I'd like to preface this entry by stating that the title is totally random...I just wanted to insert the lovely picture of snowglobes that I took today.
So, am I the only one that finds modern day debates a joke? They're not even frickin' debates, they're just opportunities for the candidates to talk about themselves. What the hell is going on? Can we just call them extended campaign commercials? Let me get this straight, candidates can't ask each other questions, give rebuttals, give follow-ups, ask cross-questions, or give cross-answers?! Pretty much they're just talking to themselves. If I may I'd like to define the word debate in accordance to my dear friend, Mr. Webster (which I can because I'm an editor and that's the kind of thing I like to do--and this just so happens to be my blog) : debate-a contention by words or arguments
Hmm....anyone else confused?
The really infuriating thing is that debates aren't even run by the government anymore--they haven't been since 1987 when The League of Women Voters jumped that sinking ship. Now the "Commission on Presidential Debates" (CPD) is moderating. Gee, that's funny, that's not even a government-run agency. It's more like a blanket for the candidates to hide under while they run these things any way they feel like it. The CPD is actually funded by companies like Anheuser Busch. yeah! Let's have the debate in St. Louis because Busch is there...ahem, wait no, that can't be why...can it? Of course it is! Funding is everything to these people. I don't even feel like getting into that although I must say that that seems to be the most American aspect of this mess of an election.
I feel like we all deserve to see what these candidates are really made of. Instead, we get to watch them take a cake walk. They make this thing as easy as possible; they even shortened their allotted "answer time" to 90 seconds. They're rehearsed for these damn things and don't have to worry about thinking. Additionally, they don't have to worry about any surprises such as (gasp) questions that challenge or oppose them. In fact, can anyone even remember the last time 3rd party debaters were allowed? Perot, and only because the other 2 candidates wanted him there--all of these decisions are up to them! 3rd party debaters aren't even allowed anymore. I guess that means that everything has to be left or right with no room for any other opinions. I suppose that they've all forgotten that issues like the abolition of slavery and women's rights were raised by 3rd party debaters. But, hey, who cares about those things?
In any case, I hope everyone enjoyed the show tonight, because that's all it was. My favorite parts are always when they ignore the questions and go off on rants about things that they clearly just wanted to work in. Relevancy schmelevancy, right? But hey, who are we to judge? We're not even allowed to know what the rules are so how are we supposed to know? God bless America.
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