Questions that don't need to be asked again of Governor Mitt Romney

 

Questions asked of Governor Mitt Romney from Interviews, Debates, and others... organized by subject.

 

Click on the question for the answer.

 

This would make a great tool for anyone who is interviewing Mitt. You can see the questions that have already been asked a number of times, and which ones still need to be asked.

 

ABC News' Iran Intel Leak:

 

1. Neil Cavuto
1. What did you make of ABC News' Iran Intel Leak?
2. You say releasing this info was a risk to human lives?
3. Do you believe ABC checked with the CIA before publishing the story?
4. Should ABC be punished?

 

Abortion:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. So do you now believe that abortion is murder?
2. Should women who have abortions and doctors who perform them be jailed?
3. If it's killing, why should states have leeway?
4. What do you believe the punishment should be for an abortion?
2. Wolf Blitzer
1. Have you changed your opinion on Abortion?
2. What is your current position on abortion?
3. How do you account for your change on abortion?
3. 1st Debate
1. Would it be a good day for America if Roe v Wade was repealed?
2. Have you always been for life or effectively pro-choice?
3. When you said that being a pro-life president entails more than just appointing strict constructionist judges, was that directed at Giuliani?
4. 2nd Debate
1. What would you say to someone who lost a wife or a daughter to an illegal abortion if you named the Supreme Court justice who tipped the balance and over turned Roe v Wade?
2. Governor Romney, during this campaign, you have been criticized -- and again tonight you've been criticized -- for changing your position on some issues. You say that it's a part of learning from experience. Can you point to an area in which your learning from experience led you to change to a position that is less popular with the Republican base?
5. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Were you faking it when you said you were pro-choice?
6. Dan Balz, David S Broder and Ruth Marcus
1. Do you support making abortion illegal?
7. Mary Katharine Ham
1. What do you think about the partial-birth abortion ban?
8. Mike Allen
1. What policies would you initiate to show your sincerity?
9. 3rd Debate
1. Why should people who oppose abortion believe you are pro-life?
10. 4rth Debate
1. If abortion is murder why leave it up to the states?

 

Ahmadinejad:

1. Neil Cavuto
1. What did you make of Ahmadinejad warning Israel that it may be uprooted?

 

America:

1. 1st Debate
1. What do you dislike most about America?

 

Asia:

1. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Governor, you recently got back from a trip to Asia. What were you doing there?
2. Did you have qualms going to China?

 

Automobile Industry

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What should the government do to help the automobile industry?

 

Background:

1. Brian Lamb
1. Why did you pick Mitt over Willard?
2. Where were you born?

 

Books:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. How can you read science fiction?

 

Brain Washing:

1. Brian Lamb
1. Well, you know, if you ever look at the history of your father and running for president, they all say the same thing, it’s all the ”brainwashing” comment. Why would that have been the issue? I mean, why would he have been accused of saying something stupid about being brainwashed in Vietnam?

 

Budget:

1. How could you fix the budget?

 

Bush:

1. Wolf Blitzer
1. Do you have any problems with the president's policy on Iraq?
2. Chris Wallace
1. Where do you disagree with Bush on Iraq?
3. 1st Debate
1. Should Scooter Libby should be pardoned?

 

Business:

1. Brian Lamb
1. What does Bain do?
2. what impact did you have on the creation of Staples?
3. how old were you when the Staples thing started?
4. What other boards have you served on?
5. Have you had a failure that you can talk about in business?
2. 3rd Debate
1. Is there too much of an alliance between big oil companies and Republicans?

 

Campaign:

1. Tom Bevan
1. When you decided not to run again for governor, how much did your thought of running for president enter into that discussion?
2. So how's the campaign going for you so far?
3. What's the question you get asked most?
2. Mary Katharine Ham
1. How do you turn your money advantage into a win?
2. How do you stop overconfidence from getting into the system here?

 

Cabinet:

1. 1st Debate
1. Which current cabinet official would you keep?

 

Character:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. How do you convince voters that some of these changes are sincere, coming from conviction?

 

Cheney

1. Do you think that Vice President Cheney has too much power?

 

Conservatives:

1. Robert B Bluey
1. What are some of the things you would offer conservatives?
2. Do you regret comments you made about Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan?
2. 2nd Debate
1. Are you a clear and consistent conservative?
3. 3rd Debate
1. What do you say to conservatives who are critical of your health care plan?

