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What IS it about candidates saying they won't answer hypothetical questions?

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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:25 PM
Original message
What IS it about candidates saying they won't answer hypothetical questions?
I'm watching the debate right now and Obama was ganged up on for saying what he'd do re: Pakistan and nukes. Clinton and Edwards didn't want to answer "hypothetical questions." Well, isn't it a hypothetical that any of these candidates WILL be president? Why don't Hillary and Edwards just not answer ANYTHING until/unless they become president? :shrug:
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Colobo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:26 PM
Response to Original message
1. They wanna sound tough.
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:34 PM
Response to Reply #1
7. Yeah, but it just makes them look like the same ol' politicians.
and Hillary said she'd take nukes off the table re: Iran if SHE was president, which was a hypothetical.
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GreenArrow Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #7
18. well, to be fair,
they are the same old politicians.
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 07:52 PM
Response to Reply #18
19. That's true. And I don't want any of them as our nominee. n/t
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GreenArrow Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 07:55 PM
Response to Reply #19
20. neither do I
Edited on Sun Aug-19-07 07:56 PM by GreenArrow
but unfortunately, we ain't gonna get what we want. Or what we (the country) need either, for that matter.
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supernova Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message
2. They don't want to be pinned down later
when said situation occurs and they have to do something completely different than the answer they gave in the debate. They are quite allergic to saying "I was wrong earlier..."
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:36 PM
Response to Reply #2
8. Like when Bush campaigned on a "humble foreign policy"?
Yeah, we already know Hillary doesn't say she was wrong.
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valerief Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message
3. Sounds a lot like "I won't answer during an ongoing investigation" doesn't it? nt
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:37 PM
Response to Reply #3
9. Sure does. n/t
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Kagemusha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message
4. They get to attack him for free and not have to answer anything.
Very convenient, no?
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #4
10. Right!
It IS convenient!
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sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:30 PM
Response to Original message
5. The hypothetical ticking bomb
Hypotheticals are often gotcha games, and have taken a real toll on Democrats the last few years. The Party stance has been to stop answering them, Dean started that a few years ago actually.

But that's quite a bit different then the reality of al qaeda in Pakistan. Or knowing what your nuclear policy is and being willing to define it. I think the Obama people are going to have to push a new paradigm of questions in order to really differentiate his views.
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ClassWarrior Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:40 PM
Response to Reply #5
11. Bingo! It's Rovian, and look how well it's working on this thread.
If they DO answer a hypothetical - gotcha! If not, they look like they're stonewalling. And the RW freaks rub their sweaty pale thighs and watch us eat our own.

:eyes:

NGU.
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sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:47 PM
Response to Reply #11
16. defining reality as a hypothetical
is a completely different tactic, designed to stonewall legitimate questions. Clintons are classic stonewallers, they avoid answering everything unless they can use it to attack or distort their opponent.
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:56 PM
Response to Reply #16
17. Exactly!
:hi:
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:41 PM
Response to Reply #5
12. It's not a hypothetical...
as Obama (and you) said. Obama's doing a good job IMO with his answers and stickin' to them.
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bahrbearian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:32 PM
Response to Original message
6. Wouldn't want them to think or use their imagination would you?
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:43 PM
Response to Reply #6
14. Of course not...
That's why Obama's gonna win. :hi:
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Mz Pip Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:42 PM
Response to Original message
13. THe problem
with hypotheticals as I see it is that they are ofter pretty generalized questions. Reality is much more nuanced and filled with many variables.

Mz Pip
:dem:
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jenmito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-19-07 12:44 PM
Response to Reply #13
15. But it wasn't a hypothetical, really...
like Obama said, we KNOW al Qaeda is in Pakistan.
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