George W. Bush: Jesus

Isn't the best answer "a boat"?

Seriously, who cares?

Jesus, sure, because he can walk on water. You could send him for help.

It Tom Tancredo had a boat, then he wouldn't be stranded.

However, I admire his answer as a way of evaded this dumb question.

Clearly the laptop with a satellite connection is superior to a boat: It will lead quickly to rescue with a higher probability of survival.

Advantage Huckabee.

Someday, we'll live in a world where "news orgs" aren't in love with these questions. They exist to generate the kind of pap that drives so much of our campaign coverage. How long till someone writes this, for example: Biden wants to be stranded with his spouse. Hillary Clinton doesn't.

How about all the candidates that would have wished for their families to be stranded, too? That's pretty selfish.

You have to give Tom some credit for being the quickest on his feet. Books, are these people kidding me ?? No tools, no food, no companionship, they want books. Talk about a politicians answer.

And Jesus ?? Huh, if you didn't want to be there in the first place isn't the son of the guy who put you there a little ridiculous.

Notice how Hillary said she would rather have a book with her than her husband Bill Clinton? *Snicker*

The best choice is an EPIRB.

"John Edwards: "A book."
Rep. Dennis Kucinich: His wife, Elizabeth."

For a moment there I thought he meant John Edwards' wife.

Bob, meet Al

Some hard-hitting journalism, that. I really think I will have an easier time making voting decisions on the basis of this information.

Tancredo's answer wasn't the best, though. It was the cheater answer that is assumed to be out of bounds by the very premise of the question. No boats, helicopters, cruise ships, hydrofoils, hovercraft, airplanes, Millenium Falcons etc. That's cheating.

Hey, gotta love Brownback's response: "Tarp." I would've said Swiss army knife. You always want a certain Macguyver factor in your presidential candidates.

You say stranded, I say "Free at last ..."

if you were stranded on a desert island you'd get one wish right away: no more stupid questions from a press corps that is interested more in wasting your time than in asking worthwhile questions with followups.

Why do people of this stature continue to answer such trivializing fluff questions?

Show some stuff, and politely decline to pander.

Talk about a game of telephone. Apparently the AP asked: What is your desert island necessity?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070501/ap_on_el_pr/personal_side_desert_island_1

This does not mean you are stranded, it means you are alone. So companionship sounds like a good answer unless your sick of your companion, then book sounds good.

I gotta admit Tancredo's answer was pretty funny and dismissive at the same time.

they're all morons. how about FOOD?

other than that I agree with bob somerby, rufustfyrfly, and k

If Tancredo was on that island without the owner's permission and the proper papers wouldn't that make him an illegal alien? Hmm?

Biden, Kucinich, Obama, Hunter and Romney are all repeating the punch line from that old Englishman-Scotsman-Irishman joke:

An Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman are stranded on a desert island, when they discover a magic lamp. When they rub it a genie appears and gives each of them one wish:

Rupert: "I wish I were back in London again." (he disappears in a flash)

Angus: "Ach, I wish I were in Edinburgh." (he likewise disappears)

Paddy: "I wish me friends were back with me." (poof! they both return)

ah, Kevin

I would hope for my friend Norman and a couple of 2x4's to whack each other over the head with.

The answers 'beg the question': how many of our esteemed Presidential candidates know how to count?

The question was what item.

So...None of these froods have any idea where their bath towel is?

If Tancredo were intellectually honest, he would acknowledge the fact that his presence on the island would be that of an illegal immigrant and he wouldn't burden the citizens of the land where he was squatting with endangering their lives by piloting an unlicensed boat through their waters.

The stock answer is OED.

Kucinich: "My wife, Elizabeth."

No way! That's what I would have said. "If I were stranded on a desert island, the one thing I wish were standed with? Elizabeth Kucinich!"

Clearly, Richardson gave the best answer. Why would any of these landlubbers want a boat? Do you really think any of them could skipper a boat? Please. Richardson uses his Blackberry to call someone who DOES know their way around a boat (or helicopter,) and then relaxes in solitude with a Davidoff while he waits for his ride.

Tancredo's answer wasn't the best, though. It was the cheater answer that is assumed to be out of bounds by the very premise of the question.

That is precisely why it is the best answer to this type of idiotic question.

I guess it depends upon their interpretation of the word 'stranded' in the question. If they REALLY REALLY were stranded, then there wouldn't be any boat or blackberry to use.

Aside from that, what a stupid question.

We've gotta get some better journalists.

"Clearly the laptop with a satellite connection is superior to a boat: It will lead quickly to rescue with a higher probability of survival.

Advantage Huckabee."

As someone, who in my military career depended on satellite communication in Special Forces (18E before I made E-8), just having reception doesn't cut it. You need to have a good loopback. Just because you can hear the beacon or even here the receiving side doesn't mean your TX is getting through. During the initial push to Baghdad my unit was linked up with the Kurds and we were trying to take Kirkuk. My team needed a B-52 strike ASAP, I could hear fine over SATCOM but no one was hearing my TX. I wasn't sure if it was a crypto problem, a radio problem, or a computer problem (sending e-mail over VIASAT PDC and Outlook, damn Bill Gates and going to war with Microsoft products), hell it could have been a coax problem or handmike. After a few hours of taking fire and troubleshooting everything suddenly it started to work. Ahhhhh life is good.

