Debates

With all of the absurdity of the televised presidential debates and interviews lately I am left yearning for a simpler, and yet more entertaining, time. Recently the television and broadband waves have been filled with the CNN YouTube debates and the Kerry debacle at the University of Florida, and I am left wondering...seriously? For those of you who are out of the loop on this one, at a recent campus forum for John Kerry's presidential campaign an overzealous student who refused to leave the question podium was tasered by campus police. What ever happened to a classy, respectful debate? Also, after the uproar of a UCLA student being tasered for attempting to enter the library without an i.d. card, how could the U of F campus police not learn that tasering students- especially in front of video cameras- is just a bad idea? It seems a bit excessive, even for a presidential candidate forum, and even if the guy was being a jerk.

The YouTube debate, on the other hand, focused on questions in the form of online video submissions and moderated by Anderson Cooper; with one debate for Democratic candidates and one for Republicans. While I applaud the ingenuity of this idea and the ability to have legitimate questions answered as opposed to scripted audience members asking pre-approved questions, I am reminded of the fact that they still have the ability to chose which submitted questions are asked and aired. I would like some real debate please.

With the outlandishness of these forums and debates I long to return to the time of Bill Clinton's MTV presidential candidate forum. It offered a unique setting that allowed and encouraged college-age men and women to become interested and involved in US politics. It also provided a forum for students and young adults to ask questions relevant to them and connect with the candidate- Clinton- in a way more relevant to them. When was the last time someone asked Obama or Thompson their underwear preference during a debate?