Open Letter: How to Defeat Barack Obama

Open Letter to:
Glenn Reynolds/instapundit.com
Charles Johnson/littlegreenfootballs.com
Patrick Frey/patterico.com
Ace/ace.mu.nu
Tom Maguire/justoneminute.typepad.com
Jeff Goldstein/proteinwisdom.com
Dan Riehl/riehlworldview.com
Rob Port/sayanythingblog.com

Unless we do something now, the mainstream media is going to throw the election to Barack Obama. I need your help to promote a very effective plan that will show that Obama isn't qualified. The plan will also help reveal media bias and show that the media has not done its job.

Under the plan, regular people will go to Obama's public appearances, ask him tough questions about his policies and his lies to his face, get his response on video and then upload his response to Youtube and other video sharing sites.

A good question that gets a "good" response will show hundreds of thousands or even millions of people that Obama is not qualified to be president. A very favorable response would probably be linked to by Drudge and featured on TV and would have a devastating impact on his chances.

Please bear in mind that Obama has rarely been pressed on his policies and his lies, and on the few occasions when he was pressed on something he didn't respond too very well. If someone asks him a really tough question, there's no telling how he'll respond.

Note that I'm only talking about honorable questions about his lies, his misleading and incomplete statements, his documented associations with radicals, and the incredibly obvious flaws in his policies. I'm not talking about smear or personal questions. And, I only want the questions to be asked in a polite but forceful manner, and only at designated Q&A sessions or whenever else it's appropriate.

Based on almost two years' experience trying to push this plan without luck, I know it's going to be difficult to get people to ask real questions. I've posted dozens of posts urging people to ask questions, I've posted dozens of comments on this topic at other sites, I've come up with several tough questions, and I've even offered money to anyone who'd ask one of those questions. No one took me up on the offer.

Some might argue, in good faith or not, that Obama doesn't take questions. In fact he has and there will probably be many opportunities during this month. Some won't think that the plan would be effective. We'll never know until it happens, but I have yet to see Obama really pressed on something, and it's possible to come up with questions that will make him look bad and that leave little room for him to deliver a stock speech. And, some people might even be worried about being tased or beaten up by his supporters. There's only a very minor possibility of that happening, provided that people ask legitimate questions in a legitimate fashion. But, if it does happen, it would be news in itself and would make the Obama campaign or its supporters look almost as bad as asking a real question would.

I am absolutely positive that this plan will work if the questions are good enough, and I ask you to come up with very tough questions in your fields of expertise and then urge your visitors to go ask them.

It is vitally important that the questions are succinct, are easy to understand for those who aren't familiar with the topic, that they try to solicit information not already discussed, and that they're designed to anticipate the answer that Obama would provide.

Too many questions - such as those submitted to the CNN/Youtube debate - are general in nature and act as little more than an opportunity for a candidate to replay a stock speech. The questions must go beyond that and must be designed in recognition of positions already taken and statements already made. The questions must ask about specific failings, lies, or misleading or incomplete statements. And, they must give Obama a choice between either directly answering the question or clearly avoiding answering the question. And, of course, to avoid any doubt about the validity of the questions they must be fully sourced.

The topic that I mainly cover is immigration, and a few questions I have for Obama are here. Another is here, and this question applies to Obama as well. Countless other questions can be fashioned by searching through the coverage of Obama at my site.

I am willing to help edit questions for maximum effectiveness or help in any other way with this effort.

If we don't do something now, Obama is going to be president in the new year. I think avoiding that is worth a few hours spent waiting to ask a question.

Please develop very tough questions for Obama and then urge your visitors to go ask them.

UPDATE: I posted this to FreeRepublic (link) and all I got were nine off-topic and/or worthless replies. Meanwhile, a few hours after I posted this entry Instapundit posted this suggestion about what to do about media bias. It basically boils down to supporting Pajamas Media and constructing a mirror image of the MSM rather than an unbiased system. More importantly for those worried about Rome burning, nothing in there is going to prevent BHO from becoming president.

UPDATE 2: I slightly changed the wording above to make it clear that I'm refering to asking Obama questions to his face at his public appearances. Specifically, I'm not refering to submitting video or text questions to the campaign in the hope that they'll respond, since they'd never respond to tough questions. Only by going to his appearances and surprising him with a tough question can we get a good response.

