10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates
Katie Couric Asks Presidential Candidates Questions Of Character -- And Gets Surprising Answers
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Primary Questions
Katie Couric had some tough questions for the ten presidential candidates, questions aimed at showing their core values.
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Primary Questions
Katie Couric asks the top presidential candidates 10 questions about what makes them tick.
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In just 336 days, chances are you will elect one of the top 10 candidates in the Primary Election as president, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reports.
On the stump, people are saying: “Our president has to be a person of integrity,” “Morals. Strong morals,” “Someone who knows what they’re talking about.”
From what voters have told CBS News in this next election, there are no guarantees.
“It's really ridiculous to assume that because someone is your same complexion, they will agree with you on major issues,” an African-American woman said.
An informal poll indicates that come November, policy positions may not rule the day.
“Character is everything,” one voter said.
Voters say they will be pulling that proverbial lever for the candidate who shares their core values.
“I think integrity's the most thing, which gets down to telling people the truth,” said Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley.
So Couric sat down with ten presidential candidates, one at a time, and posed 10 questions ranging from: “If you were elected president, what one book - besides the Bible - you would bring with you to the White House?” to one on the subject of fidelity.
“Many people say they don't feel comfortable supporting someone who's not remained faithful to their spouse,” Couric asked.
“The only thing I can say to people is, I'm not perfect,” former New York major Rudy Giuliani responded.
On fear, Couric asked: “Besides your family, what are you most afraid of losing?”
In some cases, the answers were divided along party lines.
“Who is the single most impressive person you've ever met?” Couric asked.
Several candidates answered “Nelson Mandela.” Others answered “Ronald Regan.”
“My father,” said former Sen. John Edwards.
“I guess I’d say my dad,” said Fred Thompson.
Some of the answers were surprising. Couric told Giuliani after he answered one question: “Would you believe Hillary said the same thing?”
Some, not so revealing. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said: “I probably shouldn't tell that story.”
There were moments of humor, such as when Couric asked Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., when was the last time he lost his temper.
“Probably about 10 minutes ago,” he said, laughing.
And there were moments of humility. When asked what’s the worst piece of advice he’d ever given, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said: “Someone would probably say ‘vote for me.’”Watch a preview video about the series
The candidates tell who was their most influential person.
And on more than one occasion, even these seasoned politicians were stumped.
“I'm gonna have to think about this one. Am I allowed to think about these for a second?” Obama asked.
But in every exchange, there were answers that will either reinforce or redefine your opinion of a potential president.
“The single most important thing they're looking for is resilience,” said Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. “Someone who can take a hit, get back up, and move on.”
Thompson said: “I like to say, this ain't my first rodeo. I've been around politics for a while.”
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said: “I don't surround myself with yes-men. I surround myself with people that tell me if I've done something wrong.”
"That's the great threat," McCain said. "That's the greatest force of evil that we have faced and it's a long hard struggle."
"And if we have a strong president at the helm, we shouldn't ever be afraid to talk to our adversaries," Obama said. "And tell them what we think and where we stand."
And Romney said: “You're fine to go down, if you go down based on the things that you believe. And it's like okay if people reject what I really believe and what I really did, and they don't want that, that's fine.”
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See all 78 CommentsWill you please explain why Ron Paul was not included in this series?
Often, the media uses fundraising to determine the strength of a campaign. Ron Paul is out-fundraising all other Republican candidates. (Source: RonPaulGraphs.com )
Often, the media uses straw polls to determine the strength of a campaign. Ron Paul has beat every Republican candidate in straw polls head to head.
Source: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/
Often, the media looks at grassroots support to determine the strength of a campaign. Ron Paul has by far more grassroots support than any other Republican candidate. Source: Meetup.com
Often, the media looks at polls to determine the strength of a candidate. Ron Paul has won every online and text phone poll asking who was the winner of Republican debates on CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and ABC.
Exactly what criteria did you use to exclude Ron Paul from your series?
We are the disillusioned generation.
We figured out, Katie, that there are no Captain James T. Kirk''s in real life.
"Beam me up, Scotty. There''s NO integrity down here."
Eric
By calling this "10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates"....you insinuate that the excluded candidates are not significant. Please, let the American public make that determination.
We want to hear about ALL of our options, not just those you have decided are significant.
By calling this "10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates"....you insinuate that the excluded candidates are not significant. Please, let the American public make that determination.
We want to hear about ALL of our options, not just those you have decided are significant.
By calling this "10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates"....you insinuate that the excluded candidates are not significant. Please, let the American public make that determination.
