be unmuted again? Do you think Trump comes across as "more presidential" when he is forced to shut up, and instead you want the public to see just how much of a bully and a boor he can be? Or what?
This one is tough to figure, really, at least for me. Trump will abuse the speaking-time allotments, if allowed to. It's a given. So why does Team Harris want that to happen? Are they confident that Harris will be able to somehow out-shout him? She shouldn't delude herself into thinking she can somehow shame him into shutting up, since Donald Trump has no shame at all. Does she just want to remind voters of how nasty Trump truly can be? Or maybe she plans on shouting down his lies while he is supposed to be talking? I confess, it is hard to understand the logic behind this surprise move, so I would be interested to hear what Harris has to say about it.
Maybe not on the proverbial "Day One," but what would your top priorities be upon entering the Oval Office? What would you want to have accomplished in your first 100 days? What are the top three things on your "to-do" list?
This is sort of a generic question, but Harris hasn't made a whole lot of "Day One" promises yet out on the campaign trail, so it would be interesting to hear what she'd want to tackle first. Some could be executive actions (which could indeed be accomplished on her first day in office) and some would be bills she wanted to see quickly move through Congress. But it'd be worthwhile to hear what she's got in mind.
Do you think there is a double standard in the media when it comes to asking both you and Donald Trump to provide detailed policy positions?
OK, this one's a total softball. But hey, she deserves at least one. While the political media whine louder and louder about Harris not putting out detailed position papers on every single issue, Trump is allowed to blithely state: "We will do X, Y, and Z once we get into office," without ever providing a shred of a detail about how he would attempt to do any of it. This isn't even a lack of position papers, it is journalists failing to penetrate the obvious smoke and mirrors, and Harris deserves to push back on the media in this regard.
You visibly tacked left in your 2020 presidential campaign, supporting things such as Medicare-For-All and a ban on fracking. Now you have reversed course on these and other positions. Were you just pandering to Democratic primary voters back in 2020 or did you truly experience a change in heart since then (and if so, why)? Which should voters believe is the "real" you -- what you said back then or what you are saying now?
This is the key question that not just needs to be asked, but I fully expect will be asked. Kamala Harris was a centrist or perhaps even center-right prosecutor -- which isn't all that unusual, as prosecutors and attorneys general are the embodiment of "getting tough on crime" (it goes with the job, to some extent or another). Then she became a more-liberal senator. Then she had to try to outflank Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on the 2020 campaign trail. Then she became Biden's vice president, and now she is her own candidate who has tacked to the center on a lot of issues. So which should the voters believe? Is she just a "finger in the wind" politician? Is she now just pandering? What are her core values? Voters deserve to know.
What is your position on the filibuster? If you get a Democratic Senate, should they completely get rid of the filibuster once and for all? Or should they just expand the list of things that cannot be filibustered to include core issues concerning constitutional rights, such as the right to vote and the right to an abortion?
This usually isn't asked in great detail, but Harris not only was a senator but also cast a record-setting number of tiebreaking Senate votes as vice president, so she knows the institution well. If Democrats beat the odds and hold on to control in the Senate -- and (importantly) regain control of the House -- this will become a rather paramount question for what Democrats can actually accomplish under Harris. Should Chuck Schumer completely jettison the legislative filibuster once and for all? Or should it just be restricted further (since filibusters are already not allowed on certain issues)? What would she tell Schumer to do at the start of the next Congress, when the rules for the chamber are set?
Next year, many of the Trump tax cuts will expire. This will set up a gigantic battle in Congress, because they'll essentially get the chance to completely rewrite the tax code. What would your top priorities be in this battle? What would you press Democrats in Congress to focus on? What would be your red lines?
This is a sort of ticking time bomb that most of the public isn't even aware exists. No matter who is president, no matter who controls which house in Congress, there's an enormous battle on the horizon. This could consume most of the 2025 legislative season, in fact. So what does Harris want out of these negotiations? What are her red lines?
And my final question, which is admittedly "off in the weeds" (pun most certainly intended), but which has long been a pet issue of mine:
Unlike Joe Biden, you have admitted to recreationally using marijuana earlier in your life. Would you go further than the steps President Biden has taken in terms of federal legalization? Instead of just rescheduling cannabis, would you support fully descheduling it and handing the issue off to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, where it logically belongs? And would you support a new federal law that guaranteed that mere possession of marijuana was legal in all 50 states -- limiting state and local governments to only regulating the sales of marijuana in their jurisdictions, just as alcohol is treated today? You can legally drive through a "dry" county with alcohol in your car -- should the same be true everywhere for marijuana?
