NYT - 18 questions for the 21 candidates

[Blankity Blank]

Short, video soundbite answers from 21 of the remaining Democratic contenders.

The questions:

1. In an ideal world, would anyone own handguns?
   
   
2. Would your focus be improving the Affordable Care Act or replacing it with single payer?
   
   
3. Do you think it’s possible for the next president to stop climate change?
   
   
4. Do you think Israel meets international standards of human rights?
   
   
5. Who is your hero, and why?
   
   
6. Would there be American troops in Afghanistan at the end of your first term?
   
   
7. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?
   
   
8. Do you think illegal immigration is a major problem in the United States?
   
   
9. Where would you go on your first international trip as president?
   
   
10. Describe the last time you were embarrassed. Why?
    
    
11. Do you think President Trump has committed crimes in office?
    
    
12. Do you support or oppose the death penalty?
    
    
13. Should tech giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google be broken up?
    
    
14. Are you open to expanding the size of the Supreme Court?
    
    
15. When did your family first arrive in the United States, and how?
    
    
16. What is your comfort food on the campaign trail?
    
    
17. What do you do to relax?
    
    
18. Does anyone deserve to have a billion dollars?
    
    

[deckeda]

19. Are you a “people” person?
29. Cat or dog?

Some of the questions are odd. And I don’t just mean 19 and 20.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Are these questions the top issues that independent and non-voters care about for the upcoming election?

[Blankity Blank]

Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
Are these questions the top issues that independent and non-voters care about for the upcoming election?

“Top issues” is just a media speak rhetorical frill; constituencies are too fragmented for it to have any real meaning in a larger sense. Are they important issues to voters?

Healthcare, gun control, climate change, immigration, the power of social media, not a bad sampling of important issues along with the fluff. Obviously the format’s not designed for deep dive answers, but taken as a whole, gives a quick glimpse into their elevator pitch.

[hal]

I started reading Harris and then Warrens and I'm pretty annoyed at how many questions are not being answered. Bothers me that Harris couldn't find an embarrassing moment to share, but Warren, who dodged A LOT of questions answers it directly, “I did this with a child and said something about, ‘It’s really important that we girls stick together.’ The mother said, ‘He’s a boy.’”

haha! Glad to see some self depreciation here. These may not be the PERFECT 18 questions, but it's a good bunch for people like me that haven't really started comparison shopping yet.

[bfd]

One question is all that matters:

Mac or PC

[hal]

I working up a good bit of anger reading these. WHY CAN'T PEOPLE JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION?

I started reading the ones that I think I'd like and so far, ALL of them have just pissed me off overall with maybe one or two good answers.

[Sam3]

No question regarding abortion or women's rights.
No question regarding pay equality.