Posted on 08/10/2015 2:01:02 PM PDT by jazusamo
The so-called "debates," among too many Republicans to have a debate, are yet another painful sign of how much words and ideas have degenerated in our times.
No one expects these televised sound bites and "gotcha" questions to be anything like the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates on the momentous national issue of slavery.
But the mob scene of candidates on stage that began with the 2012 campaign, and is now being repeated, is a big step down from the modern one-on-one debates between presidential candidates that began with John F. Kennedy versus Richard Nixon in 1960.
We still have momentous national issues. In fact, the threat of a nuclear Iran with intercontinental missiles is a threat to the survival of America and of Western civilization. The issue could not be bigger.
But this issue did not get even half the attention as was lavished on Donald Trump. Even in the earlier "debate" among the second-tier candidates, where Trump was not present, the first question asked was about Donald Trump.
Nothing could more plainly, or more painfully, show what is wrong with the priorities of the media.
A poll taken after the "debates" showed that, of the 17 participants, the top 5 were all people who had never run a state government or a federal agency. In other words, those who came out on top in this battle of sound bites were people whose great strength was in rhetoric.
After more than six years of Barack Obama in the White House, have we learned nothing about the dangers of choosing a President of the United States on the basis of sound bites, with no track record to check against his rhetoric?
(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...
If nuclear Iran was such a bad thing, would the Republican Senate be rubber stamping it?
Clearly Sowell is just a racist who hates having a black president.
/sarc(???)
Sorry the country is not populated with more people with brains like you, Mr. Sowell.
These debates should be a series of broad based policy questions like “What would you do about...(the debt, social security, ISIS, etc.)” with each candidate having a minute to answer. Voters could compare the candidates fairly. Gotcha questions should be saved for one on one interviews. But of course that would make the moderators unimportant, and Fox wanted it to be about them.
Running and (recently) promoting national elections like regular show biz, people in it (not the candidates themselves) to make money/fame for themselves.
I like Sowell, but I don't consider having been a part of the governing class that led us into this mess to be a plus. I prefer those not connected to what brought us down this low.
Exactly.
>> After more than six years of Barack Obama in the White House, have we learned nothing about the dangers of choosing a President of the United States on the basis of sound bites, with no track record to check against his rhetoric? <<
Sowell hits it outa the park again!
Agreed.
Well we know what Jeb’s record is, and it isn’t good.
Sowell is great but he is wrong here and you are right. The last thing we need is another professional politician.
Intra-Party debates are stupid.
Especially when the moderates are hard-core Democrats, which Megyn is.
Intra-Party debates are stupid.
Especially when the moderates are hard-core Democrats, which Megyn is.
Genius essay, the top 5 in that monkey poll were big on rhetoric, low on experience.
Good point by Sowell, the Governors have been outstanding, we need to go outside the Beltway definitely.
Ted Cruz was the Solicitor General of Texas. He was head of a state agency.
“Sorry the country is not populated with more people with brains like you, Mr. Sowell.”
Take Megyn Kelly for example...
Yes, and he was very good at it.
GO Ted Cruz!
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