Updated Script
Ilan Benjamin
Platforum Politics Script
September 26, 2012
What do voters care about?
Segment One: Romney's Tax Returns, Taxes in General, The GOP Refocuses Campaign
-Out of all of the current topics of debate (the economy, Afghanistan, education, social issues, climate change) what do voters really care about this election?
-If it’s the economy, why?
-Why does the economy take precedence over education, etc.? And is that right?
The GOP Refocuses Campaign
After Romney’s 47% gaffe last week, the GOP aims to re-focus the campaign on the economy.
-Does Romney have the high ground on that issue?
-And is the economy really the key issue in this election?
Romney's Tax Returns
-Romney releases his tax returns, and it turns out he paid more than he needed to. Why did he choose to release the returns now?
-And does it make any impact, positive or negative? And do they matter to the public?
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/09/23/romneys-tax-returns-do-voters-care/
Obama goes on the offensive against Romney's Tax returns.
http://swampland.time.com/2012/09/24/obama-launches-new-tax-offensive-against-romney/?lid=edit
TAXES
Speaking of Taxes…
-Why do we hate taxes in this country so much?
-Would we be better off if our taxes were significantly higher than they are now?
-Should tax cuts be something that presidential candidates try to win the election on?
-Nations with higher tax rates than those in the US could be argued to be doing much better than we are. Are tax cuts really something that American presidents should still be fighting for?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-social-welfare-state
Segment Two: Citizens United, God and Politics
Ralph Reed (tea-party activist, 'God’s right hand man,' evangelical Christian) is back and he’s backing Romney.
Will this help Romney reach the Christian voters who are alienated by his Mormonism?
What’s most important to people, really? And how significantly does religion play a part in people’s voting decisions?
How is each side playing the religion card?
To what end and are their means ethical?
Does God have a place in politics?
At the Democratic National Convention, God was not even mentioned. What constituency were the Democrats going after there?
Citizen's United
Citizen’s United, the Supreme Court case that gave corporations similar freedom of speeches to individuals, it removed almost any restriction on corporate spending on American politics.
Should Citizen's United be given more attention?
Is it relevant to the November election?
Does it matter to the voters?
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/07/campaign-finance
Concluding Questions
- Is the media really giving voters what they need to make an informed decision? Or are they just trying to fuel the fire of controversy?
- Is what the voters want necessarily the right thing?
- On a personal level, what matters to YOU as voters?