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Patch Is Collecting Questions For The Next Presidential Debate

If you have a question for the candidates, submit it in the comments section below and it could be asked during the televised Oct. 16 Town Hall Presidential Debate.

If last week’s presidential debate left you with more questions than answers, here’s your chance to ask the presidential candidates about the issues that most matter to you.

The next presidential debate will be a town hall meeting format at Hofstra University in Long Island, where voters will ask President Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney about domestic and foreign policy.

Patch is asking you, our readers, to participate by submitting questions for the candidates.

All you have to do is post your question in the comments section below and we’ll send it to the Commission on Presidential Debates. The commission is partnering with Patch's parent company Aol, along with Google and Yahoo, to take questions from web users across the country.

Don’t wait until Nov. 6 to have a say in this year’s election. Share your thoughts in the comments!

Anne Marie Stewart October 8, 2012 at 03:17 pm
What is the purpose of your Swiss bank accounts and the myriad other offshore bank accounts if not to avoid U.S. taxes?
Mrs. Bee October 8, 2012 at 03:21 pm
Mr. Obama, Are you a socialist? AND, why won't you share your Masters thesis with the public, nor your college grades?
David October 8, 2012 at 03:25 pm
1) Four years ago, you promised to cut the deficit in half. You doubled it, and it has remained over $1 Trillion each and every year you've been president, including for 2 years where your party controlled both houses of Congress. Do you have any plan that comes remotely close to accomplishing what you promised 4 years ago, in light of both of your budgets being rejected by the Senate in *UNANIMOUS* votes.
2) Four years ago, you stated that if you couldn't get unemployment down, you'd "deserve" to be a one-term President. Why should you be re-elected, in light of the fact that there are 5 million fewer employed people now than when you were inaugurated? 3) You stated that if we borrowed and spent over $1 Trillion, unemployment would be less than 7%. Why do you think that borrowing and spending even more money will have a beneficial effect in the next 4 years? 4) Four years ago, you promised that energy prices, under your energy plan would "necessarily skyrocket." Now that gas prices are double what they were when you started, how do you explain your accomplishment to the American people? 5) You promised to remove unnecessary regulations. The number of Federal regulations has more than doubled. Why? 6) Four years ago, you promised to close Guantamano Bay. It's still open. Why? 7) Under what authority do you execute American citizens overseas with no trial? 8) Under what authority did you bomb Libya?
David October 8, 2012 at 03:36 pm
9) You promised under your healthcare plan that if you "liked your insurance" you could keep it. Why does Obamacare restrict the ability of Americans to save money for their own health care, should they choose to?
10) You state that "millionaires and billionaires" who make over $250,000/year should pay at least 30% of their income in taxes. You paid 25% of your income in taxes. Why didn't you cut the IRS an additional check to get up to the tax rate you favor? 11) Under what authority are you able to force Catholic churches and other religious organizations to fund medical procedures they abhor due to their faiths? 12) What do you say to the 25%++ of recent college graduates who don't have a job when you promote "college education for all"? 13) Why is a reduction in the future rate of growth for Medicare under your health care plan not a cut in spending according to you, but any rollback in the growth of other government spending plans is? 14) Why does your campaign donation website not track the origins of the credit cards used to fund your campaign? 15) After our Libyan ambassador was murdered in a pre-planned terrorist attack, do you think it was the right course of action for you to go to sleep 90 minutes later, and then fly to Las Vegas for a campaign fundraiser? 16) Why did your administration lie about the attacks on our embassy, stating it was due to a video that was shot months earlier and only posted on YouTube?
David October 8, 2012 at 03:52 pm
17) Given that you could confiscate 100% of all income by all taxpayers over $250,000/year and not make a dent in your deficit spending, would you agree that the deficit is due to the $1.5 Trillion increase in annual government spending per year that occurred when you became President?
