If you listen to all the pundits, one would think that Donald Trump is going to be on the debate stage. He won’t be, but eight other Republicans will.

The presidency is a job. It bears a job description, constitutionally and functionally. Voters in effect conduct the job interviews, winnow the field of applicants, and make a final choice. Direct democracy demands the type of access, argument, and accountability provided by official candidate forums. The Fox News debate Wednesday is the first true opportunity for voters to see and hear most of the declared Republican candidates, shoulder to shoulder, live, and facing tough questions from moderators, if not each other.

The temptation is to go viral; the task is to present oneself as a serious policymaker, unifier and visionary at a fraught time in America.

Exactly. And that is where Donald Trump is missing a prime opportunity to make his case. Does he WANT the job? Then step up on the stage and persuade us. Campaign rallies, yelling in all caps on Truth Social, and cherry-picking who he interviews with is way to similar to Joe Biden campaigning from that damned basement of his. 

But since Trump won’t show, this gives the other candidates an opportunity to make their case to the American public. 

Here’s a rundown of key debate questions that, in my opinion, should be asked. The Free Beacon put forth a listing of fifteen questions, many of which I completely agree with. A sampling: 

Biden’s Justice Department has targeted Catholic churches and pro-life activists for surveillance, infiltration, and arrest. What will you do to end the weaponization of federal law enforcement?

Retail theft is soaring across the country, especially in cities controlled by Democratic prosecutors. What will you do to restore the rule of law to retail outlets so shoppers can go to stores without facing the risk of finding themselves among robbers and having all the merchandise under lock and key?

~Snip

Biden has mandated that two-thirds of cars must be electric vehicles by 2032. Many people don’t want to be forced to pay for unreliable and expensive cars, so will you repeal this mandate, and how will you ensure people are free to buy the cars they want?

The safest and most efficient clean energy source is nuclear power, but the environmental movement refuses to embrace it. What will you do as president to revive the nuclear energy sector?

~Snip

What is the biggest foreign threat facing the United States today?

Those are all incredibly valid questions and definitely pertinent to what Americans are facing on a daily basis. Given the questions listed above, I will be looking for answers that involve discussion of how our electric grid cannot sustain itself running on wind and/or solar. I’ll look for answers regarding enforcing the law and enacting consequences on those who commit crime and push for repeal of the no bail laws that is one of the root causes of skyrocketing crime rates. 

As to foreign policy, I’ll look for an answer that points to China, Iran, and others while ALSO pointing out that the DEI policies within our military are destroying our readiness capabilities.

We’re gonna lose a major war. https://t.co/sLVfAbTdqO

— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) August 22, 2023

So, the danger on the foreign policy front is both external and internal. I’ll be curious to see if anyone brings that up. 

Here’s a few questions I believe should be asked.  

That’s Bidenomics. pic.twitter.com/b6U189I5ax

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 22, 2023

A. Biden is claiming costs have been lowered for American families? Is that true? **I know the answer to that one, but I’d like to see how the candidates tackle the issue. 

B. There are now stories coming out about a new Covid variant, that has led to a film studio, colleges, and other entities to react by once again enacting vaccine and masking policies. How would YOU handle a Covid crisis if President? 

C. In 2000, Al Gore and George Bush questioned election results for months and multiple recounts were held. Yet now, no one is allowed to ask those same questions. Why can’t we? 

D. The DoD and State Department are on record saying the Afghanistan withdrawal went smoothly. What is your response to that? 

The Democrats are going to be closely watching the debate performance. You can bet they will be sharpening their knives and crafting talking points and campaign ads on the fly. 

They’ll beat up any misstatement, misstep, fumble, mumble, or non-answer for weeks until it’s dead, and then start the game all over again. 

“As they race to the right to secure a far-right base, they’re nailing themselves to positions that they just cannot recover from in November for the general election,” he said. 

The Biden campaign will be focused on responding to those MAGA views, referring to Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign slogan from 2016 that has stuck with him and Democrats have used to brand other Republicans.

The campaign will have “an aggressive war room” with the Democratic National Committee (DNC), it announced last week.

Is the RNC even remotely ready to fire back? Given the RNC’s performance in the 2022 election cycle, I’ll be honestly surprised if they plan to step up their game. 

Therefore, while watching the debate and checking on the bingo cards, I’ll ask our readers…what questions do YOU want asked of these candidates? 

Feature Photo: Original artwork by Victory Girls Darleen Click