Debate deliberations

I want to start by removing the candidates from the equation. (?)

What is a debate?  What is a political debate?  They’re obviously not the same thing.

History tells us about the first televised debate.  Kennedy trounced Nixon because he looked so much better.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a finer way to judge an elected official than how he came across on tv.  I think I finally understand how Reagan got elected.

What kinds of things tell us who is qualified to hold high office?  It is a given (at least with me) that whoever gets to the position of being a presidential candidate is already bought and paid for, so we can dispense with that bit.

If a candidate rushed two babies out of a burning building (or fought in a war), he’s a hero.  Does this qualify him to hold high office?  If he has been a politican since the seventies, is that qualification?  How about nicest smile?  Most vicious counterattack during a debate?  Highest corporate contributions?  Most pleasing campaign promises?

One definite is smoothest liar, but I suppose that’s a piece of how one comes off during a debate.

Now onto the debate.  I heard the first few minutes and another fifteen minutes later on.

I’m going to be up-front and petty to start out:  I admit this.  Palin’s voice drives me up the wall.  Remember, I was listening in a car, so I missed any visual cues.  I tuned in by accident… I wouldn’t have bothered except that a coworker told me he was listening because vice-presidential debates are always funny and this one was shaping up to be a real winner.  Unfortunately we were both bitterly disappointed.

I have to give credit to Palin’s handlers.  They worked really hard and she was a good student.  No pregnant pauses, she jumped right in and spouted the party line.  This is what was expected by most, which brings me to a recurring theme about this particular debate: Lowered Expectations.  Even the press echoed that both parties were downplaying their candidates so anything positive they did would just be a nice surprise.

Is that how we’re supposed to pick the person who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency?  It’s ok, we’re lowering our expectations.  If they somehow manage to make it through without blowing up the hall, it will be viewed as a positive thing.  To be clear, I have no faith in any part of this process.  I’m just trying to look at it as though I did.

The reviews of the debate seemed to go along with lowered expectations.  Everybody forgot to mention that Palin flatly refused to answer questions or even stay on-topic (heaven forbid).  If this were a real debate, she would have been called on it.

The bickering about who said what and who voted for what and when was disgusting.  It should have been beneath both parties.  What amazed me the most is that we are supposed to believe the stream of excrement emanating from the mouths of these pretenders.

Biden said that a vote for McCain was a vote to continue the policies and economics of the past eight years.  What he failed to acknowledge is that he voted for those policies.  If he was so against the war, he should have voted against it.  Even after his alleged commander-in-chief asked him for permission.  And let’s face it - commander-in-chief didn’t ask.  He marched right in.  This was followed by his lapdogs in Congress drooling in the positive for funding.

Ron Paul didn’t vote for the war.

On the other side, Palin’s promise of sweeping economic reforms should have produced laughter or howling from the assembled masses.  Calling Biden a coward for wanting to get out of Iraq was a low blow.  Of course neither of them would say that we didn’t belong there in the first place.  I would.

Neither of these clowns impresses me as a leader.  In fact, I’m embarrassed for my country.  I coudn’t refer to any of the recent morons to occupy the White House as a leader.  They sure as hell don’t lead me.  You have to have respect to lead.  They’ve done nothing to earn it.  They’re not leaders; they’re contributor followers.

Every four years these folks get up and lie to us.   And every four years we watch in a pavlovian frenzy (if there’s no reality shows on tv at the same time).

Think about it carefully.