October 20, 2010
NO, I'M DAVID GREGORY!:
OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH (George W. Bush, October 16, 2010, Facebook)
President Bush will invite one Facebook fan to Dallas for an in-person interview about his upcoming memoir, Decision Points, which hits the shelves on November 9, 2010. To be considered, submit five questions that you would like to ask President Bush about Decision Points by posting one comment below this note by 5pm (CDT) on October 21, 2010. 100 finalists will be asked to submit a two-minute video. The top five videos will be posted on President Bush's Facebook wall, and YOU will vote for the winner! The favorite fan will receive round-trip airfare to Dallas, Texas; the opportunity to interview President Bush about his book; and a personalized, signed copy of Decision Points.
Official Contest Rules:
1. Contest and Sponsor: Participation in the George W. Bush Interview Contest (the “Contest”) constitutes Contestant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules. The Sponsor is the Office of George W. Bush, Post Office Box 259000, Dallas, TX, 75225-9000 (“Sponsor”). All decisions related to, as well as all interpretations of, these Official Rules by Sponsor shall be final and binding. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.
2. Eligibility: The Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (and the District of Columbia) who are at least the age of majority for their respective state of residence at the time of entry (at least 18 in most states, some states such as AL, NE and MS have higher ages, other states have high-school graduation requirements). Employees of the Office of George W. Bush and its affiliate companies and suppliers, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. Eligibility is also contingent upon compliance with these Official Rules and fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.
3. How to Enter: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Submit exactly five (5) questions in a single Facebook comment below this note. To be eligible, questions must be received by the Sponsor between 3:00 P.M. (CDT) on October 15, 2010 and 4:59 P.M. (CDT) on October 21, 2010 (the “Contest Period”). All entries and submissions, once submitted, become the property of the Sponsor and shall not be returned. Any incomplete entries will not be eligible. Only one entry is allowed per person.
4. Winner Determination and Verification: Sponsor in its sole discretion will choose one hundred (100) contestants from among all entries received during the Contest Period based on review and analysis of the questions included in each Contestant’s comment. These 100 Contestants will then be required to submit a two minute video (+ or – 15 seconds) within 5 days of being contacted explaining why they should be selected to interview former President George W. Bush. The sponsor in its sole discretion will choose five (5) finalists and post the videos on a tab of the official page’s wall. The Facebook community will then be allowed to vote on the finalists, and the finalist receiving the most votes will win. In the event of a tie, winner will be chosen by Sponsor. Any contestant who fails to submit a video within the required time will be disqualified, and a replacement may be named at Sponsor’s sole discretion. All potential finalists and the winner are subject to verification by Sponsor. A Contestant is not a winner of any prize, even if notified of being a winner unless and until the Contestant’s eligibility has been verified. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and eligibility is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. Each potential winner will be notified by email or Facebook after selection. If a potential winner of any prize cannot be contacted, fails to sign and return the Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and Publicity Release within the required time period (if applicable), or prize is deemed undeliverable, the potential winner is disqualified and forfeits the prize. In the event that a Prize winner is disqualified for any reason, the video receiving the second most votes will be deemed the winner. If for any reason the second winner is disqualified, then the video receiving the third highest votes will be deemed winner. This process will be continued until the prize is awarded, or Contestant submissions are exhausted. In the event of a tie, winner will be chosen by Sponsor. Winners will be announced via the official George W. Bush Facebook page.
5. Prizes:
a. ONE (1) GRAND PRIZE: An interview with former President George W. Bush, airfare to Dallas if the selected winner does not live in North Texas, and a personalized, signed copy of the book Decision Points. Airfare includes roundtrip, coach-class air transportation for the winner from a major airport near winner’s home (determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) to Dallas, Texas. At Sponsor’s sole discretion, accommodations at a Dallas-area hotel (single room) and transportation to and from the airport of arrival may be included. Winner must provide own transportation to major airport near home selected by Sponsor. Winner must complete the trip no later than December 10, 2010. Sponsor will determine airline and flight itinerary in its sole discretion. No refund or compensation will be made in the event of the cancellation or delay of any flight. Travel and accommodations are subject to availability. Travel is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Contest, and those set forth by the Sponsor’s airline carrier of choice as detailed in the passenger ticket contract. All expenses and incidental travel costs not expressly stated in the package description above, including but not limited to, ground transportation, meals, incidentals, passenger tariffs or duties, airline fees, surcharges, airport fees, service charges or facility charges, personal charges at lodging, security fees, taxes or other expenses are the responsibility solely of winner. Travel restrictions, conditions and limitations may apply. If in the judgment of Sponsor air travel is not required due to winner’s proximity to prize location, ground transportation may be substituted for roundtrip air travel at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor will not replace any lost, mutilated, or stolen tickets, travel vouchers or certificates. Sponsor is not responsible if any prize-related event is delayed, postponed or cancelled for any reason, in which event that portion of prize is forfeited in its entirety and no substitution will be provided except as in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
b. Four Runner-Up Prizes: The four Contestants who submitted videos that were not selected for the Grand Prize will each receive a personalized, signed copy of Decision Points.
Here are our 5:
Mr. Bush:(1) Various media reports suggest that it was Tony Blair and Colin Powell who prevailed on you to allow them to frame the case for the Iraq War as primarily about WMD, whereas you'd presented a more international law enforcement and human rights based case to the UN. Was it a mistake to let them change the emphasis?
(2) With Congress unwilling to pass comprehensive immigration reform, did you ever consider issuing a blanket presidential amnesty for those who've entered the States illegally?
(3) Given how mightily your successor has struggled--with an administration that has almost no executive experience--and how successful you and the cast of governors and former chiefs-of-staff who made up your first cabinet were, can you discuss what advantages you think you brought to office because you had been a governor?
(4) During the 2000 campaign you spoke often about reducing partisanship in Washington, but after the animosity surrounding Florida and Gore v. Bush it was seemingly impossible for you to get prominent Democrats to serve in your Administration and the well generally seemed to have been poisoned. How do you think things might have been different had you been declared the victor on Election Night?
(5) While you did manage to get measures like public school vouchers included in the NCLB legislation and HSAs in the prescription drug bill, other elements of the Ownership Society--like personal accounts in Social Security--proved more elusive. Do you think it's just a matter of time before your vision prevails or are there other alternatives to such market based social welfare programs?
