Extreme partisanship is dividing our country. Republicans need to decide if their party is more important than the rule of law, morality, and civility. Questions to consider when choosing candidates for future presidents;
1. Should it be acceptable for a democratic president to instruct a Black Lives Matter crowd to storm the Capitol to stop the certification of an election wins?
2. Do you think Trump contributed to the hostility and aggressive actions of the rioters at the Capitol insurrection?
3. Do you think Andrew Cuomo should resign from office due to alleged sexual allegations? If yes, why do you think it was ok for Trump not to resign after being accused by dozens of women of sexual assault?
4. Do you think it would be acceptable for President Biden to hire his kids or other family members into positions in his administration? Should nepotism laws be enforced?
5. Do you think it is acceptable for a president to allow appointees without security clearances to have access to classified government information?
6. Should presidents reveal their financial information to ensure no conflicts of interest exist with other countries?
7. Would you vote for legislation to require all calls between the president and foreign adversaries to be recorded and made available to Homeland Security, the FBI, and the CIA?
8. Would you mind if the next democratic president publicly called people derogatory names, used racially- charged language, and threatened to personally and professionally damage his opponents?
9. Would you support a requirement for presidential candidates to demonstrate proficient comprehension of the Constitution?
10. Would you support a policy that requires presidential candidates to submit to both a physical and psychological exam?
11. If a panel of doctors agreed that a candidate’s mental or physical health could compromise his/her competence to be president, would you support a policy that would disqualify that candidate?
12. What behaviors by a president or member of Congress should justify the overturning of the people’s vote?
13. Should moral behavior be a factor in a president retaining power?
14. What behaviors exhibited by Donald Trump would tell your children to never do?
15. Should the Department of Justice abandon its policy of exempting a president from prosecution for a crime while in office?
16. Should a presidential candidate be required to release their taxes?
17. Should there be consequences if a president lies to the country? What should the consequences be?
18. Should the majority leader position in the Senate be eliminated to stop the blocking of bills sent over by the House of Representatives?
19. What should the consequences be for a president who violates the Constitution in the execution of his powers?
20. Should it be illegal for a president to interfere in the criminal prosecutions of friends and family members?
The cult-like support of Trump has resulted in the enabling of his violations of the rule of law, the abandonment of civility, and the shift towards autocracy. These questions suggest a re-examination of the importance of morality, a re-evaluation of the presidential range of powers, and the presence of hypocrisy in party politics. In a cult, questions are discouraged and the word of a dangerous leader often leads the group to ruin. Trump has lowered the standards for presidential behavior and competence, however, by questioning the status quo, Americans can force the return of national integrity and dignity.