By my count, Harris would become at least the fourth United States president who admitted to breaking federal law before they arrived in office by smoking marijuana in their youth (the others would be: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama -- not sure if Donald Trump has ever admitted to it...). Clinton was (obviously) terrified of the political damage the issue could do him (his risible "didn't inhale" dodge). Dubya didn't seem all that concerned with it at all, and it never really damaged him politically. Obama actually bragged about what a stoner he was as a teen, and it just made him more hip. The question (on past personal use) is now barely even relevant for presidential candidates, but just because they all got away with breaking the law scot-free doesn't mean that they can't also institute some major changes in federal law as president. Ironically, it was ex-drug-warrior Joe Biden who felt safe enough politically to institute the biggest change yet -- but it still doesn't go nearly far enough. So would Harris, if she gets the chance?
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
how about this one:
the Democratic base seems very enthusiastic about your candidacy, but you must be aware that you didn't receive a single primary vote this year. your selection as the Democratic nominee stems solely from president Biden's endorsement, and the endorsements of party delegates. if elected president, what will you do to earn the confidence of Democratic voters who might not have selected you had the president stepped aside sooner?
Dana Bash is terrible, so nobody should expect much.
Just today, Short Fingers said this:
Zuckerberg admits that the White House pushed to SUPPRESS HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY (& much more!). IN OTHER WORDS, THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS RIGGED.
She should ask when the 78 year old dementia felon should drop out of the race. The dipshit is still whining about Hunter and hallucinating that somebody other than himself was in the White House in 2020. His criminal insanity is the main issue in this election and everybody knows it.
So why is your campaign team now demanding that the microphones be unmuted again?
I think you have confused "requested" with "demanding." If the news networks won't fact check the pathological liar in real time, someone will have to do it. Also, the more Trump talks, Americans remember exactly why they voted to Make the Asshole Go Away.
Do you think Trump comes across as "more presidential" when he is forced to shut up, and instead you want the public to see just how much of a bully and a boor he can be? Or what?
You've provided an answer in the form of a question; do you think this is Jeopardy? Or what? ;)
Most importantly, she should ask long meandering questions that make her feel like she knows something and absolutely no follow up questions.
Since Big Orange always lies about tariffs, she should ask about the Trump tariff tax on America. In addition, she should ask if it's socialism to make all those welfare payments to farmers to counter the economic destruction caused by his tariffs.
nypoet22
1
the Democratic base seems very enthusiastic about your candidacy, but you must be aware that you didn't receive a single primary vote this year. your selection as the Democratic nominee stems solely from president Biden's endorsement, and the endorsements of party delegates.
President Biden released his thousands of pledged delegates who were, of course, free to vote for any person of their choice. I then received numerous endorsements from multiple elected officials who additionally chose not to run against me seeking to become the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, and I was therefore officially the only candidate seeking the nomination. There wasn't a single thing that stopped RFK, Jr. or anyone else from seeking the nomination except maybe the fact they're tiny little snowflakes and all conspiracy theory BS all the time with cojones so tiny they cannot be seen without the aid of a magnifying glass and/or microscope... allegedly.
If if elected president, what will you do to earn the confidence of Democratic voters who might not have selected you had the president stepped aside sooner?
My Black job. :)
John From Censornati
5
Since Big Orange always lies about tariffs, she should ask about the Trump tariff tax on America.
Yes, and to your point, if she can stop herself from asking one of those long meandering questions that make her feel like she knows something, she should ask Trump:
What is a tariff?
I've heard his definition, and he's positively clueless.
In addition, she should ask if it's socialism to make all those welfare payments to farmers to counter the economic destruction caused by his tariffs.
Trump's trade wars with China are being funded by the American taxpayers, but Biden has done little to stop it, while Trump has obviously promised to exponentially increase the tariffs because he has no freaking clue.
@kick,
that's a snarky answer to a serious question. i think it's important for Kamala to connect the dots and give Joe some credit for choosing her.
In RFK Jr's "withdrawal" speech, he claimed a "DNC-aligned media" embargo prevented him from winning. He named networks and specifically included MSNBC. At a minimum, he had a standing invitation to appear on Lawrence O'Donnell's show. For some reason, he was a no show.
He said Ross Perot was interviewed 32 times on ABC, NBC, and CBS and he got 2. Wasn't that back in the pre-internet days?
I'm glad that Fat Donny allowed this radical liberal lunatic to attach himself to his campaign. If the orangutan wins, it won't be because he aligned with a weirdo with numerous extra-weird dead animal stories.
I hope Dana asks about him so that they can "go high". lol
nypoet22
8
that's a snarky answer to a serious question.
Oh, do you really think that was snarky? 'Cause that's exactly what I was going for.
i think it's important for Kamala to connect the dots and give Joe some credit for choosing her.
