September 26, 2004

Political Debates Akin to Picking Wings Off Flies

If you enjoy picking wings off flies, then you will have a hootenanny during the upcoming presidential debates between Republican and Democratic candidates:

• Sept. 30 – University of Miami moderated by PBS News Hour anchor Jim Lehrer.
• Oct. 8 – Washington University (St. Louis) moderated by ABC News anchor Charles Gibson.
• Oct. 13 – Arizona State University moderated by CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer.

One vice-presidential debate – likely the most interesting – will be at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland) on Oct. 5, moderated by PBS News Hour correspondent Gwen Ifill.

The three-hour question-and-answer format has been arranged (I almost said, set up) by the self-appointed Commission On Presidential Debates.

Co-chairmen of the organization are lawyers. Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., was chairman of the Republican National Committee 1983-89. Paul G. Kirk, Jr., was chairman or treasurer of the Democratic National Committee also 1983-9.

The debate commission is funded by private foundations and is comprised of an equal number of nationally recognized Republicans and Democrats.

Suggestion to Ralph Nader and the scores of other "independent" candidates – start your own debate commission, and invite Bush and Kerry. Just kidding, folks.

Bipartisan advocates set about from U.S. day-one to advance the two-party political system despite efforts by the Constitution’s authors to avoid "factions."

Regardless of alleged faults, the two-party winner-take-all system works well in a nation comprised of immigrants, or descendants, from every ethnic and cultural group in the world.

A multi-party system attempting to represent every nuance of political advocacy – like those of some European nations – would be bedlam in the United States.

The notion of political debates stems from those between Abraham Lincoln and U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas in the Fall of 1858. Douglas sought reelection. Lincoln was an unknown country lawyer who tried to unseat him.

The paramount issue was slavery. Sen. Douglas had sponsored the bill repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibiting slavery north of the 36th parallel.

Lincoln, along with many others from the Democratic and Whig parties, opposed extension of slavery. They formed a third party called Republican. Lincoln was chosen to oppose Democrat Douglas in Illinois.

Responding to Douglas’ speeches after the fact, Lincoln wrote him suggesting they speak together on the single issue of slavery. Douglas, who endorsed "popular sovereignty," agreed reluctantly.

The two candidates thereafter met around the state on seven occasions. The appearances averaged three hours in length and were well attended.

Lincoln won the popular vote by a slight margin. However, a Democratic splinter candidate’s vote -- combined with the Douglas vote -- prevailed in the State legislature which elected U.S. senators in those days.

Presidential debates resumed with the 1960 race between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. This was the first televised confrontation.

Nixon was late in reaching the studio and did not have time for make up. He is widely believed to have lost because his "five o’clock shadow" whisker growth was unflattering.

Thereafter, the political debate format was devised for entertainment and the maximum attention span of viewers – two debates, 90 minutes each, limited opening statements, limited response periods to questions asked or screened by moderators.

Debates now are a smorgasbord of traps. How do the candidates look? Will they mispronounce a word? Will they be caught in a statistical error? Will they lose their cool?  Will they be nonplussed by an opponent’s one-liner?

Walter Mondale, a middle-aged senator, knew he had lost in 1984 when Ronald Reagan responded to a hint that he was aged. Reagan asserted, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience."

Body language often is more telling than words. The first President Bush lost ground in his debate with Bill Clinton by looking at his watch as if bored.

Al Gore was judged unfavorably by heaving deep sighs, and rolling his eyes, when Gov. George W. Bush spoke.

Famous newscaster Walter Cronkite, describes modern presidential debates as "sabotage of the Constitution."

Today, reason is replaced by rhetoric. Most people watch political debates as ancient Romans watched gladiators -- to see someone get skewered.

The Lincoln-Douglas format was instructive. Today’s "debates" are merely show biz with sound bites.

Let the candidates be candidates.

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at linwms@lindseywilliams.org