In a recent event Obama was asked questions by Repubs and he answered…it was a win for him (and he did not need a teleprompter….a fact that is overlooked by the opposition that accuses him of too much)…..and now there are calls from bloggers, progressives, libertarians, etc for a regular session of questions by the Congress to the Prez and it is suppose to be broadcast…..thoughts?
For me, I think it is a damn good idea……no teleprompter….random questions…..with short concise answers…that would be a win-win for the people and their education on the issues….. I agree with Voltaire, “Judge a man by his questios rather than his answers”……meaning……the question that is asked will be far more telling than the answer that is received….if it is the Repubs then we will see if they truly want to work bi-partisan or just there to say NO to everything……and because it is televised the people will be the winner and become more informed…..
From the website: demandquestiontime.com:
America could use more of this — an unfettered and public airing of political differences by our elected representatives. So we call on President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader John Boehner to hold these sessions regularly — and allow them to be broadcast and webcast live and without commercial interruption, sponsorship or intermediaries. We also urge the President and the Republican Senate caucus to follow suit. And we ask the President and the House and Senate caucuses of his own party to consider mounting similar direct question-and-answer sessions. We will ask future Presidents and Congresses to do the same.
It is time to make Question Time a regular feature of our democracy.
Please join us by signing the Demand Question Time petition.
If you believe that this type of thing can make our democracy a bit stronger then I urge you to sign the petition!
Question time has been an institution in the UK for some time now and I am sure that there are those that think it is a waste of time, but I prefer to hear from my friend Quin of Quintessential Havoc (blogroll will get you there…a site worth the visit)……
In the UK “Prime Minister’s Question Time” is a weekly (I think) event in the houses of Parliament. It’s televised, but it’s little more than a shouting match and an opportunity for points scoring.
However, a question time involving the PUBLIC and the Prime Minister would be interesting in the extreme – except that I don’t know how you’d select the questions – what Mrs. Brown’s male dog has just done to Mrs. Jones’s female dog may be vital to Mrs. Jones and even her bitch, but it’s not of the greatest moment for the rest of us in the overall scheme of things… 😆
I hear ya……they are talking about some sort of controls here but no specifics yet…I have always liked the idea of the question time…..but only if it is constructive…Hell anyone can yell……I would like to see something like the last time the Prez was asked questions by the Repubs…a couple weeks ago….I found it informative….but then I am a political junkie….lol
I’ll tell you what I’d like to see… ten people picked at random (like a lottery) from all those who apply (register) each week, or twenty five once per month perhaps, who asked questions LIVE on TV that were NOT previously published and of which the President/Prime Minister had no prior warning. He may not have instant detailed answers at his finger tips, but wouldn’t it be enlightening?
Now that is a GREAT idea…..and through the registering you would get people that are up on the issues and could ask some pretty dynamite questions…..I like it a lot!
Quin while researching part. dem. I found this site and thought you might be interested:
http://www.citizens-initiative.eu
Yes. Interesting. Thank you. I will keep an eye on it.
The problem for me, though, is that no one will ever convince me that the EU elite are anything other than a bunch of out and out gangsters, so what’s the point in talking to them? It’d be like trying to get Al Capone to close his speak-easy chain down by offering him a dollar to do so – like he’d have listened!
The saddest fact I can see is that the whole of our political systems need serious and thorough overhauling and redesign from the very foundations up and even then any hope of success would depend on the integrity and dilligence of the engineer doing the overhaul – it certainly shouldn’t be a politician doing it, or a bureaucrat!
Hopefully my research will help explain it.,…at least the basics…..I also found a part. dem. site but it is in Spanish…….this is turning into a case of brain worms for me….lol