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The New York Times has an article asking readers to select (from their list) what questions they'd like to ask the 2016 presidential candidates.
It's clear that both candidates haven't given specific answers to questions about issues which directly affect us. What questions would Soylentils ask the candidates (your choices, not mine as in the NYT article) to identify their positions on issues which matter to you?
Some of the questions I'd like to see answered are:
How would you work with a Congress which isn't aligned with the goals of your administration to actually get something accomplished?
Does money equal speech? If so/not so, why and how?
How will you rein in our intelligence agencies that are unconstitutionally spying on U.S. citizens?
What specific steps would you take (if any) to combat anthropogenic climate change?
Would you allow non-American foods to be cooked in the White House kitchen? If not, what steps will you take to reduce the obesity problem that will inevitably ensue?
What about the rest of you? What questions would you like to see answered by the candidates?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by SomeGuy on Saturday September 24 2016, @12:49PM
What I want to know is if there is anyone worth voting for so we don't have to choose between evil green alien Kang and evil green alien Kodos here.
Of course, I am aware there are technically a couple of names, but when the conspiring media gives almost absolutely zero mention of these people, how is anybody supposed to know who they are or why we should vote for them?
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Saturday September 24 2016, @01:16PM
Look up Stein [ontheissues.org]/Johnson [ontheissues.org]/Istvan [ontheissues.org] using a simple Google search. If you can't figure out who to vote for after looking at each ontheissues page for 60 seconds, you should just write in Mickey Mouse or leave that space blank. Go research your state's ballot initiatives [ballotpedia.org] and your state/local races. If none of that interests you, stay home.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Saturday September 24 2016, @04:34PM
I agree with your basic voting strategy. I'm probably voting for a dead revolutionary this year. I was thinking about swallowing the Johnson, but there's something really pathetic about a libertarian who supports the TPP.
I really just wanted to add that ontheissues doesn't sum up Zoltan Istvan very well. His entire platform needs to be seen as a set of compromises that he thinks will result in immortality (or something like it). He's basically a utilitarian who is trying to maximize lifespan instead of happiness. He's the obvious choice for a die-hard transhumanist, if you agree with his assumptions about what is likely to bring about access to longevity treatments and you are willing to sacrifice freedom for life. Source: this interview [youtube.com] with Zoltan Istvan by the white supremacist conspiracy theorist anarchist crazy people Red Ice Radio. Despite being something of a transhumanist conspiracy theorist anarchist crazy person, I don't support either Istvan or Red Ice Radio. I want to be super clear about that. Also, IIRC Istvan isn't a white supremacist despite appearing on that podcast. It's been a couple years since I've listened to (part of) that interview, though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @06:00PM
I agree with your basic voting strategy. I'm probably voting for a dead revolutionary this year
Che Guevara? Fidel Castro? Vladimir Lenin? Josip Tito?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by JNCF on Saturday September 24 2016, @06:35PM
Fidel Castro?
Shh, we can't let the proletariat class know that Comrade Castro is dead! Comrade Castro will never die.
I've written in Ernesto Guevara before, but only for local offices. For President I might put down Daniel Shays, Emma Goldman, or somebody else entirely. I've never written in a vote for president before. If there was an actual balls-to-the-wall libertarian option I'd probably vote for them, I hesitantly voted Libertarian last time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @07:35PM
a libertarian who supports the TPP
Earlier this month, you and I were involved in a related discussion. [soylentnews.org]
...to which I responded with a link to an infographic about Dr. Stein. [blogspot.com]
If your goal is simply *less* gov't, maybe she isn't your cup of tea.
If what you want is **better** gov't, I think she is a viable choice.
.
My question to a candidate would be:
What are a few names of individuals from whom you will seek advice on $Topic?
In Jill's case, a pretty good indicator of that is her Green Shadow Cabinet. [greenshadowcabinet.us]
Note: That list is in alphabetical order by surname, so "President" (Stein) is way down the page.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Saturday September 24 2016, @09:08PM
If your goal is simply *less* gov't, maybe she isn't your cup of tea.
If what you want is **better** gov't, I think she is a viable choice.
Federally, no government. I'd vote for considerably less as a nudge in the right direction.
Locally, better government. As you already know I'd vote Stein for Mayor in a heartbeat, though of course I have disagreements with her on some local policy issues. I agree with her on many things at a local level, and I think she means well and could be reasoned with.
My question to a candidate would be:
What are a few names of individuals from whom you will seek advice on $Topic?
Good question. I don't think that Johnson's fuck-up on Aleppo is nearly as damning as the amount of time that Trump stalled before naming any foreign policy advisors. Being able to humbly accept advice is much more important than knowing any specific piece of information, though of course knowing things is ideal. It seems vastly preferable to admit ignorance than to feign knowledge, as some politicians did when asked for their opinions on the ethnic cleansing in Freedonia. I'd want to ask a question that would really make them squirm:
"You're allowed to use your phone or any other computer you or your aides have with you for this question, but you can only use search engines and reference websites, and you have to turn so that the cameras can clearly see your screens. The capitol of Seychelles has a set of coordinates in degrees minutes format. If we take only the numeric characters from these coordinates and run them together into one number, that number will not be prime. What is the next largest number that is prime? Whoever is ready first can feel free to answer. Tick, tock, tick, tock..."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 24 2016, @10:36PM
In my book, getting/keeping the economy healthy is a big part of the Chief Executive gig, regardless of governmental level.
