Patch Is Collecting Questions for Obama and Romney During the Next Presidential Debate

James R Hoffa October 5, 2012 at 06:40 pm

The US has been terrible at enforcing the trade agreements that it has entered into to the benefit of the American people - especially with unfair trading nations such as China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, India, and even Japan to a certain extent. With NAFTA, several manufacturing jobs were lost to Mexico. Since the three recent Free Trade Agreements signed into law by President Obama, with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia, our trade deficit with South Korea has skyrocketed to levels much worse then they were prior to the enactment of such trade agreement. As the largest discretionary marketplace of finished goods in the world, the US still holds a lot of power on the demand side of the economic equation, and yet has practically given away the domestic industrial base that is largely responsible for making our country what it is today. Hoffa would like to know why the candidates don't use the demand of our marketplace to propose and implement fairer trade agreements that would help to preserve our industrial base as opposed to hemorrhaging it out of existence, as is the current course that we've been put on over the last 30+ years by both political parties. After all, we're the United States of America - shouldn't we be demanding that other nations wishing to trade with us play by our rules of fair play (living wages, a safe and clean environment and workplace, and a fair taxation/subsidy structure) instead of lowering our standards to play by their rules?

Greg October 5, 2012 at 06:49 pm

Yep.

Mark Maley (Editor) October 5, 2012 at 06:51 pm

Wow... Do you really believe that, Nick? Do you think Obama and Romney chose their questions Wednesday night?

Greg October 5, 2012 at 06:59 pm

Would the candidates support dialing back the green energy efforts for economic growth and stability? We have an abundance of natural gas, that is a good clean energy option, that is being bypassed in an effort to implement expensive green options, such as solar and wind.

Steve ® October 5, 2012 at 07:02 pm

Obama : What did you have for breakfast this morning and do you like rainbows?
Romney: Please explain in detail every job when you claim you can create 12 million. Also please give the first and last name of every person that will be employed under your plan.

Steve ® October 5, 2012 at 07:09 pm

Need more obama bucks

James R Hoffa October 5, 2012 at 07:15 pm

LOL!

James R Hoffa October 5, 2012 at 07:39 pm

@Bren -
Those aren't questions - they're Daily Kos talking points!

SH00TY October 5, 2012 at 08:09 pm

"I'm hoping to go to college when I finish high school."
good luck :)

Bob McBride October 5, 2012 at 08:10 pm

I think we have a winner.

Greg October 5, 2012 at 08:15 pm

An entire post without mentioning ALEC, Bren just may finish high school.

Joseph Robert October 5, 2012 at 11:57 pm

Before you prepare your questions, you might want to read about all of the false statements and lies that Romney told at the debate. There were more than 20 of them, perhaps a record for Romney:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/10/04/958801/at-last-nights-debate-romney-told-27-myths-in-38-minutes/?mobile=nc How can anyone trust this extremist who will say ANYTHING to get elected!

Bob McBride October 6, 2012 at 12:01 am

Your source is crap.

Mike in OC October 6, 2012 at 12:55 am

@bren .... I went to college and wasnt able to get student loans because my parents made to much and they didnt help me out either with tuition. I thought long and hard about what I should do... lol.... I got a job and paid for college myself. Took me a few years longer since I worked full time while going to school, but I graduated debt free.

Greg October 6, 2012 at 01:58 am

You probably have a better chance of getting hired at Bain Capital, without a degree, than you do getting hired, with a degree, at any company that Obama was CEO of.

James R Hoffa October 6, 2012 at 02:00 am

@Joseph Robert -
Not that Hoffa fully trusts any of the so-called 'fact-checkers' anymore, but most of those who claim to be non-biased/partisan seem to all say that an equal number of falsehoods or misrepresentations were told by both men throughout the course of the 90 minute debate, if not Obama actually lying just a bit more than Romney. Here's just one of those 'fact-checks:' http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/fact-check-presidential-debate-missteps-155346190.html ThinkProgress is known to be an extremely liberally biased organization, in case you didn't already realize that!

Rik Kluessendorf October 6, 2012 at 05:19 am

Legitimate question for both candidates that should, I think, be asked of every candidate running for office:
When was the last time that you read the entire U.S. Constitution, and how often do you make a practice of doing so?

Lyle Ruble October 6, 2012 at 11:11 am

To both candidates: We, the US, are facing a fiscal cliff come January 1st; what action do you think the lame duck congress should do? After the new congress is seated, what actions must be done in order to stabilize the forced austerity program. One further question: In down sizing the US Military, what cuts would be made and where?

