Santorum on College

[dramaturge]

(02-27-2012 02:59 PM)lucrezaborgia Wrote:  I don't understand the importance of debates these days. They don't really do much to show us how good a president will be. Their only purpose these days seems to be to give the kiss of death via soundbite to the more stupid of the candidates.

One of the problems is that debates, particularly the primary debates, aren't run like debates. If they were, they would be more useful. As it is, the large part of the time, the candidates don't all even answer the same questions. This plethora of "candidates arguing meaninglessly over talking points for a couple of hours" events barely qualify as anything like a debate. They really are just a chance for soundbites and crazy talk. Every one of them seems to be merely a vehicle for oneupsmanship more than anything else.

Once it gets down to the real campaign debates, it will be a better scene. Then there will be more like actual policy questions that are answered by both candidates. And they will be watched by a larger swath of the public since they'll be televised on a major networks in prime time, etc. I think the biggest thing you learn from debates (the real ones, not whatever it is that's happening on the GOP side this year) is not so much whether a candidate will be a good president; but (and it is important) whether they can clearly communicate their platform and goals, can demonstrate examples of what they've done in the past that attests to those goals, and can thoroughly defend why their platform and goal is the right approach. The debate format offers a different perspective than stump speeches because of the juxtaposed answers and the opportunity for challenge.

All that said, I feel the need again to point out that what's happening on the GOP side this year is some kind of weird round-table experience with the softballiest of softball questions. It's a crazy train of near chaos as each candidate tries to become the most popular by embracing the most polarizing position of them all, whatever that might be.