Debate Fail

by Frederick

Manzanar, California.

Captain Ed is (surprise) confused:

…there are two complaints being heard about Brokaw’s performance. The less-substantive gripe is that Brokaw asked too many of his own questions, supposedly making a mockery of the town-hall format. That format died when everyone agreed to have Brokaw and his team vet the questions and decide which would be asked. A real town hall forum uses spontaneity for its energy. All we got last night were Brokaw’s chosen questions, delivered by his selected writers. Brokaw just outsourced his writing staff. The union should file a complaint of its own.

The question of questions is a stronger accusation. Like Ifill, Brokaw managed to avoid the following topics:

  • Abortion
  • Gun control
  • Judicial nominations
  • Immigration

With the current financial crisis, an emphasis on economics was expected. Brokaw did ask about entitlement reform, which hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention. However, the topics above have driven presidential politics for decades and have single-issue constituencies that matter in elections. For the second straight debate, Americans didn’t hear candidate views on any of them.

Yes, these topics have driven Presidential politics for sometime now. That’s kinda been the problem. What about trying out some others; Torture, Habeas Corpus, the Unitary Executive…