18) Your daughters enjoy going to school at the Sidwell Friends' Academy, a $33,000+/year school. You signed into a law the elimination of Washington, DC's school voucher program, which provides $8,000 (grade school) and $12,000 (high school) per student to attend a school of the parents' choice. Students in the voucher program graduate at rates over 90%, compared to barely 50% in the public schools. Why did you deny poor, mostly black children the opportunity your children have? Especially in light of a 3.5% increase in the Department of Education's overall budget? 19) Four years ago, you promised to "radically transform" America, but you never stated into what. What, exactly is your goal, and have you accomplished it? If not, what more is there to do? What country is your role model for what America "should be"? 20) Given the world-wide failures of "social democracy" in Europe and elsewhere, the actuarial insolvency of Medicare and Social Security, and the inability of the economy to support that spending (even if we were to confiscate all income over $250,000/year), how do you propose to maintain those programs?
David October 8, 2012 at 04:02 pm
21) Did you really have no knowledge of "Fast & Furious," an operation run under the auspices of the ATF, under supervision of the Department of Justice and your Attorney General Holder, that resulted in thousands of guns being "walked" over the border into Mexico and used in hundreds of murders, including Brian Terry, a Border Agent?
22) Why has your Justice Department conducted more "medical marijuana" raids than the previous administration, especially in light of many more states legalizing it?
JoAnne October 8, 2012 at 04:22 pm
Please discuss the impact of supporting rebels in Syria. Rebels in Syria have been linked to al qaeda, what cautions will you take to insure that the U.S. does not indirectly arm or fund al qaeda? Syrian rebels and President Assad have both been accused of crimes against humanity, should American dollars and soldiers support criminals?
Tim October 8, 2012 at 04:43 pm
This is a terrible idea. It sounds like it came from John McCain. I can't believe Romney is supporting this idea. I'm very disappointed.
Tim October 8, 2012 at 04:44 pm
There's just two chances of any of these questions being asked... slim and none.
Leah Hall October 8, 2012 at 04:47 pm
This November, the election will be decided by the undecided voter.
With election season upon us, most people are buckling down and trying to choose between voting for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. But some people march to the beat of a different drummer -- some people are still undecided. And those people don't want to be left out of the campaign ad circuit just because they're not committed to a candidate yet. They have concerns too, man! So "Saturday Night Live" took the initiative to give America's undecided voters a commercial of their own this week, and it came out pretty well. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/23/undecided-voters-saturday-night-live-video_n_1907145.html
Tim October 8, 2012 at 04:52 pm
More likely Obama will face tough questions like...
1. Mr. President, are you comfortable? Can we get you anything? 2. Mr. President, isn't it true that all of the country's problems are the House GOP's fault? And Bush's fault for putting us in this "mess" 3. Mr. President, what do you think of the Chicago Bears season so far? Would you start the Bears DST in your fantasy league over Baltimore DST? 4. Mr. President, we all know that the college BCS system is a problem. What can you do to ensure all top NCAA football teams get "a fair shot"? 5. Mr. President, what is your favorite beer? 6. Mr. President, isn't it true that it was your intervention that got the NFL and its referees to agree to new contract? Do you think those replacement refs were as bad as Romney would be as President?
Tim October 8, 2012 at 04:56 pm
Somehow I think your first impression is an appropriate one. It kind of makes sense in a way. After all, the donkey represents a sick and twisted thought process that makes sense to no one other than those of a similar warped mind.
JoAnne October 8, 2012 at 05:01 pm
It seems both candidates have forgotten about the results of the U.S. love affair with the Taliban rebels fighting the Soviet Union. This is an epic failure to learn from history.
Leah Hall October 8, 2012 at 05:11 pm
On the Patch political support graphic above:
I first misread the image and wondered why the donkey seemed to be sniffing the elephant's rear end. Guess that's a trunk, not a tail.
Leah Hall October 8, 2012 at 05:14 pm
Certainly, Tim. Precicely 47%, according to the Big Bird loving Mitt.
Californicated1 October 8, 2012 at 06:11 pm
Mr. President,
As you are probably aware, any presidency that has been re-elected to a second term has gone through a scandal. What can we expect for a "Second Term Scandal" if your presidency is re-elected for a second term? Governor Romney, How has the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling by the Supreme Court benefited you, sir?
David October 8, 2012 at 07:18 pm
