TIT FOR TUBE-TAT. I’m with Garance in really liking the debate last night. But let’s also remember that, while the questions were submitted by “ordinary” Americans, CNN had selection power over submitted entries. And it seemed to me that some of the questions chosen -- especially in the first 30-40 minutes -- were those intended to probe if not embarrass Democrats on sore-spot issues: gay marriage, race reparations, and so forth. (CNN this morning said the reparations question got the lowest meter rating from its approval-dialing focus group.) So, while there was not a question about immigration there was a direct question to Hillary Clinton about whether she would describes herself as a “liberal” -- a question which the liberal cynic in me sounded like one submitted not by a Democratic or independent, but a clever Republican. And at one point, when asking a follow-up at one point, host Anderson Cooper raised his brow and reminded the candidates and audience that it was not “my question.” All of which suggests that the media is more likely to ask an uncomfortable question when they have the cover of serving as translator-editor, rather than questioner-writer. Which is fine -- although it is also a tacit admission that the media would not have the guts to ask certain questions without the ability to deflect responsibility for them. And it brings me to this question: When the Republicans have their own YouTube debate on September 17, is CNN going to select some equally uncomfortable questions? And I don’t just mean queries on Iraq and immigration, major issues causing Republican headaches. I’m talking questions like these:
- Do you believe in the rapture? (I confess to stealing this question from Joe Klein.)
- Gov. Romney is a Mormon, so I’d like to ask each candidate if he believes Mormonism is a cult religion?
- How many people in your family have served in the military, and why did you serve or not serve when you were age-eligible? (A version of this question was asked of Democrats.)
- Sen. McCain and Mayor Giuliani: Both of you are divorced, so why should Americans take cues or lectures from you about family values?
- Conservatives say they believe in free markets, but then support everything from farm subsidies to no-bid contracts for contracts in Iraq. What capitalist principles are animated by subsidies and non-competitive contracting?
- Of every hundred conceptions, 50 end in natural abortion without a mother ever knowing she is pregnant and, of the remaining 50, about 10 end in known miscarriages. If life “begins at conception,” abortion is a sin, and God is all powerful, why does God terminate six of every 10 conceived lives?
- Hillary Clinton has a good shot of becoming the first woman president. In your opinion, is she capable of leading the country?
...OK, you get my point. We’ll see if CNN selects such uncomfortable, on-the-spot questions of the Republicans, presuming they are submitted. P.S. Is there really any doubt that John Edwards' video spot was the best -- both in production quality, content and the sheer brilliance of turning the haircut story into an indictment of the media instead of him? --Tom Schaller
