Dumbing Down the Debates

The debate last Friday between John McCain and Barack Obama was hyped so highly in the days preceding that I felt the debate was going to not only determine the next President but also help end poverty, find a cure for cancer, and eliminate America's 12 trillion dollar debt. Unfortunately, the 98 minutes of debate past and all of these issues were left unsettled. While this ending was truthfully not that unpredictable, I think there is a larger issue surrounding the debate that NEEDS to be settled both before the election in November and in the forseeable future.

First, I was very confused by much of what went on in the debate. While that fact can pretty easily be dismissed as I really do not know that much about politics and my attention was not in full gear late on a Friday night after a long week. However, the problem is, how much am I representative of a normal American in that sense? How much of America truly understands the issues that the Presidential candidates are debating? Even if 65 million Americans watched the debates, many of those millions likely lost focus or did not understand much of the debate? That leaves around 250 million Americans without the necessary information needed to form an opinion on their potential presidents. I know not all of America votes, but how much of that is a result of a lack of education and lack of an ability to understand the confusing and tricky political process.

America needs to find a way to convey the gigantic importance of these debates and eventually the presidential election. It is our duty in the democracy we live in to vote. Unfortunately, this message often falls on deaf ears in America. If each campaign somehow found a way to "dumb down" the debates or their campaigns for less politically educated or knowledable Americans, maybe this problem could be remedied to an extent. Maybe instead of consistently ripping on the opposing party as a means of gaining votes, Obama and McCain could explain their goals and promises to America in more simple terms. Wouldn't this show that the candidates truly wanted to reach out to blue-collar Americans as opposed to letting people know that Palin hunts Moose? Think about that before this Thursday's vice-presidential debate, which I'm sure will turn into Palin-fest.

Go Cubs!!! Game 1-Wednesday

The Great Debate

In one of my earlier blog posts, I wrote about the importance of not "judging a book by its cover." Unfortunately, while many people, including myself, know this is wrong, this judging an entity based on appearance happens more than we can imagine. The kairos for this cliche will reach its peak on Friday night, as presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will debate each other, for the first time, on live television. 

Since the first presidential debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858, presidential debates have often been crucial in determining a candidates political fate. This was most evident in 1960, when presidential hopefuls John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon took part in the first televised debate. Nixon, suffering from the flu and a knee injury never recovered in the 1960 election after this fateful debate, "...Nixon looked pale and sweaty--an image that stuck with viewers far longer than his words did." (Time Magazine) Basically, Nixon looked physically unfit before America while Kennedy looked strong. The debate swayed the public away from the uninspiring Nixon, perhaps beginning America's obsession with appearance over substance. 

After that debate, candidates feared the fatal live debate, as neither candidate wanted to lose their chances in a few minutes on national television. McCain and Obama have both campaigned hard over the past several months and years, but both know that a strong or poor showing this Friday could make or break their campaign. They also know that their physical appearances, perhaps above their actual opinions, could sway thousands to millions of voters. 

Does this make sense for America, to have their future leader potentially be determined on his appearance? I think that debate is a great way to see each candidate perform under stress in front of a live audience, but I also think more attention should be paid to each candidate's actual opinions and potential future policies. What does this say about America that many of our citizen's care more about brawn than brains? Think about this over the next week, because it will all come into play live, on Friday night.

Go Cubs!!!! Congrats on the divison