Media Guide: Covering the Midterms
/By Don Varyu
July 2022
he one constant over the last six years of U.S. politics is the almost unanimous support from GOP lawmakers for Donald Trump. To them, apparently, he can do no wrong. The fact that he’s done so much wrong creates an obvious list of questioning for reporters covering every GOP candidate running for every office in America this fall. Force them to declare their allegiance to Trump and his policies on an issue-by-issue basis.
But this doesn’t let Democrats off the hook—they need to provide difficult answers, too.
But are reporters smart enough—and brave enough—to do their jobs and ask the right questions?
As a public service, here are lists of those obvious questions:
GOP
“Do you believe Donald Trump won the 2020 election?” (If the answer is “yes,” the mandatory follow-up is this: “his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told one election official, ‘we have lots of theories’…but ‘don’t have the evidence.” Do you have any evidence to support Trump’s claim?”)
“Do you believe states have the right to forward a slate of rival electoral delegates other than the ones determined by the voters?”
“Do you believe abortion should be banned nationally in all cases—even if the mother’s life is endangered?” (If the answer is “yes,” the follow-up is, “how is that position pro-life?”)
“Do you believe in climate change?”
“Do you believe public tax dollars should be used to fund religious schools?”
“The Republican Senate Campaign Committee wants Social Security and Medicare ‘reviewed’ every seven years—and possibly eliminated. Do you support that?”
“That same committee says taxes should be raised on the lower half of American wage earners. Do you agree?”
“Do you support the ban of military-style automatic weapons? Why or why not?”
“What are your feelings about Liz Cheney?”
Democrats
“What is the issue that most concerns U.S. voters, and how should that issue be addressed?” (If the answer is not the economy/inflation, then the follow-up is, “why is that more important than inflation?”)
“What specific new steps should the President take to reduce inflation?”
“Do you believe police departments should be defunded?”
“What should be done to curb the rise in violent crime across America?”
“Spending has done very little to curb the homeless problem. What should be done other than spending more money?”
“Should transgender women be allowed to compete against those born female?”
“Should public schools teach gender identity differences? If so, at what age should that start?”
“Are Democratic politics too moderate or too extreme?”
“On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate the performance of presidency of Joe Biden so far?”
o repeat, even candidates running for a local school board should be asked these exact questions, because national issues permeate the political debate on all levels. Candidates run for parties, and those parties have things to explain.
In addition, I have a personal request: would one reporter—just one—please corner the suddenly reclusive Oprah Winfrey and ask her, point blank, if she supports the Pennsylvania Senate campaign of her creation, Dr. Oz?
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