EDITORIAL: Local questions shape national debates

The question asked by a Hobart Middle School social studies teacher could shape debate in the GOP presidential primaries, just as Steve Svkara's question on health care did in the Democratic presidential primaries in 2008.

Social studies teacher Matthew Whiteman sent his feedback through Twitter for the Jan. 16 Republican presidential debate in South Carolina. Referring to the No Child Left Behind law, Whiteman tweeted, "Ask whether NCLB has been a success or a failure, and what, if anything, needs to be done to improve the law."

It is a question being asked by many people, not just Whiteman, but that question needs to be put to the candidates for meaningful dialogue on the issue. Thanks to Whiteman's tweets during the debate, it was.

Mitt Romney didn't respond, but Newt Gingrich used the question as his prompt to say, "It makes a perfectly good school look bad even if it's doing a good job. The correct answer is to radically reduce the (federal) Department of Education. Cut out all of the federal regulations. Return the money and the power back home to the states."

At least some of Whiteman's students watched Gingrich answer Whiteman's question.

Skvara's chance to shine came Aug. 7, 2007, when the retired steelworker asked the seven Democratic presidential candidates for their positions on health care reform. That question prompted a renewed national debate on that issue.

Asking questions of the candidates, as Whiteman and Skvara did, is good for the voters, good for the people who ask the questions and good for the young people learning that candidates must be responsive to constituents' concerns and needs.

Keep those questions coming.