Sith Lackeys: Senator Jar Jar Binks; President George W. Bush
Like everyone else I know, I was blown away this week by President Obama's amazing exchange with the Republican caucus. There is a grassroots push to make this a regular event. There are a lot of very smart people on both the left and the right arguing against the idea. Its not surprising that the Republicans are weary - they got their asses handed to them. But I was disappointed that Nancy Pelosi and David Axelrod pooh poohed the idea as well.
Whatever else Question Time might achieve, this I think is the killer app: it is W insurance. The Republicans will never dare nominate another incompetent know-nothing if they know that idiot is going to have to face agressive questioning from his or her peers the way Obama did this week. (Try picturing GW saying "I'm having fun, this is great." after an hour of questions from kindergartners much less the House Democratic caucus.) That alone would justify what would be an admittedly radical and I imagine somewhat threatening (for the status quo) change to our political culture.
As it is, it is more then likely that the Republicans will nominate another good looking vessel, and they have a very good track record of electing dim bulbs. A Palin presidency should be, on the face of it, a ridiculous proposition, but I thought the same thing when Bush was running against Gore. It's not funny any more.
I remember listening to BBC interviewers skewering British politicians during the Bush years and thinking "Why doesn't it work that way here?" Question time is another example of a great practice. I'm sure we'd have to adjust the way it works a little bit for the differences in our government, but it seesm like people talking to each other directly and not attacking each other through the press can only help government work effectively.
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