Of course... and while she's at it, she could/should remind all those naysayers that she was also on the ticket and helped pull in a great many of those ~81.2 million votes in November 2020, the most ever votes received by a political ticket in American history. :)
The tangerine nightmare has now blamed Biden (and Harris) for the assassination attempt.
I have a question I would like to see asked of him:
Was VP Mike Pence responsible for those Chinese tariffs and the border wall? Were they his idea or is it just a lot of BS when you say VP Harris is responsible for everything?
John From Censornati
9
In RFK Jr's "withdrawal" speech, he claimed a "DNC-aligned media" embargo prevented him from winning.
Funny thing about that "DNC aligned media," they have a definite propensity to keep BS-spewing morons that can harm people off their airwaves; perhaps they aren't looking to get sued by giving a voice to known crazy in the same manner Fox News does/has/is/cannot stop itself.
He named networks and specifically included MSNBC. At a minimum, he had a standing invitation to appear on Lawrence O'Donnell's show. For some reason, he was a no show.
Probably 'cause Lawrence would have fact checked him in real time and referred to him as "Jeffrey Dahmer of the animal kingdom" for beheading a whale and leaving a dead bear carcass in Central Park and maybe because the first question O'Donnell would ask him is:
He said Ross Perot was interviewed 32 times on ABC, NBC, and CBS and he got 2. Wasn't that back in the pre-internet days?
Yes, it was definitely pre-public access to the Internet, but Ross Perot was also polling near 40% at one point in '92 and also notably had his name on every ballot in every state in the U.S. so RFK Jr is comparing an In-N-Out Quad Quad to an absolute nothingburger.
I'm glad that Fat Donny allowed this radical liberal lunatic to attach himself to his campaign. If the orangutan wins, it won't be because he aligned with a weirdo with numerous extra-weird dead animal stories.
I mean, really: Dead brain-eating worm (explains so much), roadkill bear cub, beheaded whale, so what's next? Whatever that thing is on Trump's head.
I hope Dana asks about him so that they can "go high". lol
RFK Jr seems high all the time. For instance:
A slave? Oh, FFS!
No network or platform in America is mandated nor legally required to supply a microphone to the well-known maniacal antisemitic conspiracy-theory ranting anti-science bullshit that has been spewing forth for decades from the uninformed and misinforming ignorant worm-infected brain of RFK, Jr.
Ranting nutjob Bobby Kennedy, Jr’s historically incorrect (among other things, obviously) speech omits the fact that Anne Frank hid in a home in the Netherlands (not Germany), and she was captured and murdered by Nazis along with millions of others. Are we seriously all forced to listen to this well-documented-type crap that this weirdo spews out into the public whenever he is given a platform by anyone dumb or desperate enough to give it to him? Rhetorical question.
RFK Jr prattling on and on about not getting airtime for his lunatic conspiracy rants would be akin to Alex Jones whining incessantly about not being allowed to spew his "false flag" invented conspiracy theory lunacy all over network television, which even Jones is not dumb enough (debatable, I concede) to actually complain about.
Lots and lots of presidential candidates do not get airtime for all kinds of reasons. So your last name is "Kennedy," but you're a raving poop-throwing loon, and you can put lipstick over every square inch of that horseshit, and it's still just a dang stinky well-documented mud-loving moron.
John From Censornati
11
The tangerine nightmare has now blamed Biden (and Harris) for the assassination attempt.
If you think about it, this is practically an admission from the mouth of the perp himself that his own words could be responsible for the deaths and permanent injuries sustained in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the capitol which was incited by his Big Lie. Good thing he's not being sued by those police officers and others for his role in it... oh, wait!
^^^^ Note to Jack Smith and attorneys all over America in litigation against Big Liar Trump who's admitting words can cause damages. ^^^^
Of course, summoning a crowd to Washington, DC (in writing) based on your repetitive false Big Lie and insisting your Vice President subvert the Constitution and recognize illegal certificates of ascertainment which you conspired to create and thereby potentially disenfranchising multiple millions of voters in several states and then directing citizens you knew were armed toward a building in order to interrupt their constitutionally mandated sworn duty... but not before conspiring with others to repeatedly tell them they have to fight or they won't have a country anymore... actually does make you a bona fide "threat to democracy." So there's that.
I have a question I would like to see asked of him:
Was VP Mike Pence responsible for those Chinese tariffs and the border wall? Were they his idea or is it just a lot of BS when you say VP Harris is responsible for everything?
Good question. But don't be surprised if Trump blames VP Pence for not conspiring with him and the other defendants in order to subvert the Constitution when they were threatening democracy and their words were causing irreparable damage to police officers and others who will see his ass in court... eventually.
My question from Dana Bash to Trump:
What does it feel like to have almost the entirety of your campaign script flipped directly onto you?
I mean: Who's the old man now?