 

Competition , Fred Thompson, John McCain, Rudy:

1. Mike Allen
1. What do you make of all the attention being given to Fred Thompson.
2. Hugh Hewitt
1. Do you look forward to his formal announcement?
3. 3rd Debate
1. How do you respond to Mccain's accusation that you are pandering on immigration?
4. 4rth Debate
1. Exchange between Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney
2. Do you stand by the contrasts you have made with Mayor Giuliani during this campaign?
3. Are you Mayor Giuliani and Senator Mccain all in the same place right now on Iraq?
4. Exchange between Romney and Rudy about Obama saying he would go into Pakistan.
5. 5th Debate
1. Was Fred Thompson smart to have avoided the first 5 debates?
2. Why should we believe that you would be any tougher on illegal immigration than Mayor Giuliani?
3. Is Hillary Clinton willing to commit troops to Iraq longer than you?
6. Hugh Hewitt
1. When do we get a Rudy-Mitt-Fred debate?
2. What is your reaction to Mccain going after your use of the word apparently.
3. What differentiates you from Thompson and Giuliani?
4. Should Clinton release the names of contributors delivered to her by Norman Hsu?
5. Are Clinton and Obama clueless?

 

Democrate Party

1. Hugh Hewtitt
1. What do you think about Schumer saying our troops have failed in Iraq?

 

Debate:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What are the reactions around Team Romney today?
2. How many debates between now and 2008 do you think you’ll have to go through?
2. Mike Allen
1. What is your mission in the debate coming up at the Reagan Library, and what do you think will happen?

 

Economy

#Hugh Hewitt

1. What should the government do about the credit market upheaval?

 

Education:

1. Brian Lamb
1. In you history, it includes Stanford for how long?
2. You finished first in your class at Brigham Young University in Utah?
3. Why did you go to Brigham Young?
4. How did you -- how were able to get an MBA and a law degree at the same time?
5. And clearly it would be why you did well and, as you know, you finished well enough to give the valedictory address -- the question I want to ask you though is why do you think you did well? Other than having a lot of brainpower, did you have an approach to education?

 

Ehud Olmert:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. Are you surprised at the reaction to the handling of the Hezbollah war?

 

Family:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Is divorse something voters should take into account?
2. Brian Lamb
1. Why did your father not give you any of his inheritance?
2. Did he have a philosophy that he didn’t want to pass on a lot of money to his kids.
3. Brian Lamb
1. When you father thought of running for president in ’64, and then actually ran for a while in ’68, how old were you in those years and what did you experience during that time?
2. You can’t be born out of the country and run for president, how did that work?
3. When did your father George Romney move to Utah?
4. At some point I noticed you were on the Points of Light Foundation board, but you go back to either your father starting the volunteer organization that merged into Points of Light? Explain that.
4. Greta Van Susteren:
1. How are you different from your father?

 

Fees

5th Debate

1. Why did you raise fees and fines as Governor?

Flip Flops:

1. 1st Debate
1. Have you always been for life or effectively pro-choice?
2. 2nd Debate
1. Why isn't your pledge to not raise taxes a blatant appeal to the party base?
3. Robert B Bluey
1. Are you a flip-flopper?
4. 3rd Debate
1. Why are you airing ads in Spanish if you think English should be the official language?

 

Foreign Policey

1. 4rth Debate
1. Will the spreading of democracy be the core of your foreign policy?

 

Gay Rights:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Should gays and lesbians be able to serve openly and honestly in the military?
2. Wolf Blitzer:
1. Do you want to tell our viewers why you disagree with Mary Cheney?
3. Robert B Bluey
1. Would you accept another endorsement from the Log Cabin Republicans if it was offered to you?
4. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Have your positions on gay rights changed?
2. Do you want to change don't ask don't tell?
5. 3rd Debate
1. Do you believe that gays should be able to serve openly in the military?

 

Governorship:

1. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Do you regret at all not running for reelection as governor?

 

Guns:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. When did you join the NRA?

 

Healthcare:

1. Robert B Bluey & George Stephanopoulos
1. Do you think the country should have a Massachusetts healthcare plan.
2. Chris Wallace
1. How did the president miss an opportunity when he created the Medicare prescription drug benefit?
3. Hugh Hewitt
1. What are you doing for the half million uninsured in Massachusetts?
2. Are garnishing of wages even and tax penalties part of your plan?
3. What is the penalty of not having health insurance?
4. Where is the pushback coming back on this proposal?
4. Greta Van Susteren
1. What is your health insurance plan?
5. 1st Debate
1. Are you embarrassed of your health care program?
6. 3rd Debate
1. What do you say to conservatives who are critical of your health care plan?
7. 4rth Debate
1. Do you support Senator Grassley's expansion of children's health insurance?

