Who will ask Romney these questions this summer?

[Tom Rinaldo]

Do you believe that Climate Change is real and that it can have a serious long term adverse impact on the United States? If you do believe that Climate Change is real, do you believe that man made changes in carbon emissions are a significant contributer to current Climate Change? If you are undecided on either the first or second question, as a man seeking the U.S. Presidency, how many more years spent researching this matter further do you advise America wait before you can decide whether significant actions are needed to mitigate against this "potential" threat?

I think it is a no win proposition for Romney to be confronted with these questions now. His hardest core base would be angry with him if he acknowledges that actions are needed to mitigate the changing climate. But even some of them (at the grass roots level) must be starting to worry about it more given weather patterns this year. Meanwhile everyone else is primed to hear what our leaders have to say on this, and the heat waves and drought are driving home the environmental message.

[Life Long Dem]

1. Romney doesn't take questions

He expects the election to be rigged in his favor like Bush junior. He expects a close race to be stolen. It's not like we haven't seen that before. I'd like to say I can't wait for the debates but we all saw what happen with Kerry after winning all the debates.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Nobody. Serious discussions of the problems facing the country are

not a part of campaigning.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. It is the Job of the Obama team to make them part of the campaign

And they have done a pretty good job of forcing the debate onto some issues when they try so far. Obama is campaigning as a real leader who actually rolls up his sleeves to tackle America's problems. It is his strength and it is to his advantage to contrast himself with Romney in that regard - who has tried to campaign by saying and revealing nothing about everything, either in his past or regarding his specific plans for the nation's future. Romney doesn't like taking stands on any issue because by now opposition research is likely to dig up instances of his having taken a contradictory stance in the past. Vague must be the Romney forte.

Romney doesn't want to talk about his taxes and whether or not people like him get too many advantages under the current tax code, but the issue is now in the news, partially because he WON'T talk about it. Romney ducking issues is news when it reaches the point where enough of the public realizes that he is ducking them. Then it becomes a negative Romney character issue as well as an area of policy contrasts.

The record drought and heat waves offer sufficient opportunity for the Obama campaign to force public focus on this issue - which then forces Romney to either state a position and policy or have him further defined negatively as a man who will hide whatever it takes to become President.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. So this is the news out of Nebraska today

Farmers being asked to stop irrigating because the rivers are running dry:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002969092

I think the timing is right to opin down Romney on Climate Change. The public is ready, the media is primed and on the general story. Hey, because Nebraska splits their electoral vote by Congressional Districts, it might even help pick up a for Obama vote from the Nebraska CD that contains Omaha.