The New York Times has 21 questions for Kamala Harris (and Trump?)

I am not an American but I find American politics fascinating. I believe that presidential elections are part of a larger culture war with Democrats and Republicans on the opposite sides of many cultural issues such as gun control, LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, religion, racism, education, sexism, and health care. I think Republicans have been exploiting this culture war very effectively in order to win seats in Congress and, sometimes, the White House. They have succeeded in stacking the Supreme Court of the United States. Republicans appeal to voters who are very uneasy about the kind of rapid cultural change that's happening all around them.

In my opinion, past Democrats did not realize that they were in a culture war so they kept pretending that the fight was really about the economy or other policy-related issues. Now they seem to have woken up to what I think is the reality of the situation and the current campaign focuses on cultural issues such as women's right to choose, gun violence, freedom, and not going back to old cultural values. They've also realized that the current election is as much about destroying the reputation of the other candidate as it is about promoting the values of your own candidate. Republicans have known for a long time that attacking your opponent is a winning strategy and I'm glad that the current Democratic strategists have woken up to reality. That's a good thing.

It is in the best interests of Republicans to disrupt this new Democrat strategy in any way possible. One way to do this is to convince the media that the election is still about the economy, crime, and immigration policy and to complain that Kamala Harris has not explained in detail her policy on these issues. If they can get the media to challenge Harris on those policy issues, they will achieve two goals; (1) it will distract the Democrats from addressing the culture war, and (2) it will open Harris up to attacks from the "elite" media (e.g. The New York Times) because there are no simple solutions to those problems.

Right on cue, The New York Times has fallen hook-line-and-sinker for the Republican propaganda. They've come up with 21 Questions for Harris on various policy issues. Almost all of the questions are political land mines that no politician can answer without laying themselves open to the criticism that will surely follow anyone who gives an honest answer.

The New York Times and all other media outlets have had months to ask Trump those same questions and demand the same kind of answers they are demanding of Harris. But they didn't do that, did they?

Much as I hate the way the media is confused about the culture wars, I thought it might be fun to answer the 21 questions. I'll give my version of a correct answer, a politically correct version, and a Trump version. I'll start with the eight questions on economic policy and deal with social issues (3 questions), foreign policy (7 questions) and politics (3 questions) in followup posts. Let me know how I'm doing.

If I don't get too bored, I might make up a list of 21 questions that The New York Times could ask Donald Trump beginning with whether he's paid any hush money to keep people quiet for this election. Any other suggestions?

1. Madam Vice President, your agenda revolves around helping the middle class — such as offering a credit of up to $25,000 for first-time home buyers and increasing the child tax credit. You haven’t said much about some big related issues, though, including paid leave and universal preschool. Will you try to revive President Biden’s plans?

Correct answer: Every federal employee should have the right to paid maternity leave and I will try to get Congress to pass the appropriate laws. I hope the individual states follow suit. The advantages of preschool are obvious to anyone who has studied the issue so I hope that individual states will fund preschool.

Political answer: I support paid leave and preschool.

Trump answer: Kamala Harris is a communist who is out to destroy businesses by forcing them to pay people who don't work.

2. You support raising taxes on households that make more than $400,000. But these tax increases may not be large enough both to pay for your agenda and to reduce the federal debt, as you’ve promised. How would you reduce the debt?

Correct answer: As you almost certainly know, federal budgets are extremely complicated things and passing an appropriations bill through Congress requires a huge number of compromises and lots of negotiation. I'll leave that to the Speaker of the House and the Majority leader in the Senate but my administration will continue to support an increase in revenue by increasing taxes on the wealthy and improving the economy. It's unlikely that we will make a significant reduction in the federal debt over the next few years but I'll encourage Congress to eliminate the deficit without cutting back on essential social benefits.

Political answer: My administration will work hard to reduce the federal debt by increasing taxes on those wealthy individuals who don't pay their fair share.

Trump answer: I will reduce the corporate tax and eliminate the federal debt by getting rid of government waste and useless communist entitlements.

