McCain Could Still Win

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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What does it say about the GOP presidential field when nearly a quarter of Republicans are unwilling to back any of the top-tier candidates?

It says that many Republicans are not happy with their candidates. This is why Fred Thompson is being embraced so joyfully. This race is wide open; McCain could still win the nomination.

More Cafferty File responses here and here.

Do You Think Democrats Duped Voters?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Do you think Democrats duped voters this past November on the issue of pork?

The Democrats were being unreasonable; it was implausible that they were going to stamp out corruption in only 100 hours. But, they had the right idea. One of the biggest reasons the Bush administration has made so many mistakes is because of the administration's affiliation with lobbyists like Jack Abramoff.

The U.S. Shouldn't Attack Iran

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says Iran should be attacked before it gets nuclear weapons. Is he right?

No; coercive diplomacy, not military action. Iran has to be isolated through sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Military pressure in Iraq is a good idea too, but directly attacking Iran would be wrong. We need to slowly isolate them until they give up.

Yesterday's Cafferty File / Cafferty File Week Over

There was no response to yesterday's 5:00 and 7:00 Cafferty File questions because they were pointless to answer. The questions were:

5 p.m.: Why do you think the divorce rate in the United States has fallen to its lowest level in more than 30 years?

7 p.m.: Do the cars presidential candidates drive tell you anything about them?


On a separate note, Cafferty File week is now over.

Petraeus Should Continue With His Plan

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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What does it mean if General Petraeus needs to remind U.S. troops in Iraq to fight by the rules?

It means the military needs an update in ethics. The Iraqi people need to be befriended; we need their trust. The Iraqi government will never learn to walk without the support of their own people. General Petraeus’s heart and mind by heart and mind approach is working beautifully, and should be continued.

No Response to 7:00 Cafferty File

There will be no post in response to today's 7:00 Cafferty File question because the question is not worth answering.

Does a State Have the Power to Deal with Immigration?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 5:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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In the absence of enforcement of the nation's immigration laws by the federal government, is Oklahoma right to crack down on its own?

Of course Oklahoma has the power to crack down on illegal immigration. Why wouldn’t they? State’s rights and federalism allows each state to have their own powers: education, health care, etc. If they can deal with education, why’s it such a big deal that Oklahoma is dealing with immigration?

No One Person Has Absolute Control Over the Military in Iraq

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Who should ultimately decide how long U.S. troops stay in Iraq?

The president, only with the support of Congress, should decide how long U.S. troops stay in Iraq. The Founding Fathers made a great decision when they put the military under civilian control; it’s prevented coups and military-political confusion. It should stay that way. Congress has power over the military, but so does the president. Action needs to be approved by both. There is no single person who should ‘ultimately decide’ how long the U.S. stays in Iraq; the system of checks and balances prevents that.

Will a Course Correction be Made?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Will ads featuring retired generals who say President Bush does not listen to commanders on the ground in Iraq have any effect on policy?

As the pressure mounts on the President to change the course, slight course corrections will be made. Bush is stubborn; there will be no drastic changes, but every little thing makes a difference.

Is it or is it Not Worth the Time to Defeat the Insurgency?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 5:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Is it worth spending 10 years to defeat the insurgency in Iraq?

Yes. The U.S. liberated Iraq, and we need to finish the job. Imagine a safe haven in Iraq: not for terrorists, but for democracy and lovers of democracy. It will take patience, one thing the American people does not have a great deal of. But we can’t do all the defeating. We have to get the message across to the Iraqi government that THEY have to take the lead in enforcing their laws in their country.

Is John Edwards a Hypocrite?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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John Edwards says he worked for a hedge fund primarily to learn more about financial markets and their relationship to poverty. Do you see any contradiction there?

Sure; maybe it is a contradiction, but you’re missing the point. The reason he worked for a hedge fund wasn’t PRIMARILY to learn more about their relationships with poverty, it was to make money.

Bush and Wolfowitz - Politicizing Everything Together

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7: 00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Why would President Bush continue to support Paul Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank when the bank has found him guilty of ethics violations?

Wolfowitz was one of his biggest backers during the invasion of Iraq; he helped him plan it. Bush owes him. Besides, it’s not like the President hasn’t done anything politically motivated recently.

Rudy on Abortion; Mitt on Everything

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 5:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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How much of a problem is it for Rudy Giuliani that he contributed to Planned Parenthood and at the same time says he opposes abortion?

Eventually the primaries in the Bible Belt may take him down, but if they get him, they’ll get Romney first. Mitt may well be a charismatic leader, but he’s an opportunist. Giuliani’s position only “evolved” on a single issue, while Romney’s position literally flip-flopped.

Oversight for Overseas Medicine

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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Should Americans be allowed to buy prescription drugs from abroad?

Americans should be allowed to buy prescription drugs, with oversight. The FDA should set up part of its department to oversee the overseas medicine market. If were not careful, standards will be lost and worthless drugs will be bought. Freedom of trade can't be allowed to exist without supervision.

A Republican, a Woman, or an African-American?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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7 p.m.: When it comes down to it, would American voters elect another Republican president before they would elect a woman or a black?

Is the majority of America sexist? No. Is the majority of America racist? No.
99% of people have no problem with electing a woman or a black; the media only portrays it that way, making the situation worse. A woman almost became president in France; why couldn’t one in the U.S.?

Don't Move Troops From Iraq To Afghanistan--Yet

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 5:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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5 p.m.: Two Democratic presidential hopefuls suggest moving U.S. troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. Is that a good idea?

No. Moving some troops from Iraq to Afghanistan may become a good idea in the future, but not yet. The Iraqi government hasn’t learned to walk and we need to teach it. Afghanistan is a very important front on the War on Terror, but we can’t leave Iraq a mess.

How Will Sarkozy Affect the U.S.?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.
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4 p.m.: How will France's election of a pro-American president affect U.S. relations with Europe?

Not much for George Bush. Sarkozy has not stated he is pro-Bush; he is pro-American. But the next president will have a much easier time dealing with the French and Iraq. Sarkozy has criticized the way the Iraq War has been handled, not by the U.S., but by France. He was not a supporter of the war, but has said the France shouldn’t let her ally down.

Don't Punish Owners of Gas Guzzlers

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and a response.
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Is it a good idea to penalize drivers who buy gas-guzzling vehicles?

No matter how disastrous global warming will be, punishing those who buy Hummers and other similar cars would not be the right thing to do. Instead, how about the gas guzzlers are never made, much less sold. The U.S. could decrease its dependency on foreign oil, slow global warming, and save money on gas. If owners of Hummers were punished, only more money would be wasted.

Does it Matter if a Presidential Candidate Has Military Experience?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and a response.
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How much does it matter to you if a presidential candidate has military experience?

Having military expertise is an added bonus, but not a necessity. To run for president, one has to be 35 years old. That would mean that the only candidates with military experience would have fought in Vietnam, or MAYBE in the First Gulf War. The war we are fighting today is a different type of war; it's a war against insurgents and terrorists, not armed forces in uniform.

Should Schools Stop Teaching the Holocaust to Avoid Offending Muslim Students?

The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and a response.
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7 p.m.: Should schools drop the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils?

First of all, how does the Holocaust offend Muslims? If Wikipedia is correct, Hitler was Christian. Second, what about Jews' and Gypsies' feelings? If we don’t teach about this grave injustice, it could happen again. Wouldn’t many Americans be offended if the Revolutionary War wasn’t taught in out schools? The Holocaust is just as important to humanities history as the Revolutionary War was to our history. Please pick a better question next time, Jack.