I've also so far received zero response from any of those mentioned above, although I did receive a favorable response from someone else. However, unless this catches on in short order I'll be forced to try Plan B: replacing "Obama" with "McCain" above and posting this to leftwing sites. Since those on the left are more activist and have actually done things like this before (albeit in their own special way), perhaps they can show those who don't want Obama to be president how to do things.

UPDATE 3: Insty posts a link to this suggestion from Ed Wheaton that reporters should ask Obama real questions about Bill Ayers. The problem, of course, is that reporters will never ask Obama tough questions, putting both of them in the position of advocating something that will never happen.

UPDATE 4 10/6/08: I sent an email to some people at The Corner and, while they haven't embraced my idea Peter Kirsanow does have some questions for Tuesday's townhall "debate" here.

UPDATE 5 10/14/08: Finally a little movement on this proposal comes from this post.

Comments

Patrick Frey is an idiot. So is Prof. Reynolds. These party hacks should be marginalized at every opportunity.

you may contact me through my email addie at the retort if you'd like regarding "blogburst tuesday"...

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Look people if the big boys who really have the power and want Obama it will be Obama if the power boys want McCain it will be him and not Obama and come on both are the same Monkey! and owned by the same political and race boys!

What is this junior G-man crap? Please, ask Obama anything, hell be insulting if you want and be taken apart by his answer to you and the backlash that will surely follow such uncivil behavior. Still can't win on the issues so you guys have to pull these retarded right wing weasel shenanigans. And payday guy...are you for f-in real?? Get the fuck outta here you scum bag POS loan shark motherfucker. You would be posting your shit on a right wing blog.

We cannot let the media hijack this country and put a rogue leader in office. Why doesn't someone question Obama about his relationship with Bill Ayers, and point out that he served with Ayers on the education board and had his career launched in Ayers' living room. What about Father Falger, Rev. Wright, Tony Rezco and Arab terrorists? Why doesn't somebody question that the most anti-capitalist candidate in history is about to be elected president? Why doesn't someone ask about Obama's massive media campaign where he lies that McCain's "tax" on health care is really a removal of the tax exempt status of employer contributions so that INDIVIDUALS can get a tax CREDIT to pay for the insurance of THEIR CHOICE? Or why doesn't someone ask why Obama claims that he will give tax credits to 95% of workers, when only 66% of them even pay taxes to begin with? Or why doesn't someone ask Obama why he's proposing a global tax that will confiscate billions of your money to go to the corrupt leaders of third world countries to "help eradicate poverty", when the money will only go to the leaders? Why doesn't someone ask him where the trillions of new spending that he proposes will come from? This man is a liar, a scum, and he needs to be defeated AT ALL COST!

Even though I'm an Obama supporter, I think this is a good idea, because it's important we really challenge our leaders and hold them accountable. But wouldn't you rather challenge him on issue stands, ie, things that make a difference for you and the people you love? I also have to wonder - have you ever been to an Obama event or watched one on TV? People ask tough questions all the time. Obama answers them thoroughly and gracefully. He has answered questions about Ayres and Wright many, many times. If you're looking to humiliate him or provoke a "Macaca moment" you're probably out of luck. He is very disciplined. I mean, look at it this way: if Hillary was never able to knock him off his game significantly, do you think a blogger with a video camera can?

Also, all the comments about the media "hijacking" the election don't help your cause. We live in a democracy, and voters exercise free choice (I thought "free choice" was a central tenet of conservative ideology?). I was sad when Bush was re-elected, but I accepted it as the voters' will, and it never would have occurred to me to blame anyone but Kerry, for running a bad campaign.

Maybe I missed something really obvious but I couldn't find any questions in your post. I did see that you linked to some questions posed by another site, mostly about illegal immigration. First, if you want people to do something, model that behavior by at least generating a list of questions, put concisely. Second, all those off-site questions are about immigration, which is probably somewhere near the bottom of most polls about the concerns of Americans. Don't you think a better explanation as to why nobody's asking immigration questions is because nobody cares? I'd love to see your list of questions for Obama. The guy has appeared on Fox several times, including Bill O'Reilly's show where one can certainly say no punches were pulled. Please show me the last time either Sarah Palin or John McCain appeared on Keith Olbermann's show. Whenever protesters appear at his rallies, he tells the crowd to be quiet so he can hear and respond to their claims. Compare that with the jokes and insults that McCain-Palin throw at protesters.

