when I heard recently that you run 4-6 miles per day (on top of a Presidential campaign!), all I could think about was how your wonderful wife Elizabeth, stricken by cancer, and your family I feel must need you now.

What the?

That statement was way out of line.

He can’t jog half an hour a day? And he has to retreat from public life because of his wife is ill? Despite her fairly obvious desire that he stay in the race.

Indeed, indeed. Let’s just hope that the voters will find more ‘questionable points’ about Romney than just his treatment of animals or his choice of underwear!

Well, I’m not sure Edwards was treated much nicer than Giuliani, and I think Romney is still very much on the race on the GOP side, so he would have deserved some tough questions. But you may have a point here, Lynx. However, maybe it’s only me, but I expect from an ‘independent’ view at the candidates that everyboody is facing the same scrutiny. By only applying pressure on the front runners such a questionaire would actually skew the odds in favor of the ‘outsiders’. I just don’t fell comfortable with such a manipulation. But again, maybe it’s only me.

The truth is that I am an Independent, although before becoming an Independent I was a lifelong Democrat. Like many (or some) I have become a bit more conservative with age, but I put myself clearly in the “moderate” category.

I believe that all of us need to work together, the best that we can, to get things done.

In regard to Giuliani, I think he has matured some since he was Mayor of New York. Perhaps it was the cancer, and going through that. He was, in my opinion, hostile and belligerent when he was Mayor of NYC. He did decrease crime (continued decline after he left) substantially, which is good, but he was, as just one example, too willing to support the police in general, even in a climate in which their were high profile cases of such horrific abuse (that’s why I say go the record for one to form one’s own opinion). Of course he has his supporters as well. I personally don’t believe that he was that popular (don’t remember the polls) in NYC before 9-11, as there were many groups that very very very actively disliked him.

In regard to Obama and Clinton. I think they have strong points for sure. I think Romney has strong points, and also some of the others that are in the list. I think in this election candidates will have to increasingly answer questions from voters, from whatever source they may come.

That is the exciting part, if you ask me.

Actually, this, imho correct, judgment on Giuliani is what I liked best about Alex question.

Sounds good, Alex! JUust look at the stories of the other authors here. more often than lot, they put an impressive lot of work into them by checking facts to bolster their arguments, rephrasing their statements several times for a better reading experience, looking up pictures to run with them etc etc. Imho many of the posts here should make ‘professional’ columnists very ashamed of their lazily investigsated, ‘quick and dirty’ pieces.

It just goes to show , how fdifferent perspectives can be. From mine, I see it differently.
I see it almost exaxtly like Flyerhawk does.

On the opposite site, you accuse Hillary of having no positive ideas and you fire a whole broadside at Edwards on almost everything he’s doing, including his decision to run. Also, you judsge Obama as being too light on the leadership side (what about Thompson, hey?) and, actually quite ironically, you, who can’t leave a thread without a notice of your 2006 candidacy, accuse him of being too much of a politician. And that’s what you call “tougher actually on the R’s.”? You think it’s tough for them if you show this level of disinterest? |-(

It seems that you put more time and thought into your questions to Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama than the other candidates combined.

Regarding Mr. Edwards you made a personal insinuation about his family situation that really isn’t relevant to the discussion.

Regarding Mr. Romney you made a passing jab and referred to a fairly unimportant anecdotal event.

Regarding Mr. Giuliani you didn’t actually ask any questions. You simply said he was a bad mayor.

If the point was to ask questions of the candidates I suspect that only Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama would even realize they were supposed to respond.

I tried to be equally fair (or tough if you want to call it) with both D’s and R’s. From my perspective I may have been tougher actually on the R’s. The only question I asked McCain was whether he’s still in the race. I chided Romney for the dog action (and separately used the word ruthless) and, as mentioned, I held Rudy to task. I didn’t really feel that Fred Thomson has really been in the contest long enough to quiz him yet.

I really like the point raised by a couple above that the press needs to be informed in the questions that they pose to candidates, and have them be issue focused. My experience running for Governor in 2006 (and I think the Maine press is as good or better than most states) is that there is a lot of competition in media for viewers – blogs are now part of the competition – and as a result there can be a strong tendency at times to a little bit follow the heard, go for the low hanging fruit, or be a bit sensationalistic. It takes a lot of work to really do research and examinine issues in depth, and then there is the possibility that few people will even read your work after that!

In terms of my questions above, I admit I ask a lot about what interests me, or what my perceptions are, but I try and be broad and ask things that I think will hopefully interest readers also. Otherwise there is no point to write it. I do follow the campaigns fairly closely, but I am sure there are important areas that I am still unaware of, or haven’t highlighted enough, so please keep, as you wish, those suggestions coming. I love blogging, it’s a lot of fun, I am grateful for the opportunity, and I want to learn from others.

I will be continuing here (as long as Joe wants me) and I’ve also become a blogger for the prestigious Huffington Post. My first blog there, if anyone is interested (shortened for length considerations) is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-hammer/dimensions-of-a-potential_b_59282.html?The and was chosen as a featured selection. I look forward to any comments at both locales.

Thank you.

Thx for the hint, C, I’ll go looking for these. Sounds interesting.

Of course, these are general policy questions and not personally tailored to each candidate based on his/her history.