 

Iraq:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Do you keep Bush or let him go?
2. But how do you explain why all that planning wasn't done?
3. Yet, you support the president's decision to send more troops right now?
2. Are you confident the surge is going to work?
3. Bill O Reilly
1. Would you agree that we can't stop the Iraqi from killing each other?
4. Tom Bevan
1. What's your impression of the job Rumsfeld did?
2. Do you believe it's still fixable at this point?
3. What happens if Iraq is not successful?
5. Chris Wallace
1. Where do you disagree with Bush on Iraq?
6. Wolf Blitzer
1. Do you have a time frame in mind?
7. Hugh Hewitt
1. Do you support sending more troops into that country?
8. Robert B Bluey
1. Do you think right now the US is losing the war in Iraq?
9. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. What did you make of the Iraq Study Group?
10. Mary Katharine Ham
1. What do you think about Harry Reid saying the war is lost?
11. Greta Van Susteren
1. Would you have gone into Iraq?
2. Do you think enough questions were asked in March of 2003?
12. 1st Debate
1. Should we be in Iraq when the American people do not victory is possible?
13. ‘‘2nd Debate’’
1. Can you foresee any circumstances under which you would pull out of Iraq without leaving behind a stable political and security situation?
14. 3rd Debate
1. Was it a mistake for us to invade Iraq?

 

Iran:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Does the president have the authority he needs to take military action against Iran?
2. Bill O Reilly
1. Would you go to war if the Iranians say, we're going to develop a nuclear weapon, you can't stop us?
3. Tom Bevan
1. Would Iran acquire nuclear weapons under a Romney administration?
4. 3rd Debate
1. Would you use a tactical nuclear weapons to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb?
5. 5th Debate
1. What do you do if Iran gets worse?

 

Immigration:

1. Greta Van Sustern
1. Are you in favor of a fence?
2. 1st Debate
1. Do you support a tamper-proof work status ID card?
3. ‘‘2nd Debate’’
1. Governor Romney, you have also called Senator McCain's immigration plan amnesty. Are you prepared to say that sharing the stage with him tonight? And how do you explain your statement to the Lowell Sun last year in which you said, quote, 'Those that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process toward application for citizenship as they would from their home country.' Why isn't that amnesty as well, sir?
4. Neil Cavuto
1. How big of a wedge issue will immigration be among the Republican presidential candidates?
2. Will your stance against the Mccain-Kennedy immigration bill hurt you?
5. Ed Morrissey
1. What is you immigration plan?
6. 3rd Debate
1. What would you do with the 12 million illegal immigrants who are in this country?
2. Why are you airing ads in spanish if you think English should be the official language?
3. Why should we believe that you would be any tougher on illegal immigration than Mayor Giuliani?

 

Internet:

1. Robert B Bluey
1. Why do you think it is important to dedicate resources to the internet?

 

Independents:

1. 3rd Debate
1. What would you do to include moderate Republicans and independents?

 

Islam:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. Which branch of Islam do you think is more of a threat?

#5th Debate

1. Would you wiretap mosques without a judge’s approval?

 

Khatami visit to Harvard:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. Can you explain to the audience your reaction to the visa issued to the Ayatollah?
2. What does Massachusetts typically extend to Harvard in terms of assistance when such a dignitary arrives?

 

Law:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What do you think of the Supreme Court's decision on eminent domain?
2. Sean Hannity
1. Would you appoint judges like Scalia, Thomas, and Alito.

 

Massachusetts:

1. Brian Lamb
1. Why did you pick Massachusetts as a place to stay after school?
2. How did you get elected governor of the state of Massachusetts?

 

Media:

1. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Does the mainstream media have double standards for Republicans?
2. Mary Katharine Ham
1. What was your worst moments with the MSM?
3. Governor Mitt Romney
1. Are the Republican candidates going to insist on more mainstream journalism?

 

Michigan

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What is your reaction to Michigan moving their election date?

 

Military

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What’s your position on the funding and expansion of the military?

 

Miscellaneous:

1. 1st Debate
1. Should we change our Constitution to allow foreign born citizens to become president?
2. Brian Lamb
1. You are 47 now?
3. what are the big issues?
4. Now you describe yourself as a Reagan Republican Describe the journey.

 

Mitt and Ann Romney's Relationship:

1. Greta Van Sustern
1. Do you remember the first time you saw the governor?
2. Why did you marry Ann?
3. How many children do you have?
4. Did you and Ann have pre-marital sex?

 

Moderates:

1. 3rd Debate
1. What would you do to include moderate Republicans and independents?

 

Money:

1. Mike Allen
1. As someone who has enjoyed privilege throughout your life, how can you relate to the aspirations of a lot of Americans who don’t enjoy similar circumstances?