Ace of Spades HQ has highlighted your suggestion. _Please show me the last time either Sarah Palin or John McCain appeared on Keith Olbermann's show_ O'Reilly isn't the bomb thrower that Olbermann is. Palin or McCain on Olbermann would be comprable to Obama on the Mark Levin show.

That's a convenient, if false, response. From where you stand, it may be that someone like Olbermann is a "bomb thrower" but that's exactly how O'Reilly looks to me. Go back and look at that interview: Bill O'Reilly was very confrontational as he interrupted Obama repeatedly and accused him of not answering questions. To my memory, there has never in this election cycle been an equivalent interview of John McCain. Obviously, Sarah Palin has also not submitted herself to such a harsh questioning either.

I agree that people should ask Obama the tough questions. And they should also ask them of McCain, Palin, and Biden. The MSM has backed the right-wing Bush regime for years now, perhaps it is time for the pendulum to come back towards the middle, just a little.

Go fuck yourself, McBush!

You filthy right wingers are all but eating your young over the fact that nothing youre gonna do is going to stop the will of the American people in saying NO to any more of your hypocrisy, lies, outright criminal activity, and all else that comes with filth like you. Your efforts are laughable at best, because youve been completely marginalized. I hope you understand now what you did to us with your hero boy Bush; this country is going to make you taste the last 8 years by shoving reality up your asses every minute of the next 4. Good Riddance.

Yes, that will surely defeat Obama. Get loads of nutters like yourself to go to rallies and shout at him about William Ayers. You people are fucking insane and it's a good thing for our world, not just your country, that your representative won't get a further opportunity to fuck the place up. The Ayers thing is nothing. Zero. Do you really not realise that? How fucking demented do people have to be not to get that there's nothing at all in it? *Every* senator has dodgy people in his past. It's all totally so what?

practice saying President Obama lol

_That's a convenient, if false, response. From where you stand, it may be that someone like Olbermann is a "bomb thrower" but that's exactly how O'Reilly looks to me._ It's a very accurate response. Olbermann never has any guests on that don't share his viewpoint. O'Reilly has people he doesn't agree with on his show.

_The Ayers thing is nothing. Zero. Do you really not realise that?_ If you consider squandering 100 million dollars of other people's money while accomplishing nothing, then yeah, I guess you're right.

"If you consider squandering 100 million dollars of other people's money while accomplishing nothing, then yeah, I guess you're right." Ha! What on earth are you talking about?

_Olbermann never has any guests on that don't share his viewpoint._ You mean like recurring guest Pat Buchanan?

_"If you consider squandering 100 million dollars of other people's money while accomplishing nothing, then yeah, I guess you're right." Ha! What on earth are you talking about? Sarah | 10.16.08 - 8:44 am |_ Obama and Ayers [1] squandering 100 million dollars of other people's money. _Olbermann never has any guests on that don't share his viewpoint. You mean like recurring guest Pat Buchanan?_ I said DON'T share his viewpoint. Buchanan doesn't like McCain or Bush. And how much is Buchanan on his show? When Scarborough didn\'t [2] toe the line, Olbermann went ballistic.

Links:
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[1] liontooth-com.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-obama-and-100-million-dollars.html
[2] www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGQSE8-5i7s