We want to hear about ALL of our options, not just those you have decided are significant.
By calling this "10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates"....you insinuate that the excluded candidates are not significant. Please, let the American public make that determination.
We want to hear about ALL of our options, not just those you have decided are significant.
By calling this "10 Tough Questions For 10 Top Candidates"....you insinuate that the excluded candidates are not significant. Please, let the American public make that determination.
We want to hear about ALL of our options, not just those you have decided are significant.
And of course the courts do not know and I guess even the Supreme Court
Excuse me I am about to have uncontrollable explosive diarrhea verbally : )
Listen up you putrid party leaders who do nothing but try to peck the corn out of the oligarch''s droppings...I hope that no Paulistas will vote Republican unless Ron Paul is the candidate--I know I''ll change my party affiliation back to a THIRD PARTY after the primary season and will vote for one unless by some miracle enough Democrats make it to Oz, get some kind of cognitive skills from the wizard and give Dennis Kucinich or Mike Gravel the party nomination.
It may be that they''re all a lot more alike than different.
based on the serious and deep questions asked for this piece it would seem katie is almost qualified to join the ladies on "the view".
http://www.ireachable.com/vote?op=results
if you have not taken the poll - please visit the polling booth:
http://www.ireachable.com/vote
If you cant be an adult, then go to your mommy or daddy, little boy :)
But if you''ve got legs and @ss like her, you''ve already captured the 43% of the audience NOT listening (and just staring at reporter).
Pathetic.
Can we have someone with a little more brains handle the MOST important subjects?
ronpaul2008.com
"Why have you been asleep for the last 8 years, persisting in your failure to ask real questions or demand real answers from the Darth Bushit administration?"
[[repeat 9 times]]
THE AMT will go in as a tax increase on millions of American families this year if not corrected, the tax was not intended for this purpose but poorly written will you demand Congress repeal the Law now this year before these families are hit with a 2,000 average tax federal increase?
What steps have you taken to move Congress or the President to act?
Should Pay go be suspended for this correction in the code?
In a letter that has never before been made public, one of Dumond''s victims warned: "I feel that if he is released it is only a matter of time before he commits another crime and fear that he will not leave a witness to testify against him the next time." Before Dumond was granted parole at Huckabee''s urging, records show that Huckabee''s office received a copy of this letter from Arkansas'' parole board.
In 1996, as a newly elected governor who had received strong support from the Christian right, Huckabee was under intense pressure from conservative activists to pardon Dumond or commute his sentence. The activists claimed that Dumond''s initial imprisonment and various other travails were due to the fact that Ashley Stevens, the high school cheerleader he had raped, was a distant cousin of Bill Clinton, and the daughter of a major Clinton campaign contributor.
The case for Dumond''s innocence was championed in Arkansas by Jay Cole, a Baptist minister and radio host who was a close friend of the Huckabee family. It also became a cause for New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy, who repeatedly argued for Dumond''s release, calling his conviction "a travesty of justice." On Sept. 21, 1999, Dunleavy wrote a column headlined "Clinton''s Biggest Crime - Left Innocent Man In Jail For 14 Years":
"How long are you going to continue to NOT protect America''s borders?"
"How much longer are you going to keep that freakin'' psychopath run amok in the White House?"
"Why are you continuing to support a war proven beyond a doubt to be based on lies, lies, lies and lies?"
...Kouric should take over as host at the DATING GAME!
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18830.htm
Read Paul Craig Roberts on what is happening in America''s technical workplaces...under a president who says exporting jobs is good...while we import workers.
It would be nice if someone ask them for a solution to outsourcing, national debt, SS and Medicare and a host of other issues that are destroying this country from the inside out.
Yep. It appears that Huckabee is pretty much responsible for the deaths of two women due to his involvement in getting a convicted rapist paroled from a life sentence. Tough on crime my a**.
Great, so if Huckabee makes it we can have Dukakis redux. Hillary can ride around in her tank while Huckabee lets Willie Horton out the revolving door.
Dukakis redux would have Huckabee with his Willie Horton and Huckabee riding around in a tank. I think Huckabee would look sillier in a tank than Hillary would anyway.
Posted by robertkjjj
Since when is that the criteria for being president? last time it was who would you like to have a beer with, and it doesn''t seem like those who would vote Republican have gotten much smarter over the last 8 years.
Posted by robertkjjj
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Then how the F*** did Bush get to be President with the D Average he had - Oh yeah - Daddy got him a "C" Average and then cheated to win an election for W.
Please don''t put forward the Republican double standards for President.
I am still confused at what your complaint is?
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