3. Biden has been more populist than other recent Democratic presidents. He’s skeptical of free trade and has subsidized manufacturing. Are you as populist as he is? Or are there any policy areas in which you would return to a more market-friendly, neoliberal approach?

Correct answer: I reject the term "populist" because it's a meaningless word. I also reject the notion that a "market-friendly" economy is the best way to describe the modern approach to national economies. I favor the kind of mixed economy that has been so successful in other advanced nations. This is an economy that promotes important social measures to help improve the lives of their citizens and distribute wealth evenly. That includes universal health care. At the same time a mixed economy promotes free enterprise that abides by government regulations to protect the people.

We are part of a global economy and most respected economists favor free trade as the best way to manage that global economy. We have free trade agreements with many nations, especially our neighbors Canada and Mexico, and I intend to abide by those treaties.

Political answer: The United States is the greatest capitalist nation the world has ever seen and my administration will continue to support the free market.

Trump answer: Other nations are ripping us off and I will put a stop to that by making them pay high tariffs and by helping American companies bring jobs back to America. America first!!!

4. Biden has cracked down on monopoly power, and a central player in this fight is Lina Khan of the Federal Trade Commission, who has focused on Big Tech. Some of your campaign donors in Silicon Valley want you to fire her. Would you?

Correct answer: What a stupid question! You don't really expect me to answer that, do you?

Policial answer: My adminstration will look closely at all corporations that might be guilty of abusing their committment to free and fair business practices.

Trump answer: The Harris adminstration is weaponizing the government to attack big business and it's leading us down the path to communism.

5. The Biden administration made an important change on climate policy, emphasizing subsidies for clean energy rather than taxes on dirty energy. This approach is more politically popular. Is it delivering fast enough climate progress?

Correct answer: No, we are not doing enough to contribute our fair share toward reducing the effects of climate change. We need both approaches.

Political answer: My administration will continue to fight the existential threat of climate change.

Trump answer: Climate change is a big hoax. Windmills kill birds and there's no electricity from solar when the sun don't shine. Drill! Drill! Drill!

6. You support the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to join unions. Recent Democratic presidents have supported similar bills — but failed to pass them. How would you give wary labor leaders confidence that the PRO Act will be a priority?

Correct answer: As you said, Democrats support the PRO Act and other laws that will protect unions and workers. The best way to ensure those acts will pass is to elect people who support unions so I urge labor leaders to get out and work for such candidates.

Political answer: I can assure labor leaders that my administration will prioritize passage of the PRO Act starting on day one.

Trump response: The PRO Act is fake.

7. You’ve blamed corporate price gouging for high grocery prices. Many economists disagree, arguing that the industry has too much competition for widespread gouging to be a problem. Can you explain how your anti-gouging policy would lower prices?

Correct Answer: Picking on grocery stores for price gouging is just an appeal to stupid American voters who don't understand worldwide inflation and what causes it. You know damned well that we will never eliminate the price increases of the past three years. The best we can do is to lower the rate of inflation and try to help people who don't have enough money to maintain a decent standard of living. Part of that solution is to reduce wealth inequality by transferring wealth from the richest 1% to the poorest Americans.

Political answer: Many Americans have suffered because of inflation. I feel their pain and their anger at large grocery store chains who are posting record profits on the backs of the middle class.

Trump answer: The Harris administration is responsible for the greatest increase in prices in the history of the world. I will lower the price of food on the first day of the new Trump administration.

8. The U.S. government has done little to regulate social media, and social media has contributed to some big problems, like polarization and loneliness. Now we have a new technological force: A.I. How would you regulate it?

Correct answer: Gimme a f**king break! Nobody is going to regulate AI or social media. It didn't work for TV, rock and roll, or video games and it's not going to work for social media. People will learn to cope just as they learned to cope with Elvis, who corrupted the lives of young baby boomers.

Political answer: The lives of our children are severely affected by the pervasiveness of social media that's contributing to teen suicides and drug addiction. My administration will pass laws to prevent the exploitation of children on social media.

Trump answer: China has a secret plan to destroy America using social media, which they control. I will stop the Chinese communists on day one.

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