Presidentially Debating

What's the best that can happen from Presidential Debates? A cogent description of the situation at hand and a leadership moment for its utterer.

Have we gotten that yet? I don't think so, but I would lean a little toward John Kerry's efforts to make it happen. President Bush seems so certain of his own viewpoint that he appears less willing to bring others on board that are not in full agreement with his views. That's leadership by dictum, and that's been one of the weaknesses of this administration, although many of his supporters don't seem to have a problem with that style. It must go with the "dittohead" mentality popularized by Rush Limbaugh's followers.

On the other hand, John Kerry needs to say more but seems unwilling to go into details for fear of sounding too condescending or boring. He lacks pithy phrases that are more than bumper sticker platitudes. (Bush does, too, for that matter.) Kerry, to his credit, shows his grasp of situations better than Bush does, being able to cite a wider set of examples and facts more readily, and to state his positions in more than one way, a trait needed by a good teacher.

Yet, something is lacking in these debates. Perhaps it's the agreed-upon format that allows no more than two-minute or 90-second statements by the candidates. With such a short time frame, no candidate can offer the depth of insight they may possess to show the inner beauty of their goals. No candidate can give us a glimpse of their wisdom or insights, or help us to discern the better pathways they're offering.

It's the model of the "pitch" that governs all political debate these days, and it's no wonder that the majority of less-interested voters are turned off by it. It gives answers to nobody but those who live their lives plastered on their t-shirts, tattoos, and bumperstickers.

A truly Presidential Debate, to me, would look like an intellectual Decathlon. The moderator would pose both real and hypothetical problems for the candidates, and they'd demonstrate their sensibilities and wisdom without the aid of anybody else, or we could offer them lifelines. Perhaps this could be turned into the ultimate reality show...with the last one standing being elected president.

It would sure be an improvement on the method we have now, wouldn't it?