Debate Questions We’d Really Like to Ask

Tomorrow night kicks off the first of a troika of Presidential debates, and the inaugural question-fest takes place, I’m proud to say, at my alma mater — Denver University — the first-ever school in the Rocky Mountain region to host such an event.

The strategies for Obama and Romney are fairly clear cut.

Obama, who obviously can’t run on his economic record, has to take a proceed-with-caution approach, avoiding the gaffes and missteps that his opponent apparently cannot, while Romney has to be far more aggressive and throw the occasional haymaker trying to convince voters they can’t afford four more years of his leadership.

After a week of preparation — with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., standing in for Romney and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, posing as Obama, tomorrow’s debate is framed to focus on domestic issues and therefore will likely vault the economy to the top of  moderator Jim Lehrer’s questions list.

But in that often unwelcome category of “nobody asked me but...,” I sat down and scribbled some question suggestions for Mr. Lehrer to pose to Messrs. Obama and Romney. I feel that being a DU alum should help wield some influence, but we’ll see.

First, for the Oval Office incumbent:

• Unemployment is still over 8%, a record 47 million people are on food stamps, and the DGP is an anemic 1.3%. Will your "We blame George W. Bush" extend another four years?

• What was Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's reaction whenyou blew him off to appear on that hard-hitting program "The View?" Why did you bypass Intel Briefings for a radio interview with Florida DJ "Pimp with a Limp?"

• The Chevy Volt is an expensive disaster, "shovel-ready" jobs were an illusion, and yet you continue to call for more government investments for future technologies. Like Solyndra?

Now for the challenger:

• How did the 47% react to the $10,000 wager you dangled in front of former Presidential candidate Rick Perry over a disagreement on health-care policy? 

• If you lose the election, will you take a job as a security consultant in the U.K., considering your evaluation of their safety measures during the 2012 Summer Olympics?

• With a net worth of $200 million, how well did you think your “I’m also unemployed” remark resonated with the 20 million or so Americans out of work?

And I could go on. And on.

But with just over 24 hours to go, I’m sending these over to Mr. Lehrer.

Fingers crossed.