DK October 6, 2012 at 01:09 pm

Mr. Obama-
If your plans for the next 4 years will be so effective, why haven't you implemented them during your first administration?

Terry Tomaszewski October 6, 2012 at 04:08 pm

I soo tired of the grid locked congress and want that to change ASAP. What I want to know from both candidates just what they would be willing to compromise in their stated platform in order to get things done. Also, just how are they going to get the polititians on the far left and right to get on board.

Vicki Bennett October 6, 2012 at 08:07 pm

If Mitt Romney was told by the president and the council of the Mormon church to do something that was contrary to his presidential advisors, would he choose to follow the church or his presidential advisors.

Blair Nielsen October 6, 2012 at 09:28 pm

Mr. Obama, has all this full time campaigning affected your golf handicap much?

Gregory Kluck October 6, 2012 at 10:19 pm

I think it will be much easier to get Romney to go to center from right than getting President Obama to go to center from left.

Joseph Robert October 8, 2012 at 02:41 pm

Mr. Romney, in your first debate, you said you didn’t plan a huge tax cut for all Americans, including millionaires and billionaires. However, this is contrary to your own videotaped comments a few months ago when you said:
“We are going to cut taxes on everyone across the country by 20 percent, including the top 1 percent. “ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJzUQwJFW7k Which is the truth, Mr. Romney, and why did you lie? Mr. Romney, you said that your healthcare plan will cover pre-existing conditions, while leading news media and your own campaign have said this is FALSE. Why did you LIE? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/opinion/krugman-romneys-sick-joke.html?_r=0 http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/05/mitt-romney/mitt-romney-says-his-health-care-plan-covers-pre-e/ Mr. Romney, you own or have owned several bank accounts in Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, and you have control over where those funds go, as you have admitted. Why are you betting against America with those foreign funds? And, are you receiving any funds, directly or indirectly, from Communist China in support of your election? http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9DVKWhPibw

Joseph Robert October 8, 2012 at 02:47 pm

Bob McBride
Try these sources on for size. Or, do you just hate FACTS if they don't support your cause? MITT “LYING” ROMNEY’S TOP DEBATE INACCURACIES 1. Romney said Obama is “cutting $716 billion from Medicare.” FALSE http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/factchecking-the-first-presidential-debate-of-2012/2012/10/04/9d47934e-0d66-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html 2. Romney said there is no tax provision that gives companies a tax deduction for moving jobs overseas. FALSE http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/factchecking-the-first-presidential-debate-of-2012/2012/10/04/9d47934e-0d66-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6_blog.html 3. Romney disagreed with Obama saying that Romney planned a $5 trillion tax cut over the next decade.” HALF TRUE. Romney does plan such a cut. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/04/barack-obama/obama-says-romneys-plan-5-trillion-tax-cut/ http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-fact-check-debate-romney-tax-20121003,0,3813713.story 4. Romney said he “…will not reduce the share (of taxes)” paid by high-income individuals.” FALSE. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/10/03/fact-checking-the-debate/1612241/ http://www.mittromney.com/issues/tax And, this list showsjust a few of the 27 lies that Mitt told at the debate? Learn more at: http://factcheck.org, http://mediamatters.org , and http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker

Bob McBride October 8, 2012 at 03:13 pm

Joseph Robert = CA comments section spammer.
Bite me.

CowDung October 8, 2012 at 03:25 pm

Were you one of those that thought that Kennedy would follow the Pope over his advisers or the will of the American people?
I find your anti-Mormon bigotry to be distasteful, Vicki.

CowDung October 8, 2012 at 03:44 pm

You may want to rethink your claim that Romney was not truthful when he stated that there is no tax cut for companies that move jobs overseas. The source you posted states that:
“Under present law, there are no specific tax credits or disallowances of deductions solely for locating jobs in the United States or overseas. Deductions generally are allowed for all ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred by the taxpayer during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business, which includes the relocation of business units.” I think that Obama is the one that is being untruthful when he makes the specific claim that businesses get tax breaks for moving jobs overseas...

Scott Berg October 8, 2012 at 03:53 pm

I doubt the candidates can control the questions to that degree. However, both of them often make a superficial reply then launch into an almost unrelated topic from a stump speech, well researched and well stated. I think the fact checkers should also provide a "relevant reply" rating.
Then again, what is a moderator supposed to do? Whack the off topic candidate with a rolled up newspaper?

Hershal Webster October 8, 2012 at 04:19 pm

“We are going to be gifted with a health care plan that we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don’t, signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s broke"
President Obama, is this a correct summary of "Obamacare"?