Politics is one of our interests, and I suppose by some stretch of the imagination that we could characterize tonight’s debate between Hillary and Barack as politics.
Our tendency is to place it in the category of game shows. The show in this case lends itself to several titles. We could call it “Gotcha,” which would certainly be apt in light of our tendency to believe that if one contestant scores a “gotcha,” then the other contestant loses the game and is therefore unqualified to be President.
Or we could call it “Water Boarding.” Watching the twisted countenance of Tim Russert as he tortuously attempted to drown out the candidates’ responses in a flood of interruptions was certainly a form of torture for anyone interested in a complete answer.
The problem with debates these days, as always I am sure, is that debates measure nothing substantive. A President doesn’t spend his or her time scoring points and posting them on a tally sheet. All executives, including presidents, must make decisions and execute actions. The best debater in the world would probably make a lousy President.
Well, some say, debates give the voters an idea of how the candidates stand on the issues. That would be a fine argument except for a minor matter. An undecided voter in the 21st Century is a species on the verge of extinction. This century has been a divisive political era for its first few years, and a surplus of Americans have been locked in to one side or another from the beginning. Besides, getting a straight answer from a politician can’t be achieved in the time allotted.
Others may say, well, we can gain an idea of how well the candidates function under pressure without sweating. That’s a fair enough argument. Hemingway once wrote “Courage is grace under pressure.” But courage when it counts isn’t measurable by one’s excellence in language or by the ability to score debate points. The pressures of the world are not the pressures of a debate.
When we get right down to it, debates do not measure anyone’s ability to perform as a president. If debates serve a purpose, it’s as a means of reinforcing our belief that we really participate, that we really count. A debate is a ceremonial rite of American democracy.
Winston Churchill once wrote something along these lines, “Democracy is the worst form of government ever conceived by men. Except for all of the others.”
Maybe that’s true of debates as well. Debates are the worst possible means of measuring the qualities of a president. Except for all of the others.
Shoot from the hip analysis
Another draw. On the whole, a very equable debate. Both performed well. Barack seemed more assured than he did in past debates. But Hillary was at the top of her game, too. So far, no substantive differences between the candidates have become apparent. To Hillary’s credit, she called Tim Russert on his constant interruptions. He was the worst part of this show. The real question for the Democrats now is who can beat John McCain.
Okay, talking heads, let the parsing begin.
SF Bay Area 