Oh, so my point is I'd want a computer, solar panels, rechargeable batteries, INMARSAT transceiver (with a PAID account ohhhh the details), backups for everything, a good look angle for the satellite (damn the palm trees), food, water, tarp (great call), water blivet, Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit, flashlight, headlamp, lantern (electric), GOOD first aid kit (all the usual plus, Merck Manual, suture kit, minor surgical kit, antibiotics, dental kit, anti-malarial meds), machete, QUALITY knife, swiss army knife, pliers, saw, hammer, nails, screws, screwdriver, 10 miles 550 cord, 10 miles tubular nylon, ten cases duct tape, semi-auto rifle with 1K rounds, pillow (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used a log or a rock), fishing nets, spear gun, and a good book or two or three...... , WorldSpace radio (satellite radio) to listen to tunes and NPR (to keep up the blood pressure), pots (with lids), metal grate to cook on, utensils, windproof lighter with fuel, matches, gloves, sandals, boots, pants, shirts, mosquito net, paper, pencils, ten cases of toilet paper (one sheet my ass Sheryl), case of soap, towel or two, rechargeable razor, scissors for hair, ten cases of single malt scotch, 10 cases of a good burgundy, 10 cases poptarts (ask any SpecOps guy about poptarts) , porn. Yep that a-bout does it. Heck this almost makes me wish I could be stranded for say the next election cycle. Leave now and come back in 09. George is gone and I missed all the BS and punditry.

From what I see from their responses, these politicians can’t plan their way out of a wet paper sack.

Kevin & News Media, it's a "deserted island" (unoccupied) not a "desert island" (arid).

How many times do we have to be subjected to this misnomer.

Dude, if it were a desert island, water would be what you would want.

Geesh!

If the candidates dont answer these questions, they run the risk of being characterized as humorless, not a good person to have a beer with.

No way! That's what I would have said. "If I were stranded on a desert island, the one thing I wish were standed with? Elizabeth Kucinich!" Posted by: anonymous on May 2, 2007 at 12:48 PM

Wow! I agree, I'd like to be stranded on a deserted island with Elizabeth Kucinich too!

Damn. I had such high hopes for Richardson, but who wants a POTUS who thinks he can get cellphone coverage on a desert island?

In Sam Brownback's defense, he also wished to be accompanied by his wife, Tarp.

Kevin & News Media, it's a "deserted island" (unoccupied) not a "desert island" (arid).

Nah. It's a "desserted" island.

The one thing I'd want is some key lime pie.

As dumb as the question is, isn't Dodd's answer even dumber?

Disputo:
I've been to Mt. Desert Island, and you can get cellphone coverage, north of the mountains at least. Key Lime Pie is optional; this is lobster country.

Disputo: It's a "desserted" island.

If only.

Then the most important item would be a spoon!

Grumpy wrote:

In Sam Brownback's defense, he also wished to be accompanied by his wife, Tarp.

Best laugh I've had this week!

(Am I the only one who had to Google Tom Tancredo? Who are all these people?!?)

Rep. Duncan Hunter: "Mrs. Hunter."

His mom?

A boat isn't an "item." Neither is a person. You don't count the cart or your kids when you stand in the 10-item of less express lane at the market.

"If Tancredo was on that island without the owner's permission and the proper papers wouldn't that make him an illegal alien? Hmm?"

What Tancredo didn't say is that he would use the boat to deport anyone who tried to come live on what would now be his island, since he colonized it and all...

As dumb as the question is, isn't Dodd's answer even dumber?

I think he just answered with what he wanted right at the moment he was asked the question. Or the reporter was disuised as a barrista.

As dumb as the question is, isn't Dodd's answer even dumber?

I think Dodd answered the question with the amount of seriousness that it deserved.

Tancredo's answer is dishonest. (Wouldn't you expect that, though?) You are not "stranded" if you have a boat. It's smart-alecky in a junior high school way. (Huckabee's answer is only slightly less goofy.) Funny guys, those two.

That's not to imply that the question is all that useful itself, other than to determine which candidate is a smart aleck. Or maybe an alcoholic. Why does the AP exist, again?

That was a good answer by Tancredo to one of those idiot questions our mediocre media love so well.

It reminds me of the question someone asked the crew of Apollo 11 during a pre-flight press conference: If, after having completed their moon walk, and the LEM's ascent engine failed to start and left them stranded on the lunar surface, how would they spend the few hours remaining to them?

Aside from being in incredibly poor taste, you just knew the reporters were hoping for one of those "I'd come to Jay-sus, praise th' Lord and USA!" answers. Neil Armstrong refused to play along:

"I don't know about Buzz," Armstrong said, "but I'd spend the time trying to get that motor running."

1SG,

10 miles 550 cord, 10 miles tubular nylon,

I never would have thought of those two items much less in that quantity. The rest of it looked pretty solid though. Especially the reverse osmosis water filter. That would be really high on my list.

ol' tommy has some brains afterall!

i was thinking his answer would be something more like ...

"brick and mortar, so i can keep the immigrants out."

but ... "a boat?"

now that is just ingenious!

I was in the kitchen but I thought I heard Tancredo in the debates respect a woman's right to choose.
Mitt Romney was awfully disrepectful of having Bill Clinton possibly back in the White House.
I did not like that response. It was abrupt and reactive.
Goofball McCain spoke in rhetoric that it would mean that activist judges would be in the court.
It appeared he had memorized a statement and applied it to any particular question.
Giuliani played the terrorist card in response to Bill 'measuring the drapes,' as Chris Matthews put it, laughing. Ridiculously predictable.

These republicans are out of touch, scary people. Boring too, I notice.