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Chad Love: Some Questions for the VP Candidates
If you were hoping for some semblance of political clarity in the aftermath of last night's VP debate between "Beretta Joe" Biden and Sarah "Pit Bull" Palin, I can only say... keep hoping. And drinking. At least you'll keep your spirits up and a brewery in business.
Oh, I suppose both candidates met the expectations given them: Biden didn't claim to have held off hordes of Taliban with his trusty Beretta after being "forced down" in Afghanistan. Sarah Palin's nonsensical automatonic responses to questions still made me claw at my eyes and scream for someone to get the poor woman a teleprompter, but at least they were coherent enough for the casual observer to distinguish her from Tina Fey's dead-on brilliant SNL spoof.
Still, last night's Kabuki theatre answered no questions and raised many more. As an unapologetic hunter, angler, gun nut, and environmentalist, here are a few I'd like to pose to the candidates:
1. Where do you stand on the General Mining Act of 1872? Should it be repealed?
2. Do you agree with the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller?
3. There are now 36 states with "shall issue" concealed-carry laws. Do you believe all citizens should have this right?
4. Do you support the continuation of federal ethanol mandates?
5. Do you believe the concept of "energy independence" can be attained while maintaining our current rate of energy consumption?
6. What do you consider the single most important piece of environmental legislation of the past century?
7. As a matter of policy should recreational opportunity have precedence over resource development on publicly-owned land?
8. Who is your environmental or conservation hero and why?
9. What role would hunters and/or anglers play in your running mate's administration? How would you seek their input on policy issues?
10. When was the last time you visited a national wildlife refuge?
11. Mr. Biden, as the proud owner of several "little Berettas" of my own, I'm curious what model Beretta you have. Could you tell me?
OK, so the last one's a gotcha. These are by no means a complete list of what I'd like to ask the candidates, but taken together I think (if answered extemporaneously and honestly) they would give a pretty fair portrait.
But who am I kidding. They're politicians. They don't answer questions extemporaneously or honestly.
I know I'm not the only one with questions. What would you like to ask Beretta Joe and the Pit Bull?
I think YOU should run for office, Chad Love. You are obviously very intelligent, well-informed on the issues, and your blogs are both interesting and darn fun to read. Where did you come from??? Please stick around.
Posted by: JoeS | October 03, 2008 at 04:26 PM
Aw, thanks, Joe.
(Pssst. Good job. The check's in the mail. But you forgot to add the "and you should probably send him on some hunting and fishing trips" part we rehearsed...)
Posted by: Chad Love | October 03, 2008 at 04:45 PM
For a senator with 25 years experience talking to crowds of people Biden didn't seem anymore of a qualified public speaker than Palin was. I will say that she seemed to have him on the defense and I seen her make him studder 3 times.
Posted by: Walt Smith | October 03, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Walt, were you watching the same debate? Palin came off like a child. She gave a "SHOUT OUT" to a third grade class during a Vice Presidential debate. Are you kidding me?
Biden crushed her in every which way.
Posted by: ohgeez | October 03, 2008 at 05:14 PM
If he stumbled on anything, it was because she said such ridiculous, roundabout, doubletalking gibberish that it took him a while to figure what the hell she was talking about.
I'd say her "Achilles Heel" (look it up, Sarah) is answering the actual questions put before her, rather than simply hijacking every opportunity for us to gauge her position (and grasp) of real issues into just another mind-numbing recitation of rote-memorized dogma.
Posted by: Doolie | October 03, 2008 at 05:21 PM
C'mon, Chad, these require real thought. Next thing you know, you'll be asking these people if they favor outcomes data for pharmaceutical treatment of Medicare patients and subsequent balancing of in-patient and out-patient regimens.
You intellectual.
Benton McKaye is my conservation hero, and I think I will have an extra Sam Adams tonight given the events of the past week.
Posted by: Gman | October 03, 2008 at 05:55 PM
Chad,
Good questions, but easy on the sarcasm.
Folks on the right and left should realize by now that this election will be decided by those in the very middle. I'm afriad these folks are going to drown in both flavors of Kool-Aid.
Posted by: Red | October 03, 2008 at 06:21 PM
You'd have to be a complete BONEHEAD to vote for Obama?Biden. I'd rather have a hero in the white house than a foreigner with ties to islam anyday.
Posted by: Walt Smith | October 03, 2008 at 07:05 PM
How about asking either one of them how they (or their running mates) are REALLY going to change anything in Washington?
For example: How do you stop a 700 billion dollar bail out from occuring again? Or better yet, how does a 700 billion dollar bailout go from a 3 page document to 300+ pages of bloated pork?
How do you stop this kind of crap Joe, Sarah, Obama or John?
Posted by: jstreet | October 03, 2008 at 07:14 PM
Real good questions, all. I wish you'd been the one representing F&S interviewing the candidates.
Posted by: Mike Diehl | October 03, 2008 at 07:39 PM
my only question regarding this whole election:
whiskey tango foxtrot?
Posted by: jersey pig | October 03, 2008 at 11:39 PM
Excellent questions, Chad. My favorite question for the Presidential candidates has always been, "If you're sworn in as President of the USA, to defend the Constitution of the United States, will you defend the 2nd Amendment as equally as you defend all other Amendments?"
As for the VP debate; Both sides didn't answer the questions. They were just promoting and defending their parties agendas. BUT, Palin seems to be one of us (not a career, big city, east coast politician), and to me Biden appeared to be a rich, good ol' boy from Washington. Based on the Democratic record, I don't believe 9/10 of the "change" he or Obama talk about.
I also noticed every time Palin said something Biden did't like, he displayed a cheesy "Clintonesque" grin, then stiffened a bit. It was kind of funny.
I think both candidates did well though.
As for the Presidential candidates:
Barack Obama's record of lawmaking is very unfavorable if you're not a socialist in a big city.
John McCain is not my first choice, but definitely the lesser of two evils.
Posted by: kalan | October 04, 2008 at 12:59 AM
Congratulations Chad, you're where you belong... keep up the intellectual discussions.
Posted by: Dr. Ralph | October 04, 2008 at 02:11 PM
My question:
What are the titles to the 2 last books you read, and when did you read them?
(sorry, I can't help it: I'll bet anyone a warm can of beer that Palin hasn't read a book since her 10th grade literature teacher assigned it....)
Posted by: Woodstock | October 06, 2008 at 01:48 AM