Barack Obama and John McCain appeared at a unique forum entitled the Saddleback Civic Forum where questions were asked that were surprising and refreshing. For example, "Does evil exist?", "What does 'rich' mean?", "Which Supreme Court members would you NOT have voted for?", and "When do human rights for babies begin?". My point is that questions of candidates have become standard fair or of the "gotcha" type. These standard fair Q's don't tell us much about the candidates, well except for their political savvy.
When the media does deviate it seems that they only ask "pop" or politically correct questions such as "boxers or briefs" or "I can't get a job - what are you going to do about it?" Yet, this Saddleback Forum reveals that there are better questions that allow us to see into how a candidate might think or react. These new type of questions go beyond the status quo and allow us to see through political answers. Motivated to through my hat into the ring I submit - Why not ask Presidential Candidates questions about our history? Where current topics are still fluid, history can not be as easily manipulated. Where history becomes a topic where the concrete has set so-to-speak. Here are just a few possible history related Q's.
- Why do we have certain laws (e.g. Taft Hartley Act, Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, Fugitive Slave Act, Civil Rights Act of 1866, Sherman Antitrust Act, McKinley Tariff, Gold Standard Act, Revenue Act of 1913, Espionage Act of 1917, Glass-Steagall Act, National Firearms Act of 1934, Social Security Act, Civil Rights Act of 1957 etc...)? Wouldn't it be helpful to know that our leaders understand historic legislation that still impacts us today? How about the reason it was adopted and whether it worked or not?
- What are their views of the constitution? Is it a foundational document that should not be easily reinterpreted from our historical view or should we re-interpret according to each generation's mores?
- What are their opinions of what has worked and failed in history (e.g. Economic theories such as Capitalism and Communism) and the reason for it?
Questions such as the above are not standard presidential questions, but should be. Isn't it true that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.
Update: September 15, 2008 - I stumbled upon an article about ... "Don't know much about History". Just another point of view about the need for us to understand what happened before we walked the earth.
