I thought presidential debates we designed to publicly and formally allow candidates to state facts and detail their plans for governing over the next four years. The debate is a discussion between the parties on why one plan will work better than the other plan. The moderator is in control directing the candidates to discuss their differences within each topic.
So what was that last night? It sure didn't seem like a presidential debate. I don't know what to call it.
More disturbing is that TV stations had teams of political experts waiting in the studios checking facts. Well-timed graphics flashing 'TRUE' or 'FALSE' following the candidates' statements caused me to wonder, how, oh how, are voters supposed to believe anything the two POTUS candidates say?
Most disturbing were the looks on the candidates faces. Did they know the cameras were on them when they weren't talking? A smug grin, grimace, wince, nod and other facial expressions were used instead of stepping up and defending their points. SMH
I'm looking forward to round 2. I hope in the next debate there will be a better moderator (sorry but Jim Lehrer was totally ineffective), candidates will appear more presidential and er, ok, uh, more prepared for the job and someone will step up and save Big Bird.
Comments (32)
Add commentJim Lehrer
Got steamrolled last night. Not an effective moderator at all.
Listen to me pretending I watched it.
I watched for maybe twenty minutes (grimaces, twitching and all) before I decided they were both lying and went to bed.
Hmm
Perhaps the next moderator will be equipped with switches to deactivate the candidates' microphones and an air horn if they insist on going over their allotted time.
I suggest
an EJECT button which will spring them right out of the room. Or a trap door where they can drop down into a pit of ill-tempered sea bass with laser beams attached to their foreheads.
How about..
...we take a page out of the old script for Nickelodean and and simply slime them when they speak past the bell?
Hmm
"All I'm asking for is freakin' sharks with freakin' lasers attached to their freakin' heads!"
I Suggest
This Guy because Lewis Black would be an AWESOME moderator.
HAHAHA!
YESSSS!!!
I had a good debate
I had a good debate experience last night. I decided in advance that I was not going to pay attention to the political pundits before, during, or after the debate. I watched the debate on PBS because I knew it would be the one channel that wouldn't try to interject itself into the debate. Of course, PBS does have its own pundits who talk after the debate, so the second the debate was done, I turned to a Family Guy rerun. During the debate, I rarely looked at the tv screen. Rather, I simply listened. I didn't see the grimacing, grinning, or whatever.
It was a great experience. Of course, I knew there were lies and plenty of them. But for the first time, I listened to the candidates talk about the issues without "assistance" from tv networks. I could not have cared less about the facial expressions, body language, etc., of the candidates. That's not the purpose of a debate.
Great experience.
well
I watched it in 3-D with surround sound on.
When that crash sound happened during the debate, it was EPIC!!!
EPIC
Oh, I forgot about that sound.
I haven't looked around on sites this morning. Has anyone said what the disturbance was?