It's benefited Obama. Citizens United allows unions (whose organization chiefs work exclusively for Democrats) to canvas non-union homes, which of course, are the vast majority of US households. Prior to Citizens United, unions had to stick to get out the vote campaigns amongst their own members' households.
Ike October 8, 2012 at 09:24 pm
Pres. Obama / Gov. Romney:
Is it acceptable for the EPA or other unelected boards or czars to create regulations that have the affect of law w/o the consent of Congress? If so, how can the people redress these regulations?
Ike October 8, 2012 at 09:24 pm
Good question, Brian!
Lary Salo October 9, 2012 at 12:21 am
Mr romney,
The republicans have forced the postal service to prefund 75 years of future retiree benefits in the span of 10 years, yet the republican agenda states that you want to privatize the post office. Why do we have to prefund something that you plan on getting rid of? What will you do to rectify this situation and save the postal service?
timothy October 9, 2012 at 12:43 am
If job and the economy is a "10" in importance to make changes, where would you put "abortion" on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 meaing it must change? And why? (Don't we have larger issues to be concerned with?)
Brian October 9, 2012 at 03:49 am
Anne Marie, If you are a company and earn money overseas, you will face a tax for brining that money back into the US to spend. They do not bring the cash back, therefore, until it is needed. Why would you? If you don't need it, you leave it overseas until you do. It's the same if you invest in something overseas. You or I may not do that, but if you have the big $, you would be wise to diversify risk and invest overseas as well as US. The cash you would to invest, btw, was already taxed in the US. He's not hiding it. It's already been taxed. If the US didn't have a barrier to bringing it back, he probably would, and invest more of it here, but the tax code penalizes that.
Willy Dean October 9, 2012 at 09:24 am
Could you please read the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independance, (We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.) now explain what you think it means.
David October 9, 2012 at 09:51 am
Actually, the IRS requires individuals to pay taxes on ex-US earnings. There is no tax avoidance there.
David October 9, 2012 at 10:02 am
23) Given that ObamaCare's employer penalties only apply to full-time employees, why do you think the number of "involuntary part-time" employees spiked during the past month, as reported by the BLS? Do you think it's possible that employers are reducing hours for employees in order to not pay the penalties you fought so hard to apply? What do you say to the man who has been reduced from full-time to part-time work and is trying to support his family?
24) Are you proud of the way you passed ObamaCare, the only massive entitlement to pass entirely on a partisan vote? Is this part of your promise to "bring the country together" and work with everyone in Washington? 25) How *does* ObamaCare reduce the budget deficit as you claim if it counts 7 years of expenses but 10 years of tax revenues to offset them? 26) Going back to what country the USA "should" emulate to fulfill your promise to fundamentally transform the nation--if there is no country you can think of, is there a US state that provides a more perfect model for the nation? Is it Illinois? New York? California?
Glenn Meyer October 9, 2012 at 01:43 pm
This is a question for both candidates: Do you understand what it means to be poor in this country? If your answer is yes, please support your answer with experience from your own life.
Mona October 9, 2012 at 02:08 pm
Why did my post show up under the poll for voting method?
Another question for Romney: Mr Romney, you said that if elected the first thing you would do is eliminate Obamacare and replace it with a better health care law. How would it be better, and would it include allowing insurance companys to deny insurance to those with pre existing conditions or to charge more for insuring them?
James Nelson October 9, 2012 at 02:34 pm
Hey Mona,
Wanna see REAL History be made? Check out this Fruit loop preparing to be the first Human to free fall from the Edge of Space (120,000 Feet) http://www.redbullstratos.com/live/
David October 9, 2012 at 02:39 pm
27) Given that ObamaCare is estimated to reduce the "uninsured" from 45M to still over 30M over 10 years, at a cost of $1.76 Trillion, wouldn't it be more cost effective to just give those 15M newly insured people $12,500 each to buy their own health insurance and not build out a costly, burdensome federal regulatory apparatus?
David Mills (Editor) October 9, 2012 at 02:42 pm
Hello, all:
Thank you for all the questions. We are closing off comments as the deadline for submitting them is now upon us.

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