I see that the next “debate” among the Democrats aspiring to their party’s candidacy for the presidency has been cancelled (or at least postponed):
Fox News and a black political group say they will not hold a Sept. 23 Democratic presidential debate in Detroit, which the leading candidates already were planning to skip.
A new date had not yet been set, Fox News spokesman Michael Murphy said Thursday.
The campaigns of U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards had said they would not participate in the debate. Opponents have criticized Fox as biased against Democrats.
The debate, co-sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute, was to have been held at the Fox Theatre.
Considering what a waste of time the joint press conferences that we laughingly call “debates” have been so far, it’s probably just as well. Do politicians, several of whom have been in the national public eye for decades, really need additional opportunities to give their stump speeches?
What purpose do these events serve? The audience they’re reaching is dwindling.
Fuddy-duddy that I am I’d like to see some real formal debates between just four of the candidates (two affirmative, two negative). Just for fun here are some topics I’d like to see debated.
I’d like to see Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden take the affirmative and Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich the negative in the following proposition
Resolved: the U. S. should retain a troop presence in Iraq
I’d like to see Barack Obama take the affirmative and Chris Dodd the negative debating
Resolved: one term in the U. S. Senate is enough experience at the national level for a president.
I’d like to see any number of the Republican candidates debate whether a candidate’s character as reflected in his personal life is relevant to his candidacy for the presidency.
I’d like to see a debate on whether converting to a single-payer system alone i.e. without further healthcare reforms will correct the fiscal problems posed by aging Baby Boomers participating in the Medicare system.
Got any ideas for other debate topics?
