Ethical Issues: Presidential Project Phase 2 – New Hampshire
My class wikispace isn’t working properly in school, so I’m using this page as a backup for a project we’re working on in ethics.
Presidential Project Phase 2: The Days Before New Hampshire
NPR: New Hampshire Boost or Bust
1. History suggests that if Mitt Romney wins the New Hampshire primary tomorrow, he will win the Republican nomination for president. Why is this so?
2. What did Pat Buchanan accomplish in New Hampshire in 1996? Why does Buchanan think he was able to accomplish this?
3. What challenge does Buchanan say that Romney will have to overcome if he does win the New Hampshire primary?
1. What advantages does Mitt Romney have in New Hampshire?
2. Why were his opponents attacking him anyway in debates on Saturday and Sunday?
3. Why do Romney’s opponents think that they will have an easier time beating Romney in southern states?
4. Summarize either Newt Gingrich’s or Rick Santorum’s attack on Romney, and Romney’s response to that attack.
1. What is Ron Paul’s plan for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning?
2. Why does Paul say he wants to end America’s financial aid to Israel (and to other countries)?
3. What advantage does Paul think he has with New Hampshire voters? Does available data support or contradict that claim?
1. Summarize the criticisms of Romney by Gingrich, Santorum, and Jon Huntsman.
2. What concerns does the Romney team have, given that their candidate is seen as the leader in the race?
3. Why is Romney trying to convince voters that he understands what it’s like to be worried about losing your job?
4. What comment did Romney make during the debate that Gingrich is now using as the basis for an attack?
5. Why are some candidates starting to look ahead to South Carolina?
Washington Post on Jon Huntsman
1. How is Jon Hunstman’s campaign different from many of the other Republicans’?
2. What mistakes do political analysts believe that he has made?
3. What evidence does the article offer that Huntsman is a conservative candidate?
4. What evidence does it offer that he is not?
General – Use these articles and other articles at the news/politics sites to answer these questions:
1. Why do you think Romney’s rivals are focusing on Bain Capital? Do you think this is a good strategy for making Romney unpopular?
2. Given the comments by Pat Buchanan about his success in 1996, would you expect Rick Santorum to have a strong or a weak chance of success in New Hampshire? What about Ron Paul?
3. Do you think that any candidate other than Romney, Santorum, or Paul will do well enough in New Hampshire to have a good chance to win the nomination? Why/why not?
4. If you were on President Obama’s campaign team, how would you criticize the Republican candidates in order to increase Obama’s chance to be re-elected?
About Dave Thomer
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.