Questions

Media for Democracy is offering an opportunity for the public to submit questions to the moderators of the 3 upcoming presidential debates (Jim Lehrer of the PBS NewsHour, Charles Gibson of ABC News, and Bob Scheiffer of CBS' Face the Nation). Click here to submit your questions on their form, or email your questions to grassroots@commoncause.org.

This is the question I submitted for President Bush:

One of the fundamental principles of our democracy is that our leaders are subject to the will of the American people, an intent made clear in the Constitution by giving the Congress the power of impeachment. Our president is elected by everyone in the United States to represent everyone in the United States, not just those who share his views. Our president is elected to empower us to achieve our potential, not to tell us what to do or think. Given the following facts, I'm wondering whether you see yourself as the president of all of the people, or of only some of the people:

1. Your campaign focuses on Christianity and is encouraging certain Christian denominations to enter the political arena on your behalf.

2. Your campaign screens people and requires them to sign a loyalty oath to you before they're allowed to attend one of your speeches or rallies.

3. You have given minimal time to the public's media, holding very few press conferences, keeping questioning to a bare minimum, and denying access to those in the press whose views do not agree with yours.

4. You do not speak before groups who disagree with you (e.g., the NAACP) or meet with representatives of the people if they have slighted or criticized you in some way (e.g., the Congressional Black Caucus).

5. You say you do not govern by polls, but as James Zogby said recently, polls are one way the voice and the will of the people are communicated to our leaders. Similarly, you disparage the term "politics" when politics is the way we the people get things done in this country, and the vehicle by which we obtain and express our power.

6. You seem disinterested and impatient with those who want to engage you in a discussion of possibilities. For example, you seem unwilling to even consider as legitimate any opinions that differ with your own on the situation in Iraq.

Posted by Elissa Bishop-Becker at September 24, 2004 3:10 PM | TrackBack