a) There is a difference between squandering money and failing to accomplish one's aim. Squandering would be something like, say, leaving a town of 10,000 with a $20M debt or billing your state for travel costs when you're working from home. Failing to accomplish one's aim would be what you describe about the Annenberg challenge. This is the same conflation that you often hear John McCain make, e.g., when he brought up the fact that Obama requested money for a projector at a planetarium. That's an investment in education: a projector costs money but educating children in astronomy will hopefully inspire them to Basically you're unwilling to cut the guy any sort of slack whatsoever, or even consider the context or circumstances of the spending. Instead, if even one dollar is invested without any return, the guy's a huge spender who pals around with terrorists. Frankly, only people as extreme or more than yourself would be convinced by this argument, and it's pretty clear that such people would never vote for Obama anyway out of socialism-paranoia. b) Don't be a tool. I could find a million instances of Bill O'Reilly yelling at people -- or shutting off their mic -- simply for voicing opposition. The most memorable such instance is his interview with Jeremy Glick, son of a 9/11 victim, in which O'Reilly purported to know that Glick's murdered father would be ashamed of him. It's absurd to say that Olbermann and Buchanan have the same perspective. Many conservatives dislike McCain -- there's much to dislike, which forms the basis of his claim to reformer status -- but that doesn't make them liberals or put them in agreement with Olbermann. Moreover, liberals tend to appear on opposition shows much more than conservatives do. Both Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann have had outstanding invitations for many prominent conservatives, some of whom have accepted. The fact that O'Reilly interviews liberals doesn't demonstrate the equanimity of his positions so much as the caliber of his guests, who willingly agree to hostile questioning. The fact that there are outstanding invitations for John McCain and his campaign staff to appear on left-hosted really demonstrates the indefensible positions held by many conservatives, which whither under directed questioning. If there was some truth to any of the absurd claims made by conservatives, one would think that O'Reilly's interview of Obama would have contained gotcha moments. Sadly -- for you -- none emerged.

In the above I said _If there was some truth to any of the absurd claims made by conservatives..._ I recognize the distinction between those who hold positions favoring small government, fiscal responsibility, etc. and those who think Obama was born in Indonesia and is a secret Muslim who wants to make every white person give $1000 to a black person. Those people are just retards.

_There is a difference between squandering money and failing to accomplish one's aim._ Which is easy to say when it's someone elses money. _Basically you're unwilling to cut the guy any sort of slack whatsoever, ..._ Obama's most extensive executive experience was running the CAC. Have there been extensive media stories about it? No. Have there been pilgrimages to Chicago, like there have been to Wasilla, for 'research'? No, except for Stanley Kurtz, who was harrassed. _It's absurd to say that Olbermann and Buchanan have the same perspective._ In regards to Bush and McCain, which is what I said, they do. Buchanan ran against both in the 2000 election. _Don't be a tool. I could find a million instances of Bill O'Reilly yelling at people -- or shutting off their mic -- simply for voicing opposition._ Then it should be very simple to cite 10 instances, shouldn't it?

This right here is why the GOP is about to spend 40 years in the wilderness. We're facing an economic collapse, and are in the middle of two wars, and all you guys want to talk about is a radical figure from 40 years ago and a couple of nonprofit organizations. So sad.

_Then it should be very simple to cite 10 instances, shouldn't it?_ In my book, if I'm debating with someone who can't even admit that Bill O'Reilly's M.O. is yelling down opponents and shutting off their mics then my opponent is someone who is not part of the reality-based community to which I belong. In that case, I'm not going to waste my time finding evidence for someone who believes that the truth is so malleable that he/she can ask for verification of the most unquestionably true facts. A person who debates thus is undoubtedly a troll. If you were actually interested in finding ten instances, a quick youtube search along the lines of "Bill O'Reilly shut up" would provide you what you're looking for. Of course what you're really looking for is to waste your time and the time of others, isn't it?

President Obama. Thank Goodness. Perhaps we can afford another ill-advised war, and a ridiculously unqualified Vice President.

24ahead: ignorant and descending deeper into the muck with each passing post... you stupid shit.

"I've also so far received zero response from any of those mentioned above" You received zero response because you are less than zero. Those who are actually effecting change in this country have learned to let the insane and whacked-out individuals talk themselves to a lonely and desolate demise. THIS COUNTRY, AT ITS BEST IS ABOUT ITS PEOPLE MAKING A CONTRIBUTION. AT ITS WORST, ITS ABOUT EVERY IDIOT WITH A SOAPBOX BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE... BE A CONTRIBUTION OR PULL THIS STUPID SITE.

thelanigan, Suzie and Madeline are a breath of fresh air to this stupid blog. The owner of this site is an idiot. I used to work with him and he was as much an idiot there as he is here. Hey, loser! The day I walked out of that office where you thought you were king was the BEST day of my life. You sucked then. You suck now. No change.

Hey blogger, You state that Obama is unqualified.. but next to Palin he seems more than qualified. With McCain old as toast.. you would rather have Palin running the country? You are a complete idiot.

How did that work out for you? Ha ha ha.