Candidate Pop Quiz

Remember in Junior High when your science teacher would give you a pop quiz right when you came in to class periodically. I would like to see our presidential candidates quized before the next debate. Ask them all to arrive to the debate 1 hour early. Once there, ask them to without any assistance take a quick 10-20 question multiple choice quiz. The questions would be on that pesky little document they are required to take an oath to uphold if they are skilled enough to win.

The first round of the televised debate would consist of the hosts introducing the candidates as well as giving their score and informing the audience of what questions they missed. If a candidate refuses to take the quiz, the audience would be told this as well.

I see a pop quiz like this doing two things. First, it would obviously draw negative attention to the candidates that do not know or understand the constitution while highlighting the candidates that do know the constitution well. A candidates knowledge of the constitution is obviously a very good thing for people to know about candidates.

The second outcome from a pop quiz such as this would be the fear it would put into the candidates. Just as students study more and are always prepared in classes where they expect pop quizes, presidential candidates should always expect to be quized on their knowledge of the constitution and be prepared to follow it almost instinctively by the time they become president. Pop quizes will prepare them for this.

The only obstacle of course is getting the universities, libraries, and big media that sponser these debates to pop a quiz on these candidates. Lets start writing comments to the next debates sponsers. WMUR, CNN & The New Hampshire Union Leader. If you really like this idea, please forward this message to all your freinds.