The GOP has no platform, and refuses to participate in good-faith debates, or simply no debates. So, debating them only gives them the opportunity to generate political stunts, if they bother to show up at all. Debating amongst our own really should be more dignified, but that just isn’t how it always goes down. It would be infinitely more informative to hold townhalls and skip the fighting. It would be really cool if those townhalls had the tone of our candidates being a team, despite being opponents in elections.
Funniest line: Referring to Herschel Walker as a "tree stump."I agree with most here that debates, as they currently occur in this country, are a waste of time.
Cage match just about sums it up, especially for those who want to out Trump others involved. There’s a low bar set in Republican debates for a reason. Words REALLY don’t matter unless the speaker reaches an extremely low level of discourse. And of course, the more interruptions—and shouting—the better.These debates make one long for the witty and civilized banter that emanated from the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, and The Iron Sheikh.
If there was an authority to be the debate moderator for these debates, then they would be debates, and not goat rodeos. But that requires everyone to understand that the moderators calls it, and you get shut off after time or if the moderator says so.
Seems those are the exception to the rule though--where the candidates use it as a chance to go into a deeper explanation of their policies, or address one another directly and in a serious manner. Unfortunately, the format is set up to encourage answers along the lines of "well, that's a good question, but regardless of what you're actually asking, let me go back to my set talking points" and where there's a lot of candidates vying for attention, you have stunts like Mandel's as the only way to get noticed.
I'd like of course to see this fixed, but the sponsors are probably afraid more candidates would drop out. But I'd rather see them drop out and not have them than to just have the mess they usually have.
Good moderators, who try to hold participants to actual answers and respect the rules, are a must. We tend to not see that, of course. (Although again, the Lamb / Kenyatta / empty podium debate was a refreshing exception.)
These things haven't been "debates" for decades and now have devolved into a bunch of monkeys onstage flinging poop at each other. Actual debates do not make for good TV. Time for a format reboot, if possible.
nothing get sorted out...As long as 'bad faith actors' are allowed to RUN for office and to MODERATE on, and REPORT on debates, they are utterly useless...Unless standards are applied across the board, only people engaging in GOOD FAITH get the shaft...It ALWAYS benefits the WORST 'interests'
I was just saying above how only the WORST 'interests' benefit from these....And ZERO information is garnered from debates...I'd rather all candidates be grilled for 3 hours straight by Mehdi Hasan
Is there evidence of this? Biden was ahead in polling prior to the debate. He stood the most to lose, and arguably all he achieved was maintaining his lead and somehow not catching COVID-19.
The GOP has no platform, and refuses to participate in good-faith debates, or simply no debates. So, debating them only gives them the opportunity to generate political stunts, if they bother to show up at all. Debating amongst our own really should be more dignified, but that just isn’t how it always goes down. It would be infinitely more informative to hold townhalls and skip the fighting. It would be really cool if those townhalls had the tone of our candidates being a team, despite being opponents in elections.
Funniest line: Referring to Herschel Walker as a "tree stump."I agree with most here that debates, as they currently occur in this country, are a waste of time.
You also have to factor in that millions of our fellow countrymen and women found T****'s abysmal performance to be just what they wanted.
Cage match just about sums it up, especially for those who want to out Trump others involved. There’s a low bar set in Republican debates for a reason. Words REALLY don’t matter unless the speaker reaches an extremely low level of discourse. And of course, the more interruptions—and shouting—the better.These debates make one long for the witty and civilized banter that emanated from the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, and The Iron Sheikh.
If there was an authority to be the debate moderator for these debates, then they would be debates, and not goat rodeos. But that requires everyone to understand that the moderators calls it, and you get shut off after time or if the moderator says so.
Seems those are the exception to the rule though--where the candidates use it as a chance to go into a deeper explanation of their policies, or address one another directly and in a serious manner. Unfortunately, the format is set up to encourage answers along the lines of "well, that's a good question, but regardless of what you're actually asking, let me go back to my set talking points" and where there's a lot of candidates vying for attention, you have stunts like Mandel's as the only way to get noticed.
Agreed, substantive debates are all too rare.
I'd like of course to see this fixed, but the sponsors are probably afraid more candidates would drop out. But I'd rather see them drop out and not have them than to just have the mess they usually have.
Good moderators, who try to hold participants to actual answers and respect the rules, are a must. We tend to not see that, of course. (Although again, the Lamb / Kenyatta / empty podium debate was a refreshing exception.)
These things haven't been "debates" for decades and now have devolved into a bunch of monkeys onstage flinging poop at each other. Actual debates do not make for good TV. Time for a format reboot, if possible.
Goat rodeo libelz! 😉
"As Kenyatta demonstrated last week, it’s just as easy to take pot shots at an empty podium."
Or an empty chair...here's lookin' at you Clint
nothing get sorted out...As long as 'bad faith actors' are allowed to RUN for office and to MODERATE on, and REPORT on debates, they are utterly useless...Unless standards are applied across the board, only people engaging in GOOD FAITH get the shaft...It ALWAYS benefits the WORST 'interests'
GMTA.
I was just saying above how only the WORST 'interests' benefit from these....And ZERO information is garnered from debates...I'd rather all candidates be grilled for 3 hours straight by Mehdi Hasan
Is there evidence of this? Biden was ahead in polling prior to the debate. He stood the most to lose, and arguably all he achieved was maintaining his lead and somehow not catching COVID-19.
https://media0.giphy.com/me...