On Politics: Here’s the debate we want
Here's the debate we want
Tomorrow night, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN have a big job: asking two unpopular men who have been president what they would do with a second term. The stakes could not be higher. President Biden and former President Donald Trump have starkly different visions for the presidency and the future of the country. This will be their first meeting since 2020, and they don't have another planned until September. I don't know if we'll get the debate we want, or just the debate we deserve, but I do know that the questions Tapper and Bash choose to ask really matter. So we at On Politics would humbly and helpfully like to offer some ideas. Your ideas. Last week, I asked readers to tell me the questions you hope to hear at the debate, and I received hundreds of insightful and occasionally trollish responses. It's clear you are hungry for a debate about issues that aren't getting a lot of attention on the campaign trail. You're also looking for Biden and Trump to convince you why, in their second go-round, you should get excited about them. And you want both of them to address their own ages, and not just each other's. Below, I've laid out some of the questions that stood out to me most, with some small edits for clarity and style. Hope you're reading, Jake and Dana. No need to thank us! Pressing two presidentsThe 2024 election is a contest between two men who have a cold, hard record of being president, which many of you hope the moderators will dig into. James Hall, an independent voter from Colorado, offered a question I liked for its directness. What have you done that makes you think you deserve to be the president of the United States again? Anne McKelvey, a lifelong Pennsylvanian, wants to know about both men's regrets. What do you feel was your biggest mistake during your presidency? Trump and the future of democracyMany of you want the stakes for democracy to be clearly spelled out onstage — especially when it comes to Trump's plans for a second term. You want him to be asked directly about his promise to be a "dictator" on Day 1, and about my colleagues' reporting that he plans to use the government to seek revenge on his political opponents. You also have economic questions about his plans to carry out mass deportations, like this query from Patty Vick of Pittsford, N.Y. How much would deportation cost and how would you make up the more than $11 billion in revenue the U.S. receives from illegal immigrants? A lot of you want Trump to be pressed on whether he will honor the results of the 2024 election. And the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is on many minds, including that of Betsy Stengel of Massachusetts, who mentioned two Capitol Police officers who have become critics of Trump. If you were face to face with Capitol Police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, how would you respond to their experiences on Jan. 6, 2021? Biden's economyBiden will most likely talk about the economic gains of his presidency. But Judy Dunn of Southborough, Mass., is among many who want him to face tough questions about high prices. I would like Biden to address the real pain that inflation has caused everyday people. I'd also like to know how he would address growing income inequality. The policy debates we haven't been havingIssues like abortion rights, the economy and the nation's role in overseas conflicts like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have dominated the campaign, and we're sure to hear them come up on Thursday night. But many of you want to hear about issues that are getting less attention. Here's an important one from Fred Ruck: How would you handle another pandemic if it occurred? Darrin Fitzgerald of Massachusetts offered a question that resonates with me, personally. How might you help first-time buyers realize the American dream of owning a home? And lots of you want the candidates to be asked if they believe in climate change and what they would do about it. Here's one from Keith Hanssen of Montana: I'd prefer they are asked repeatedly about climate change and what they plan on doing to address the expected rise in sea levels and other challenges scientists are warning about. A practical jokePaul Gelormino, of Portland, Ore., offered a series of what he called "practical" questions that perhaps we all should be able to answer. 1. Identify Ukraine on a map. 2. Name the first five U.S. presidents. 3. What was the Marshall Plan? Something personalThere's always a question meant to showcase candidates' softer side. Sometimes, they are asked what they admire about each other, though I'm not sure that's the right question for a pair with as much mutual enmity as Trump and Biden have. But this suggestion from Patti Donnelly of Delaware has the potential to be revealing. Who are your good friends, and what do you admire about them? What nonpolitical advice have they given you that has been inspiring or life-changing, if any? What would they say about you? Where we go from hereTrump is 78. Biden is 81. And a lot of you want both candidates to take that on directly, including John Caron, 66, of Winter Park, Fla. "Why should anyone who will be 80 during the next term be allowed to run for president?" Emir Sykes, of Seattle, wanted to take that question to a more existential — but potentially important — place. How can both candidates answer to the fact that there's a possibility that neither candidate may live to finish their term? And M. Lambert, of Colorado, has a question about what's next. What will each candidate do, if elected or not, to attract better and more competent presidential candidates in the future?
THE VEEPSTAKES The other contest Thursday nightThis morning, my colleague Michael Bender reported that Trump has asked three of the leading contenders to be his vice president — Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — to join him at the debate and defend him on TV. I asked him to tell us more about what that means for the state of the veepstakes. So, Trump and Biden are the marquee face-off tomorrow. By asking all three leading veep contenders to be there in person, is he essentially setting up a second contest between them, too? Absolutely. This is a very meta moment for Trumpworld. He's bringing in a parade of vice-presidential contenders to defend his performance on the debate stage, which in turn will give him an opportunity to judge their performance on how effectively and aggressively they fight for the Republican presidential campaign. It feels, well, kind of like a reality show. How can they use Thursday night to set themselves apart? The first rule of Trump Fight Club is to do no harm to the principal, who is a convicted felon facing multiple other legal problems. One way to stand out would be to participate in interviews outside of the normal Republican comfort zone of Fox News and Newsmax, and face more pointed questions and have the opportunity to show Trump their ability to think on their feet. How close do we think Trump is to making a decision here? Trump actually told us back in January, during the Iowa caucuses, that he had decided! But let's think realistically about the schedule. The Republican National Convention is two and a half weeks away. If there's no pick this week, he's unlikely to make an announcement during the week of July 4, when many Americans aren't paying attention to the news and key TV anchors are on vacation. That puts us a week out from the convention, which is more or less when Trump has been saying all along that he'll make his announcement. Read past editions of the newsletter here. If you're enjoying what you're reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here. Have feedback? Ideas for coverage? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.
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