 

Obama:

1. Hugh Hewitt
1. What did you make of Obama's response to what he would do if two American cities were attacked?

 

Osama:

1. 1st Debate
1. Is it worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars to get Osama?

 

North Korea:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Is the president nuclear deal with North Korea a good one.

 

Personal:

1. Brian Lamb
1. What’s a normal day like?
2. What time do you get up?
2. George Stephanopoulos
1. What's the toughest personal crisis you've ever had to face?
2. Are you worried that the stress of the campaign may inflame the MS?
3. Tom Bevan
1. Tell me something about yourself that only people who know you well know?
2. Who is your favorite President?
3. Do you like any Democratic presidents?
4. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. How tech savvy are you?
5. 4rth Debate
1. What is the defining mistake of your life and why?

 

Personality:

1. Brian Lamb
1. What type of leader are you?
2. What would you copy from what Bush has done, if anything?
3. Why is Dwight Eisenhower one of your favorite presidents?

 

Politics:

1. Brian Lamb
1. How did you get elected governor of the state of Massachusetts?
2. Robert B Bluey
1. Are you a flip-flopper?
3. Hugh Hewitt
1. Your response to the fight between Rove, Hillary, Durbin, and Pataki?
2. What do you think of Massachusetts politics?
4. For people who don't know much about you, where do you stand on the political spectrum?
5. How do you beat Republicans who are so much better known than you are?
6. Are you really running for vice president?

 

Presidency:

1. Wolf Blitzer
1. Why would you like to be president?
2. 4rth Debate
1. What will you restore to the Oval Office?

 

Religion

1. 1st Debate
1. What do you say to bishops who deny Communion to elected officials who support abortion rights?
2. Do you accept Huckabee's statement that he wasn't talking about you?
2. Mike Allen
1. Why are key tenets of your faith still misunderstood?
3. How is your church so successful in getting its young people to follow its teachings?
4. Brian Lamb
1. Who was Brigham Young?
2. Well, if you go back -- and I found the name Pratt in your background who was some circuitous route related to Joseph Smith who was one of the founders of Mormonism.
3. Are you prepared to deal with attacks on your religion?
4. Do you have an evangelical problem?
5. Has there been a mood change in the country about the importance of talking about religion?
6. One place that I found that you almost died (His Mission)
5. Wolf Blitzer
1. How do you deal with the fact that you are a Mormon?
6. Robert B Bluey
1. Are you prepared to deal with what is bound to be attacks from the media and opponents about your religious faith?
7. Wolf Blitzer
1. Will evangelicals support a Mormon?
8. Hugh Hewitt
1. Does the country know enough about radical islam?
2. Do you stand by your use of the word Islamic-facism?
3. How many times are you going to have to ask and answer these questions?
9. Jay Leno
1. Is their enough diversity within the Mormon Church?
10. Katherine Jean Lopez
1. Will an exposé on Mormon Christmas celebrations hurt you in the primaries?
11. George Stephanopoulos
1. How does your faith inform your politics?
12. Chris Wallace
1. Are you a cultist?
13. 3rd Debate
1. What would you like to say to the voters about your faith?

 

Republican Party:

1. 3rd Debate
1. What would you do to include moderate Republicans and independents?

 

Romney administration:

1. Mary Katharine Ham
1. What would be the role of bloggers in a Romney administration?

 

Security:

1. Chris Wallace
1. How has the Bush administration handled this whole ports deal?

 

Sports:

1. Brian Lamb
1. What do you think of what happened to Bode Miller and his attitude?

 

Stem Cells

1. Wolf Blitzer
1. Do you oppose embryonic stem cell research?
2. 1st Debate
1. Will you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?

 

Taxes:

1. George Stephanopoulos
1. Why did you sign a pledge ruling out any tax increases?
2. 1st Debate
1. What tax would you like to cut?
3. ‘‘2nd Debate’’
1. Why isn't your pledge to not raise taxes a blatant appeal to the party base?
4. 4rth Debate
1. Do you want to cut taxes to fix more bridges?
2. Will you replace the income, estate, payroll, and capital gains tax with a 23 percent sales tax?

 

Terrorism:

1. ‘‘2nd Debate’’
1. If three shopping centers near major U.S. cities have been hit by suicide bombers. Hundreds are dead, thousands injured. A fourth attack has been averted when the attackers were captured off the Florida coast and taken to Guantanamo Bay, where they are being questioned. U.S. intelligence believes that another larger attack is planned and could come at any time. How aggressively would you interrogate those being held at Guantanamo Bay for information about where the next attack might be? ‘‘2nd Debate’’

 

Va Tech tragedy:

1. Mary Katharine Ham
1. Should NBC have shown the Cho video?
2. What security changes that need to happen on college campuses?
3. What changes should we make to our gun control laws?
4. What would your stance be on a federal assault weapons ban in light of Va Tech?

