I wish the USA had something Similar to Prime Minister Questions

[Ildem09]

Having the President discuss the agenda for an hour weekly and having a back and forth with the opposition would be a great way to highlight the difference between the parties and would make for damn good TV

[Clio the Leo]

1. It would be good in principle....

.... I can see how the GOP could abuse it though. Debates aren't exactly the President's strong point and I can see him opening up to some problems that way.

[Ildem09]

2. thats a fair assesment

however, i think it would be worth it though to get at the nuts and bolts. to hear how brutally honest they are in westminster makes me envious. Reading Plouffes new book it seems Obama would relish a policy discussion each week. it would also show how shallow the GOP mental bench is

[Clio the Leo]

3. Yeah, but that wouldn't be a real policy discussion....

.... or at least it could spiral away from that. Take his worst debate performance in the primaries and add in "You LIE!" and that's what we'd end up with.

lol, but you're spot on about the GOP.

[Ildem09]

4. thats why the speaker maintains order

ORDER! ORDER! call them out on it

[Clio the Leo]

5. lol, does Black Rod get to hit the mean ones with his little stick? NT

[Ildem09]

6. Ohhh black Rod. I would love to see the door get slamed on John Bohners Face

[Clio the Leo]

7. Well, Ildem, I guess I owe you an apology....

.... (interesting name by the way.)

Now I will say, I was speaking generally and not just about the President. I still think what we saw was somewhat novel in that the GOP was off guard. I think if we did this on a regular basis (something I would enjoy) they'd be a little bit more on point, opening our guy/girl (whomever it was) to more opportunities to misspeak and have that sound bite used against him or her later.

But who am I do doubt Barack Obama? ;)

[Hippo_Tron]

8. This was talked about a lot during the * administration

I think it's pretty clear he would've been a one term President (if he would've been one at all) if question time existed in this country.

[hedgehog]

9. I think we had it Friday and I think people liked it because I think

MSNBC is running repeats 24/7!

[Clio the Leo]

11. Yeah, but ILDem wrote this OP a week ago....

.... he's a bit prophetic huh? ;)

[peggygirl]

10. There have been only two Presidents in my life time in the last 40 years

who could really handle questions from the opposition....Clinton and Obama.

[liberalpragmatist]

12. The problem is they'd become institutionalized

I would like something like this too - in fact, I would say it should be a - yearly? quarterly? - feature with the president taking questions from CONGRESS. And it should include questions from BOTH parties, not just the opposition.

That being said, one of the problems you'd run into would be that if it became institutionalized it could very well devolve into just a battle of talking points. As much as American political junkies like PM's Questions, many British political junkies actually complain that it's mostly gimmickry - little substance, lots of regurgitation of talking points and cheap political attacks.

Obama's "Question Time" was so successful partly because it was surprising and not really gamed out in advance. I worry that it wouldn't be nearly as interesting if both sides were prepared for it.

[LatteLibertine]

13. It would be interesting

and damn good for President Obama.

[depakid]

14. Actually, Question Time is every day at a set time when parliament is in session

The press has a gallery- and the highlights of discussion and the issues of the day's agenda are the fare of nightly news and analysis.

Here's how Prime Minister Keating handled nuttery from his conservative opposition:

"I'm not running a seminar for dullards on the other side."

"Those opposite could not operate a tart shop"

"It is just a slight of hand by a dingy party"

"The Opposition crowd could not raffle a chook in a pub"

"We will be rejecting the opportunist claptrap coming from the Opposition."