Unemployment is dominant in that.
The only time USA has pulled out of one of its numerous depressions[1] in under a decade was when FDR put folks on the public payroll.
Jill has a similar idea (a Green New Deal) which I would like to see discussed in nationally-aired debates.
[1] Depression is now an obsolete word, only referring to The Idle Rich who are already wealthy enough to speculate on the stock market (while PRODUCING nothing)--while completely ignoring The Working Class.
I have previously mentioned the Maracora Law, which Italy enacted in 1985.
It allows (10 or more) people who are eligible for unemployment insurance payments to pool their due in a lump sum and start a worker cooperative.
It's been very successful for them and I'd like to see that tried here.
Bernie has mentioned co-ops in passing, but never acted on that.
To my knowledge, Jill has never even used the "C" word ("Capitalism"), so one would logically assume she hasn't given any thought to boosterism WRT co-ops.
Aleppo
Aleppo is one of the worst examples of ongoing human rights abuses.
70 percent of the casualties there are non-combatants.
Aleppo represents a huge USA foreign policy failure.
I would expect a guy running for the top job to be aware of all of that.
It pains me that among the 4 who could get 270 electoral votes (according to their ballot access), only Hillary has any experience in foreign affairs--and her solution to everything is "Let's bomb them".
Jill at least has a demonstrated level of empathy: physician, mom, activist (arrested several times at protests).
I would trust her instincts and her ability to associate with like-minded people who have related accomplishments.
really make them squirm [...]
What is the next largest number that is prime?
8-D I like your idea and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Informative) by NotSanguine on Saturday September 24 2016, @04:50PM
Look up Stein/Johnson/Istvan using a simple Google search. If you can't figure out who to vote for after looking at each ontheissues page for 60 seconds, you should just write in Mickey Mouse or leave that space blank. Go research your state's ballot initiatives and your state/local races. If none of that interests you, stay home.
Don't forget the equestrian candidate! [wikipedia.org]
#IWantAPonyVS2016
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 24 2016, @05:50PM
Mod parent informative.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday September 24 2016, @05:30PM
I'd like the other three to be asked "What would you do about Aleppo?"
I think Johnson's answer disqualifies him. He answered "What's Aleppo?"
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by tibman on Saturday September 24 2016, @05:41PM
Asking questions shouldn't disqualify you.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mcgrew on Saturday September 24 2016, @05:50PM
Not knowing about that city does.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tibman on Saturday September 24 2016, @06:26PM
That's a terrible policy. About the same as saying people aren't allowed to learn from their mistakes because if they make a mistake they're fired. I prefer people who ask questions when they don't know something.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Sunday September 25 2016, @04:12PM
It shows he never reads a newspaper or watches a news broadcast. It shows an abject ignorance of current events.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by CirclesInSand on Saturday September 24 2016, @08:13PM
No it doesn't. Wanting to have the American military involved in Syria, and especially doing so without a declaration of war from congress, disqualifies a person from being president. Not knowing about a city in Syria when your policy is "we shouldn't be getting involved in foreign wars" is not really a problem. The qualifications of the president is a matter of policy, not a trivia quiz.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Saturday September 24 2016, @11:58PM
Why? If your main concern is nation building, I can see why it would be all-important to know about cities like Aleppo in third-world shitholes. Johnson seems more concerned with problems in the US, so this Jeopardy! trivia nonsense matters much less.
And if something like this disqualifies a candidate, countless other people who have actually been presidents would have been disqualified as well.
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Sunday September 25 2016, @04:03PM
It shows an appalling lack of knowledge of current events. And yes, many of history's bad presidents were as ignorant.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday September 28 2016, @11:05PM
I think it's more important that a candidate stops going to war with other countries unnecessarily. I don't really care that he didn't know the name of some third world hellhole.
If we're talking about candidates being disqualified, maybe advocating the overthrow of our constitutional form of government (as Clinton and Trump do when they advocate for mass surveillance and other unconstitutional policies) should be something that disqualifies a candidate, and it's astronomically more important as well.
And yes, many of history's bad presidents were as ignorant.
I can't think of a single good president. The only way a president could be good is by respecting people's liberties, which none of them did or do.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday September 25 2016, @05:14AM
I always thought Kodos was a little off-green. But then again, I'm more of a moderate.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by krishnoid on Sunday September 25 2016, @05:20AM
What I want to know is if there is anyone worth voting for so we don't have to choose between evil green alien Kang and evil green alien Kodos here.
You're being disingenuous here. Our choices are not between Kang and Kodos as in previous years, but visibly between the evil green *female* alien Kodosi, and an off-orange alien -- I'd say more a "Kang-erine" colored one. Thank goodness this election will finally bring us some much-needed change.