Guest Commentary: Where has our media gone?

The presidential campaign has gone on for over a year, with about nine more months to go. Most serious voters are interested in how the eventual winner will react as president to a number of critical issues, and we rely on our media to provide us with this data, but to date our media has failed miserably. Some appear to be interested in trivia, some appear to have taken sides, and some appear to care less.

We’ve had dozens of debates but no substance. We’ve heard stupid questions, softball questions, inane questions, irrelevant questions, and self-serving questions - but we know no more about the top three candidates than we did a year ago. Our system seems more about turning voters off than it is about encouraging turnout.

What do we need to know? Try the following questions:

A 20-kiloton nuclear missile hits New York City and kills over two million people. NORAD tells you they can pinpoint within three miles the origin of the missile.

Do you:

Immediately send a 20 kiloton missile to the site of the launch;

Confer with our Allies;

Take the matter to the U.N.

Will you commit to presenting a Social Security bailout plan in your first year? Yes or No.

Will you commit to presenting a Medicare bailout plan in your first year? Yes or No.

Is it worth imperiling the best medical system in the world to force a government- mandated system? Yes or No.

Withdrawing all troops from Iraq immediately is worth the risk of the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis? Yes or No.

We should send thousands of troops immediately to Darfur. Yes or No.

Stationing anti ballistic missiles in Europe is not worth the risk of antagonizing Russia. Yes or No.

In times of recession, taxes should be:

Lowered;

Raised;

Stay the same.

We can totally pay for a lot of new government programs by raising taxes on the rich. Yes or No.

Will you commit to a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution? Yes or No.

Effectively controlling our borders is a national security issue. Yes or No.

Nuclear energy is the best pollution free source of electricity and should be expanded. Yes or No.

American education can be dramatically improved by spending larger chunks of tax dollars. Yes or No.

Crossing the U.S. border to find work should not be considered an illegal act. Yes or No.

A Manhattan type program should be initiated to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Yes or No.

The Second Amendment aside, it’s a generally good idea for the public to own guns. Yes or No.

All civil liberties should be vigorously defended even if it endangers the well being of the public. Yes or No.

The government should punish any employer who sends jobs overseas. Yes or No.

The government should pass laws that make any mining activity in the United States nearly impossible. Yes or No.

Keeping corporate tax rates among the highest in the world actually helps our economy. Yes or No.

If all these top candidates had to answer each of these questions as written, with no if, ands or buts, our job of selecting a president would become a lot easier. Come on media - forget your tabloid tendencies and do the job for which you were given constitutional protection.

Norman Gonder was a department director for a mid-level oil company.

He retired to Green Valley in 1998.