We should create a Ron Paul Forums candidate questionnaire

[ClydeCoulter]

Just their official position on science would suffice. It's basically what I had asked in that first sentence but then went off into my own stake in it. I'm not particularly anti-corporation.

Care to take a shot at the wording so that you get an idea of their position?

 

[Natural Citizen]

Care to take a shot at the wording so that you get an idea of their position?

What do you mean, Clyde?

I, for one, can tell exactly the position they'll take regarding legislation that is aligned with some of these applications just by their response on the general science position. If they start rambling off about the market aspect of it and avoid the area of the actual science, this is very telling.

Is a question that really should be asked of all representatives, elected and prospective...not just ones that we like to support in our little click. I'd just prefer that our candidates have an actual answer is all because eventually they'll have to answer and it won't be this joe six pack feller asking.

 

[enoch150]

In 2010 I interviewed some candidates for the Independence Caucus. I think they give more honest answers when the questions were neutral rather than leading. But if they know the questions are coming from RPF making them neutral might be pointless. I'd go so far as to make a few of them slightly misleading. For federal candidates:

1. Would you have voted for TARP or any of the stimulus packages?

2. Do you favor free trade or fair trade?

3. Would you support an energy policy that temporarily subsidized renewable energy solutions so that they are competitive until they become viable on their own, and also would you support restricting oil imports from potentially hostile nations?

4. Many small brick and mortar business owners have complained that they are unfairly punished by a tax code that forces them to collect state sales taxes while competitors who only sell products online escape those taxes and can undercut their prices. Would you support the Marketplace Fairness Act, which was introduced in 2013 to remedy the tax imbalance by allowing states to collect sales taxes from retailers without a physical presence in their state who were selling to instate residents?

5. Would you support allowing Americans to easily opt out of programs for which they are taxed and which are nominally for their benefit, such as Obamacare and Social Security?

6. What do you believe the federal government's role is in regulating gay marriage?

7. Do you support federal restrictions on personal defense items, including licensing and registration?

8. What are your thoughts on the PATRIOT Act and the NSA revelations?

9. Given that several states have partially legalized or decriminalized marijuana, going forward, what should be the federal government's role in the War on Drugs?

10. What are the federal government's responsibilities in educating America's children?

11. A number of cities have gained a reputation as "sanctuary cities" for illegal immigrants. They offer ID cards so that illegals can have access to banks and the state of Connecticut has even gone so far as to issue limited purpose driver's licenses. What should the federal government do about this?

12. Do you believe the city of New London used eminent domain appropriately in the Kelo case?

13. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 and several other laws have allowed non-citizens who were accused of terrorism and caught inside of the United States to be detained indefinitely and denied a trial by jury. Is this an important tool in the War on Terror or a violation of civil liberties?

 

[enoch150]

The biggest problem with doing this from RPF is that we can't pressure the candidates to answer. Anybody can send them a candidate questionnaire. It would help if we could send them a questionnaire and say "I represent a group with 4,000 members in your district."

 

[enoch150]

What do you mean, Clyde?

I, for one, can tell exactly the position they'll take regarding legislation that is aligned with some of these applications just by their response on the general science position. If they start rambling off about the market aspect of it and avoid the area of the actual science, this is very telling.

Is a question that really should be asked of all representatives, elected and prospective...not just ones that we like to support in our little click. I'd just prefer that our candidates have an actual answer is all because eventually they'll have to answer and it won't be this joe six pack feller asking.

Like this?

Question for candidate: What is your position on science?

Candidate response: I'm for it.

 

[enoch150]

Doesn't C4L do something like this?

They don't seem particularly effective in pushing candidates to fill it out. At least not in Connecticut. 3 out of 15 federal candidates filled it out in 2012 and 2 of those were for third parties. And I think they only do it after the primaries. For comparison, in 2010 the Connecticut branch of the Independence Caucus (which was mostly Ron Paul, Glenn Beck, and Tea Party supporters) got maybe 14 out of 17 Republican candidates for federal office and none of the Democrats to do an hour long sit down interview after answering an 80 question survey which required them to watch about an hour's worth of explanatory video. They did it pre-primary.

But for what it's worth, here are C4L's 2012 questions for federal candidates:

1. Will you cosponsor and call for roll call votes on Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill, designed to bring transparency to the Federal Reserve (H.R. 459/S. 202 in the 112th Congress)?

2. Will you support legislation removing capital gains and sales taxes on gold and silver coinage?

3. Will you vote to oppose any legislation that allows the federal government to prohibit the sale, use, or carrying of firearms?

4. Will you support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution that includes hard spending limits and allows for no increase in taxes or other federal revenue enhancements?

5. Will you support legislation that forbids U.S. troops from serving under United Nations command?

6. Do you support and will you vote to protect states asserting their rights under the Tenth
Amendment?

7. Will you oppose Big Labor’s Card Check bill and any other legislation designed to empower union bosses?

8. Do you support U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations?

9. Will you support legislation to shut down the Transportation Security Administration and place airport security back into private hands?

10. Will you oppose using U.S. forces to occupy a foreign nation without a declaration of war?

11. Will you support legislation that will repeal ObamaCare, including H.R. 1101, the End the Mandate Act?

12. Will you oppose so-called “Cap and Trade” legislation?

13. Will you support legislation such as the Smith/Amash Amendment to the NDAA of 2012, which would prevent the indefinite detention of U.S. Citizens and would ensure full Fifth Amendment rights to due process?

14. Will you vote against any budget that increases our debt?

15. Will you oppose federal power grabs like roving wiretaps and warrantless searches and oppose Patriot Act renewal that includes such items?

16. Will you oppose any legislation that requires states and citizens to participate in a
National Identification Card program?

17. Will you vote to oppose all taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants?

18. Will you support keeping our Internet free from government control and intrusion, including opposing power grabs like SOPA, CISPA, or any other bill that mandates more government intervention in the Internet?

19. Will you oppose all tax increases?

20. Indicate the tax cuts you are willing to vote for: • Across-the-Board Income Tax Cut
• Capital Gains Tax Cut • Business Tax Cut • Estate Tax Cut