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Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Questions for Harris

Tonight, Bret Baier's interview with Kamala Harris will air. I believe it may have already been taped by now, but before it airs, here are the questions I would ask if I were interviewing her.

If I were a TV interviewer, my goal would not be "gotcha" questions, or to try to embarrass the interview subject, but to highlight important issues that voters should be thinking about. I'd certainly ask some questions that would challenge her on things she's said and done, but the goal would be informational, not to embarrass. Also, I would steer clear of questions she's already been asked, and she's answered. Even if her answers were weak, I'd assume she'd give the same.

Question 1: At what point did you decide that President Biden wouldn't be able to serve another four years as president?

The public should know if she ever reached this conclusion herself, and if she did, when she reached it. She defended President Biden when the Hur report was released, and she defended him after his debate. She can't say she knew before the debate. She will very likely avoid the question because she also doesn't want to say she believes it now, to avoid upsetting anyone. The follow-up should be why she doesn't believe this even though most of the country does, including leadership of her own party. This is an important question because it goes to her ability to tell the truth to voters, do what's best for the country, and recognize other people's abilities.

Question 2: In this week's interview with Charlamagne tha God, a listener expressed concern that Trump might "put anyone that doesn't look white in camps." You responded that the caller "hit on a really important point and expressed it well." Do you believe President Trump will put US citizens in jail based solely on their race?

This should be a pretty easy question to answer, and it gives Harris a chance to clear the record and dial down the rhetoric. If she sidesteps, she should be asked whether she is stoking fear herself and if that's the way she wants her campaign to be perceived. Every chance to dial down political rhetoric should be given to candidates.

Question 3: You've committed to putting a Republican in your cabinet, and having a bipartisan panel to advise you. Many Republicans expect that the Republican you put in your cabinet will be someone like Liz Cheney or Adam Kinzinger who many Republicans no longer consider in their party. Are these the Republicans you had in mind? If not, care to name others you would consider? Would you put a Republican who endorsed Trump in your Cabinet?

This gives Harris a chance to reach out to Republicans more specifically. Most Republicans surely don't trust her commitments to name a Republican, and this will give her the chance to build on that trust, and even look good to moderates. I doubt she'd answer the question.

Question 4: You've spoken positively about the Lankford Immigration Bill and said you'd sign it into law if you had the chance. Many Republicans believe the Lankford Bill is still too permissive. The House Republicans passed their own immigration bill in 2023 that is more restrictive. If you were president and had to negotiate with Republicans, would you support the House bill? Which provisions in it do you think are too restrictive and should be dropped?

This will be a challenging question because the Lankford bill is very Democrat-friendly, and I suspect she doesn't know much about the House bill since it hasn't been discussed much since it came out, particularly during the campaign. Voters should know her stance on immigration though. Some follow-up questions should drill down on Biden's policies, like the CBP app, the millions of immigrants who came in with refugee status, a wall. Another good follow-up would be, what would she do, through executive action to reduce the number of immigrants coming into the US illegally.

Question 5: How would your foreign policy differ from President Biden's? Would you give more money/aid to Ukraine? Is there a plan to end that war? Would you push Israel to cease its efforts? President Biden hasn't done anything/much to bring back American hostages. Would you do more?

Biden's foreign policy includes some serious gaps, and Biden hasn't had to answer questions about looking forward and how he might try to resolve issues. This question will give voters insight into Harris's thoughts on these issues and how she might face a hostile world, either the same or differently from President Biden.

Question 6: In the past, you have endorsed ending the filibuster and reforming the Court. Which of President Biden's court reforms do you support? If your party wins majorities in Congress, would you support ending the filibuster?

Institutional reforms are important to Republicans and moderates. Categorically committing to maintain institutions would benefit her reputation with both. Additionally, voters should know her stances on such fundamental government issues.

Question 7: You've proposed several initiatives to help reduce inflation. Many economists support your campaign, but economists also believe that one of the only fiscal policies that reduce inflation is reducing the budget deficit. How would your policies reduce inflation?

Simply asking about inflation will cause Harris to repeat her proposals that she's described before, but it's unlikely that those proposals would really reduce inflation. At the same time, the Federal Reserve is the primary actor in inflation. This question would allow Harris to describe her policies in more detail but also provide an explanation of how they'd work in practice.

Question 8: President Biden has been celebrated by his party and criticized by Republicans for pushing the limits of executive power and having an extremely aggressive administration, by historical standards, when it came to enacting policy without Congress. Would you continue in that mold and encourage your appointees to push the limits of executive action or would you, in line with your other bipartisan overtures, return to a more conventional administration that acts within precedent?

This will give Harris an opportunity to put some distance between her and Biden and also signal an intention towards bipartisanship and norm-adherence instead of norm-breaking.