 

What Do You Believe Is Americas Single Greatest Challenge?

 

 

Questions from the 1st Debate:

1. What do you dislike most about America?
2. Would it be a good day for America if Roe v Wade was repealed.
3. Have you always been for life or effectively pro-choice?
4. When you said that being a pro-life president entails more than just appointing strict constructionist judges, was that directed at Giuliani?
5. Should Scooter Libby should be pardoned?
6. Which current cabinet official would you keep?
7. Would it be good for America to have Bill Clinton back living in the White House?
8. Are you embarrased of your health care program?
9. Should we be in Iraq when the American people do not victory is possible?
10. Do you support a tamper-proof work status ID card?
11. Should Congress have acted in the Terri Schiavo case?
12. Is it worth moving heaven and earth and spending billions of dollars to get Osama?
13. Should we change our Constitution to allow foreign born citizens to become president?
14. What do you say to bishops who deny Communion to elected officials who support abortion rights?
15. Do you accept Huckabee's statement that he wasn't talking about you?
16. Will you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
17. What tax would you like to cut?

 

Questions from the 2nd Debate:

1. Can you foresee any circumstances under which you would pull out of Iraq without leaving behind a stable political and security situation?
2. Why isn't your pledge to not raise taxes a blatant appeal to the party base?
3. Are you a clear and consistent conservative?
4. What would you say to someone who lost a wife or a daughter to an illegal abortion if you named the Supreme Court justice who tipped the balance and over turned Roe v Wade?
5. Governor Romney, you have also called Senator McCain's immigration plan amnesty. Are you prepared to say that sharing the stage with him tonight? And how do you explain your statement to the Lowell Sun last year in which you said, quote, 'Those that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process toward application for citizenship as they would from their home country.' Why isn't that amnesty as well, sir?
6. If three shopping centers near major U.S. cities have been hit by suicide bombers. Hundreds are dead, thousands injured. A fourth attack has been averted when the attackers were captured off the Florida coast and taken to Guantanamo Bay, where they are being questioned. U.S. intelligence believes that another larger attack is planned and could come at any time. How aggressively would you interrogate those being held at Guantanamo Bay for information about where the next attack might be?
7. Governor Romney, during this campaign, you have been criticized -- and again tonight you've been criticized -- for changing your position on some issues. You say that it's a part of learning from experience. Can you point to an area in which your learning from experience led you to change to a position that is less popular with the Republican base?

 

Questions from the 3rd Debate:

1. Was it a mistake for us to invade Iraq?
2. Would you use a tactical nuclear weapons to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb?
3. How do you respond to Mccain's accusation that you are pandering on immigration?
4. What would you do with the 12 million illegal immigrants who are in this country?
5. Why should people who oppose abortion believe you are pro-life?
6. What would you like to say to the voters about your faith?
7. Is there too much of an alliance between big oil companies and Republicans?
8. Do you believe that gays should be able to serve openly in the military?
9. What do you say to conservatives who are critical of your health care plan?
10. Why are you airing ads in spanish if you think English should be the official language?
11. What would you do to include moderate Republicans and independents?

 

Questions from the 4rth Debate:

1. Exchange between Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney.
2. Do you stand by the contrasts you have made with Mayor Giuliani during this campaign?
3. Are you Mayor Giuliani and Senator Mccain all in the same place right now on Iraq?
4. Do you support Senator Grassley's expansion of children's health insurance?
5. Exchange between Romney and Rudy about Obama saying he would go into Pakistan.
6. Will the spreading of democracy be the core of your foreign policy?
7. Do you want to cut taxes to fix more bridges?
8. Do you think that Vice President Cheney has too much power?
9. Will you replace the income, estate, payroll, and capital gains tax with a 23 percent sales tax?
10. What is the defining mistake of your life and why?
11. What will you restore to the Oval Office?

 

Questions from the 5th Debate:

1. Was Fred Thompson smart to have avoided the first 5 debates?
2. Why should we believe that you would be any tougher on illegal immigration than Mayor Giuliani?
3. If abortion is murder why leave it up to the states?
4. Is Hillary Clinton willing to commit troops to Iraq longer than you?
5. Would you wiretap mosques without a judge’s approval?
6. Why did you raise fees and fines as Governor?
7. What do you do if Iran gets worse?

 

Also See:

Why I don't Support Huckabee

Why I don't support Rudy

"Why I Support Mitt Romney for President"