In a town hall type setting where people are chosen at random through some kind of lottery to ask questions, and the questions are not screened in advance? The President rarely has to answer tough questions.
2007-02-27 13:03:15 · 5 answers · asked by alfie 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
YES!!! They actually do that in Britian all the time. Blair gets grilled by the opposition party every month or so but I think your idea is better. Town hall style would be best. Random US citizens with any question that they want to ask & no letting the President see the question before it's asked.
2007-02-27 13:17:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, this is a terrible idea, and I'll tell you why.
A couple years ago, I saw England's Prime Minister Tony Blair on a televised university student town hall type setting. Most of these students were so full of themselves, flippant, condescending, and disrespectful that, had I been Tony Blair, I would have "taken the gloves off" and given them an earful.
In particular, there was one guy, perhaps from Switzerland, who was the most irritatingly smug, self-righteous, condescending little prig I can imagine. I wanted to just haul off and b*tch slap him, just to deny him the luxury of his self-delusions of superiority. He showed the most outrageous contempt towards the Prime Minister. We should never put our President in this embarrassing position.
The office of President is different than any other. Richard Nixon had it right when he insisted that everyone in his cabinet, even his closest advisors, address him as "Mr. President". There is an old adage, "familiarity breeds contempt", and it is very true.
When the President takes questions from disgruntled workers and loony housewives, he is not going to get the respect he, and the office of The Presidency, deserve.
The President certainly has to answer tough questions, every time he holds a press conference. If people aren't interested enough to check the schedule, that is their misfortune.
2007-02-27 21:16:10 · answer #2 · answered by pachl@sbcglobal.net 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Constitutionally? no
Should he? probably
But he should definitely have to talk to congress a lot more than he does, but constitutionally he doesn't have to do any of that...
I'd love to see a president that is committed to understanding public opinion and working with them.. with us (assuming your not a legislator).
2007-02-27 21:17:59 · answer #3 · answered by tim c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Bush does not even allow the media to ask random question, he cannot survive. His press conferences are all staged.
2007-02-27 21:11:00 · answer #4 · answered by nemesis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes he should.. i also think if he ask the average american for help with the Government issues we would be in hte shape we are in now.
2007-02-27 21:09:38 · answer #5 · answered by raven1 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