What Would You Have Asked?

Charlie sat down with Obama on June 4th. An African American man has clinched* the Democratic nomination. We are at war. The debt is $9,500,000,000,000. Is this what you care about hearing?

These are questions posed to Obama by Charles Gibson -

GIBSON: Senator, I'm curious about your feelings last night. It was an historic moment. Has it sunk in yet?

GIBSON: What'd [your grandmother] say?

GIBSON: Public moments are not your own. There's a million people pulling you in a million different directions, but when everybody clears out, the staff is gone, you're in your hotel room at night and you're alone -- do you say to yourself: "Son of a gun, I've done this?"

GIBSON: (inaudible) when you announced, did you truly, in your gut, think that a black man could win the nomination of a major party to be president of the United States?

GIBSON: You don't get much time to enjoy this before people immediately start talking about the vice presidency. On what criteria and what timetable will you choose a vice president? But there obviously is one name that looms over all. Hillary Clinton has already, to some extent, expressed her willingness. There are supporters putting out petitions. There is a drumbeat of pressure. There are those 18 million votes. Is she a special case that you have to deal with before the others, or is she considered just like everybody else? How long can you let the "Hillary Clinton on the ticket" question linger? Does there have to be a yes or no on the issue of Hillary Clinton before you get to the others, or can this issue linger on, because it pervades everything? So, you won't do -- you won't deal with her first, get that out of the way, and then either move on or not? As long as that question lingers, can you get about the business of unifying the party, or does that have to be taken care of first? Did she squeeze you in any way by making known her interest in the job? Should you choose her, how do you handle Bill Clinton?

GIBSON: On what three issues will this campaign turn to you?

GIBSON: Do you worry that it could turn on race, age and class?

GIBSON: John McCain has issued an invitation to do a series of town meetings (inaudible). Going to do it?

GIBSON: Will you go to Iraq?

GIBSON: Public financing: Going to take it or going to say no? But there's a dynamic on your side, as well. You originally said you would take it. If you already see that money coming in, it seems to me you're saying...

GIBSON: Is the hardest part of all this behind you or ahead of you?

GIBSON: The picture of you in the paper, this morning, with your wife, watching the Clinton speech. What did you think of the Clinton speech? She didn't exactly acknowledge your victory.

GIBSON: And finally your daughters. What did they say to you? Did they take it as a matter of course that Daddy could be nominated to be president? They never knew what older people know in terms of discrimination, although they may still feel some. What did they say about that?

GIBSON: I watched closely your countenance last night, your mien, as you stood in that hall. You didn't smile much. Has the joyfulness of this hit home yet? Do you take joy from it?

Questions Worth Asking

How will we get the questions we want answered to the candidates?

Another Question Worth Asking

Are the people who believe these are the important questions a large enough block to sway this election?