For the second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the American people of the internet have been asked to submit their own ideas for questions. Toby Manhire goes in search of some of the best
America is all about its ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ ethos, and when Abraham Lincoln thought that one up he almost certainly had in mind the potential for the internet to crowdsource questions for presidential debates.
That vision has been realised thanks to the Open Debate Coalition, which has successfully arranged for the second presidential debate, a “town hall”-style affair on Sunday (Monday, NZ time), to involve questions posed via its website.
Users can then vote in support of particular questions, with “Would you support requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales?” currently leading the pack, backed by more than 35,000 people and counting. That’s a good one, they should definitely ask that, but there are a bunch of other good ones, too, languishing with rather fewer user votes, and we hope they get asked, too.
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Here are 20 of them:
1.
Terrific wall-based question, Jared! This really would be good to ask.
2.
Only two votes so far for Tiffany’s moral dilemma (no, me neither) but this clearly needs to be put to the would-be free-world leaders.
3.
4.
Good thinking, Michael: instead of a debate, just read out the URLs of your websites and then fuck off.
5.
Yes or no.
The future President Trump (artist’s impression)
6.
7.
The government doesn’t like people posing questions about its legislative assaults on freedom, and it’s pretty clear that in this instance they got to him before he could finish. RIP Gary.
8.
Countries such as New Zealand and The Vatican have been plagued with violent Islamic rule, so it’s little wonder that Geraldo wants to know what you plan to do about it.
9.
The anti-Godwin.
10.
True, the American education system could use some work.
11.
U OK, Ross?
12.
And get the Mexicans to pay for it.
13.
Actually this could be a genuinely good one. Thanks again, Tiffany S.
14.
Especially keen to hear Mr Trump’s thoughts on this.
15.
Especially keen to hear Mr Trump’s thoughts on this, too.
As president, what will you do about female comedians in jumpsuits?
16.
17.
Oui, quel est-ce?
18.
19.
Strange when you think about it that “How big is your stash?” hasn’t been asked in a presidential debate before. Thanks, Bob!
Toby Manhire is editor-at-large at The Spinoff. He loves to cast a pod, whether it's Gone By Lunchtime, At Large or Juggernaut. He is a former editor of The Spinoff and has worked as a journalist in NZ and the UK since the last millennium.
