20 questions we would ask McCain and Obama

Posted By P.J. Aroon Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 10:05 AM Share

PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

It's still unclear whether tomorrow's presidential debate will go on as scheduled, but assuming that the two candidates do eventually make it to Ole Miss, we have a few questions we'd like answered.

The focus of the debate will be foreign policy and national security. Earlier this month, we listed 20 interview questions we wanted to ask Sarah Palin. Now we've compiled 20 debate questions we would like to watch McCain and Obama spar over. Feel free to suggest questions you'd like to pitch to the debaters.

If you had been president on Sept. 11, 2001, how would you have responded to the attacks on that tragic day, both in the short term and the long term?
What do you consider the biggest foreign-policy success and the biggest foreign-policy failure of the Bush administration?
What do you think about the Bush doctrine, whatever you interpret it to be?
Four years from now, on the eve of the 2012 presidential election, how many U.S. troops will we have in Iraq?
Four years from now, on the eve of the 2012 presidential election, how close will Iran be to having a nuclear weapon?
If the phone rings at 3 a.m. while you’re president and you learn that Kim Jong Il just died, what would be the first thing you would do?
In light of events in Pakistan, would you support the continuation of cross-border strikes from Afghanistan, even if such strikes are not supported by the Pakistani government?
Do you think we are entering a post-American multipolar world?
What do you think will be the most defining foreign-policy issue during the next four years?
Your running mates would have to take over for you in the unfortunate event of a crisis. Senator McCain, why would Sarah Palin be a better commander in chief than Senator Obama? Senator Obama, why would Joe Biden be a better commander in chief than Senator McCain?
How would you define victory in the war on terror?
How do you define torture?
Would you close or leave open the Guantánamo Bay prison?
Is the conflict in Sudan a genocide? If yes, what obligations does that place before the United States?
Should the United States continue its embargo against Cuba?
Would you be willing to cut farm subsidies to allow the Doha Round of trade negotiations to proceed?
What is your preferred plan for peace between Israel and Palestine? A two-state solution? What about Jerusalem?
Do you support the U.S.-India civil nuclear deal, which would allow the United States to provide civil nuclear technology and fuel to India, a country that hasn’t signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
How would you balance concerns over human rights and freedom in China with the United States’ growing economic interdependence with that country?
What’s more important: securing Russia’s cooperation on nuclear proliferation and Iran, or supporting Georgia’s NATO bid? If Vladimir Putin called you on the phone and said, “It’s one or the other,” what would you tell him?

EXPLORE:DECISION '08

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DRAKE

9:32 AM ET

September 25, 2008

I like those

GKDUBS

11:39 AM ET

September 25, 2008

Economic question

Though not officially a foreign policy or national security question (but certainly one with implications for both), I'd like to ask the candidates what they think will happen if the federal government chooses not to bail out Wall Street (or at least not as extensively as currently proposed).

To date, all I've seen quoted in the media is that "bad stuff is gonna happen" if the bail out doesn't go through. I'd like to know a little bit more about how much our leaders actually understand the ramifications of choosing to go through or not go through with the bail out. I'd like to know that there is more to the Fed's sales proposition than FUD. I'd like to know that they have considered more options than what seems like a new "nuclear option."

GABEH73

12:09 PM ET

September 25, 2008

Goldman Sachs

If we don't give Paulson 700 billion, Warren Buffet and Goldamn sachs will lose some money!

now that you understand how seriosu this is you better do waht we say.

JGARZIK

11:56 AM ET

September 25, 2008

Much better than the Palin questions

Bravo, these questions are much better than the Palin questions.

The Palin questions were intentionally cynical, snarky, and written assuming a lack of intelligence on the part of the interviewee. Shame on FP, for that list of questions. It was beneath FP's standards.

This list, on the other hand, is a very reasonable list, with excellent foreign policy questions, not a "gotcha" in sight.

Good show, chaps. Good questions.

Jeff @ Armchair FP

Passport, FP’s flagship blog, brings you news and hidden angles on the biggest stories of the day, as well as insights and under-the-radar gems from around the world.