(Quick Thoughts)
And I want to close tonight’s debate with the question posed by Brecklin Brown. She’s an eighth grader at Springville Junior High in Springville, Utah. And here’s what she wrote. “When I watch the news, all I see is arguing between Democrats and Republicans. When I watch the news, all I see is citizen fighting against citizen. When I watch the news, all I see are two candidates from opposing parties trying to tear each other down. If our leaders can’t get along, how are the citizens supposed to get along?” And then she added, “Your examples could make all the difference to bring us together.” So to each of you in turn, I’d like you to take one minute and respond to Brecklin. Vice president Pence, you have one minute (47:09 Transcript).
To Kamala Harris (D), Mike Pence (R), and the moderator Susan Page (journalist):
It is readily apparent that the establishment has turned to rubble. Your performances were degrading and, just that, a performance. A spectacle equivalent to Monday Night Raw or World Championship Wrestling on their worst nights. Both candidates lack respect for each other. As for Susan Page, her fault comes from being another biased journalist who decided to play along with Commission on Presidential Debates. Bruce Thornton (Professor and Researcher) published in the FrontPage Magazine the article, Ditch the Commission On Presidential Debates, said the following:
Finally, why does the Commission on Presidential Debates get to run the show and choose the moderators, who then get to choose the topics? The CPD was created in 1987 by the Republican and Democrat Parties to be their cat’s-paw. (Overstated? Steve Scully, the moderator for the next debate, was Joe Biden’s intern.) It’s funded by some private donations, but mainly by foundations and corporations––you know, lobbyists. In other words, the CPD is an organ of the bipartisan technocratic elite, especially the Democrat division, and the way debates are run reflect the interests of the political guild. That fact goes a long way to explaining why the moderators, questions, and management of the debate reflect the political establishment and DNC talking points. And it shows why Donald Trump has to debate two opponents: The Democrat candidate and the moderator.
Thornton is misplaced in his assumption that President Trump must debate two opponents. In my view of Trump, he is willing to argue with anyone and anything. However, Pence performance and Harris as well revealed the deep problems with two minute questions with one minute rebuttals, it makes everything trivial. Last night I posted on the Truth In Focus Facebook page the following:
- You want a serious discussion? Make the debate responses longer than 2 minutes.
- The VP debate is serious because there are good chances that Kamela Harris will become President if Biden is elected.
- Let third parties be in these debates already.
- Let’s stop having journalists lead these debates.
- Let’s ask real questions.
You know we have a problem when France has a better debate system than we do with their debate’s lasting anywhere between two to three hours. And Candidates can answer as long as they want but each are held to a final countdown (e.g. each Candidate receives 50mins to answer questions). America can learn by their example. Here are my solutions:
- Let’s make a structure where the candidates are made to go through a debate a week for five weeks.
- Debates last three to four hours each
- Third parties are always included
- Questions are written by philosophers, political scientists, students, doctors, and other non-establishment figures whose questions are approved by the moderator
- Questions should be policy oriented with exceptions to character qualities, controversies, etc; use common sense
- The moderator should be a lawyer or judge or an academic of respect without open bias toward any candidate
- Debates should be held in a different state each week at a specific location
- At least one debate must be a town hall setting and the rules are shifted to allowing the audience to ask questions which are again approved by the moderator
- There are no time limits per question, the candidates can choose to respond as long as they want
- Rebuttals are always allowed and encouraged; in fact, the conversation should naturally evolve throughout the debate so that questions do not have to be constantly asked but each candidate reveals their stances and true character
The Good Lord knows whether you truly care or not about the issues beyond your biases but I can hope you do.
Yours Truly,
EKR
Truth In Focus 