I expect I will watch all three presidential debates, because I am a news junkie and unable to resist their wonkish allure. But I also expect there will be moments watching when I am bored stiff. Why? Because the campaigns of both major parties do their level best to turn debates into what are essentially joint press conferences, devoid of confrontation or spontaneity. How do they do it? By agreeing to rules ahead of time that limit questioning by the moderators, the public and even the candidates themselves. Check out this year's rules here.
A new book outlines the problem. It's called No Debate: How the Republican and Democratic Parties Secretly Control the Presidential Debates, by George Farah. I haven't read it but it sounds fascinating. IYou can read a review at the Columbia Journalism Review here and check out Farah's organization Open Debates here.) Farah is starting a movement to wrest control of the debates away from the major parties and give them back to a nonpartisan commission. Did you know the major parties ran the debates? I didn't. The major parties took over in 1988 because they thought the League of Women Voters was being far too independent and inquisitive, and questioning those poor little ole' candidates too roughly. Meanies!
A little postscript -- Spoonreader is officially a nonpartisan blog, dedicated to fairness and accuracy. But from time to time I will write about nonfiction books, including books that deal with political issues. Here's the first one.
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Hey Spooner (love the Blog, so forthright and all),
Granted,I'm all for wresting control of the debates from the major parties, but I wonder to what end. For most Americans, watching the debates will always be less about waiting for a clear answer on Medicare polict or environmental issues and much more about elements of style, punch and feeling. I'm not tying to short change the electorate here, since style often points to more than just what's on the surface. I guest my point here is (and this not having read No Debate... either) in order to make the debates more meaningful, it will take a lot more than giving control of the debates to more independant and inquisitive folks. For that to happen we need a change in the American psyche, and I shiver to think at what could possibly be so dramatic as to precipitate that.
:)
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