I think that all of the Democratic candidates need to specifically answer these five key questions:

1) I think we all agree that there is no military solution to Iraq and that there must be a political solution in order for us to have the best possible chances of getting out of Iraq responsibly.  What is your specific plan to start the regional dialogue that will be needed for us to have the right kind of diplomacy to arrive at the political solution that will be needed for our troops to be able to leave Iraq in a responsible manner?

2) Many commentators are saying that George W. Bush will probably pass Iraq off to the next President.  Do you believe that you will be able to effectively implement any of your domestic agenda if our troops are not able leave Iraq in a responsible manner right after you take office on 1/20/09?

3) What specifically makes you the most qualified candidate to be able to inherit what President Bush will leave behind in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in any other troubled spots in the world?      

4) I think we all agree that the partisanship and division in this country is out of control and is not a healthy thing.  What are you specifically going to do in order to try and unify the country and how important of a goal is that to you?

5) One of the major reasons why John Kerry lost in 2004 is because he did not fight back hard enough against people like Rush Limbaugh, the "Swift Boat Veterans," and the GOP attack machine who all defined him as a candidate which prevented him from connecting his message with enough people to win.  What will you do differently than what John Kerry did to fight back against this so that you will be able to define yourself and connect your message with enough people to win the general election?Â

Thank you for posting these, Mitch.  I agree that these are questions that should be posed to all candidates and voters should not be satisfied with anything less than very specific answers.  The issues you mention are vital to the well-being of our nation, at home and throughout the world.  If a candidate cannot elucidate his or her thoughts and plans to the voters now, this would tell me there is not the vision or experience there to deal with it later.  This isn't something that "book learnin'" can take care of.

...our guest is Obama supporter Don Beyer, not Barack Obama himself.  Thanks.

Granted, the poster who listed the questions did say "I think that all of the Democratic candidates need to specifically answer these five key questions", so perhaps they were posed as questions that Obama should answer (and indeed, ALL candidates), not Beyer.  However, if Beyer is going to put himself out as the surrogate for the candidate, to make the case, he should have a good idea of the candidate's responses for questions and be able to "make the case".  Otherwise, you're more a cheerleader for the candidate and not "making the case". 

n/t

Here is one proposed theme for a few questions. If Lowell and Ben think that the theme is worth pursuing, they will no doubt come up with some worthy follow-up questions calibrated to Don Beyer's responses.

Q: Do Sen. Obama and his key policy advisers believe that there is currently an appropriate balance between major corporate interests (i.e., oil, coal, armaments, pharmaceuticals, insurance, tobacco, broadcasting, automobile manufacturers) on the one hand and the public interest on the other?

Related Q: How would Sen. Obama and his policy advisers define the "public interest?"

Related Q: If Sen. Obama and his policy advisers believe that the balance between corporate interests and the public interest has been--as progressives and more and more moderate and independent observers believe--horrendously skewed by the Bush Administration, what remedies to they propose in pursuit of the public interest?

when you came out so forcefully for Miller over Webb?

It's abundantly clear that Sen. Webb has been a beacon of hope and honesty so desperately needed in our Commonwealth and country.  And his qualifications are unmatched.
How was that dismissed by you?  And what is it about Obama that causes you to publicly make the case for him?

1) You participated in the Dean 2004 campaign and now the Obama  campagin in 2008.  What's different about the two candidates and their campaigns?

2) Will Obama assist candidates in Virginia in this fall's statewide elections? If so how?

I know he's the only legitimate candidate that was against the war since the beginning (sorry Dennis), but can you tell us why that should matter to us?  Thanks.

Thanks for standing up and making an early endorsement.

Do you think an Obama / Warner ticket would be a winner in Virginia?