Your Questions: Ask CBC

My question is simple: do you believe that America and American politics are ready for an African-American president?

Henry Champ: Yes I do. Obama's reception in two states with overwhelmingly white populations, (both over ninety percent white) are strong proof of that.

Henry's answer, on CBC Newsworld's Around The World

Do you see the possibility of an Obama-Clinton Democratic ticket, with Hillary selected as Obama's Vice-Presidential Nominee?

Henry Champ: No I do not. It's an open secret that the two do not get along.

What are the major differences of policy between the different candidates? Of policy and personality, which is more important to the American people?

Henry Champ: On the key issues the two are very alike. They have slightly different health care plans but both would work to see every American with health insurance.

On immigration they are similar.

Obama supports a 40 MPG fuel efficiency mandate on automakers that would go into effect in 2017.

Clinton was opposed on the war, Obama was not in the senate at the time of the war resolution vote, but opposed the war publicly in the Illinois legislature. Hillary Clinton voted for the resolution.

Both voted "no" recently on a measure to bring the troops home by July 2007.

The National Journal rating on liberal to conservative scale gives Obama an 82.5 rating, (which means he is more liberal than 82.5 of his Senate colleagues.) Clinton has a 79.8

Do you believe an Obama/ Richardson ticket is possible?

Do you see an early rapport developing between our Governor General and Michelle Obama?

Henry Champ: There are a lot of rumours about this possibility. But that decision is a long way off. If Obama were to win the Democratic nomination, the veep job will go to someone who can plug weaknesses, either geographically, racially, sex, age, or policy-related and those haven't been identified yet.

I've found that in recent elections the Democrats have tended to shift from the early front runner to someone who they feel can steal votes from the Republicans. Do you think during these primaries the Dems will stick with Obama, who seems to be able to attract new voters or opt for someone who may resonate more with moderate Republicans?

Henry Champ: The Democratic priority will be a candidate who can bring independents into their tent. So far Obama has proven better at this than Hillary. His negatives are much lower than Clinton's. However in New Hampshire Hillary restored her pull with women and that will be a factor, as will Obama's strength with African-Americans.

Whom do you think would be the perfect running mate for Barack Obama?

Henry Champ: Someone with foreign policy strengths would help blunt some of the Republican charges of inexperience, but I don't have a name.

Do you think that the USA can recover its global reputation should another Republican wins?

Henry Champ: I think much of the world would like to see some distance away from the Bush White House.

My question as simple as well, are Americans ready to have a their first female president?

Henry Champ: Yes!

What would either an Obama or Clinton Presidency mean to Canadian-American relations? Would either force Homeland Security to drop or water down the border documentation issue?

Henry Champ: Both would have a positive effect on border issues, both have been very critical of the Department of Homeland Security.

Historically has the winner of Super Tuesday gone on to be Parties nominee?

Henry Champ: Different dynamic this year. The take of delegates is much larger this year so it's hard to believe that if you don't run very near the top, you can still make to the convention, at least that's the story on the Democratic side with two main candidates. For the Republicans, their field of viable candidates is wider and it is possible their nominee could be decided at their convention

As a university student I can't help but ask, Why there is an obession with the fact that Hilary Clinton is a women and Barack Obama is African America? Shouldn't the candidate's intellect, proven leadership, and vision (hopefully i did not miss any other criteria) be the centre of inquiry and interest?

Henry Champ: Should be, but the obsession will be there until those barriers are broken.

Don't you think the US primary system is flawed? Poll numbers leap and change wildly as people see who others vote for. When Obama won Iowa, his numbers increased dramatically in New Hamshire. Are people looking to just follow others, or are they making up their own minds?

Henry Champ: This is not a parliamentary system. The primaries could stand a lot of improvement but it does achieve its primary goal of making sure that party members, and not the bosses, totally control the choices.

There is always a herd instinct in all forms of democratic elections it seems to me.

Is there anything of interest coming from the third parties? Could any of these parties have a potential impact on the main political parties?

Henry Champ: There is always talk of a third party or potential third party candidate every cycle. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is this year's wistful candidate as is Ron Paul running in the Republican primaries, but it doesn't look serious this year.

Regardless of outcome, do you think the Ron Paul revolution will keep growing or have a lasting residual effect on the future of American politics and if so what will this mean to the future of mainstream media's ability to choose the issues and candidates that are given coverage in both the United States and Canada?

Henry Champ: Ron Paul has done well running in the Republican primary and he has connected very strongly with a segment of the voters. The media's coverage of Paul and his issues has been heavily criticized but I believe mainstream media thinks it is about right.

I would like to know how the selection of delegates from the state caucuses and primaries results in the nomination of the party leader. Who exactly are these delegates and what is their role in the election process?

Henry Champ: There is no absolute standard, but generally the delegates in caucuses and primaries are selected by the local party office and compete on a state-wide competiton within the party to attend the national convention. In most states the delegates are bound, at least on the first ballot to vote for the candidate who won their primary.

If the Democrats win, will they be willing to take GW Bush to court or hold Congressional hearings on Bush's possibly illegal circumventions of the US Constitution or for committing crimes against humanity?

Henry Champ: There are some elected officials who would like to do this, but it's highly unlikely.

Can you explain the difference between a caucus and a primary and how they help choose the presidential candidates.

Henry Champ: Caucuses are local meetings of people who choose a candidate to support. That choice then goes to the county headquarters where it is measured against the rest of the county choices and is sent to the state party headquarters, meshed again for a state-wide choice. It's convoluted and these moves are often accused of distortion of the voter's real choices. A primary is a straight-up election, state-wide, of registered members of the party, and in some states registered independents can vote as well. The state winner is accorded all the delegates at the national convention, at least for the first ballot.

The result between Clinton and Obama was very close in New Hampshire. Is there a particular thing that either candidate did or didn't do that you think made the difference?

Henry Champ: Most people believe, and I do as well, that a last minute decision by women voters won the day for Clinton, and that that shift was inspired by the teary-eyed, softly-voiced personal appeal she gave at a Portsmouth,N.H. espresso shop.

Do any of the candidates have concrete plans to deal with the impending recession predicted by many economists? If so, what are they?

Henry Champ: All candidates of each party have plans, or what some might call partial plans, for dealing with the economy. Those plans shift everyday and each candidate's web sites are the place for those answers.

If we assume free trade is good for Canada (I do), who should Canadians be rooting for in the Republican and Democratic parties, and who should we be booing?

Henry Champ: If continuing free trade is your desire, voting Republican is your best choice.

Is is true that Canadians get very interested in the US polical campaigns?

Henry Champ: Yes for sure, if you knew how many questions have come in on this poll you would have no doubt.