Editorial Comment
Politics: Presidential debates aren't telling it all Is that all there is, is that all there is? It's an election year, folks. 2012. Lots of folks want to get President Obama out of the road, prevent his reelection, get the country back on track, lower taxes, reduce the deficit, create jobs, save Social Security, promote manufacturing and trade, eliminate poverty, lower gas prices, preserve the environment, save the world. Who you gonna call? Here's an idea--let's have a debate. No, better--let's have a lot --of debates. As the primary and election dates bear down upon us like a fast moving tsunami, we dread the prospect of debates as far as the eye can see, by a group of by now highly over-exposed presidential candidates none of whom we can become excited about. Of course, there are people running for the office that we know nothing about, because they don't meet the requirements of the debate masters, i.e., the Party, and the media gurus who conduct the questioning. For instance, unless a candidate reaches a certain level of financial contributions, and a certain percentage in the polls, he or she won't be invited to participate in the debate. Of course, without exposure in the media debates, it is not likely they will generate a lot of cash and polling enthusiasm. How fair is that? One candidate that we'd like to hear more from is former U.S. Congressman from North Louisiana and former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer, who is making a brave run for President on a platform which includes the refusal to accept PAC and special interest money, and no contribution over $100. In spite of being shut out of exposure on the debates, he is now polling about level with Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Michele Baughman. Think he'll be on a debate panel soon? Don't count on it. Yet anyone who has taken the trouble to listen on C-SPAN to his campaign speech in New Hampshire, or read his campaign email, would be impressed with his common sense approach to solving a lot of really big problems in Washington and the country without selling out body and soul to the special interest lobbies. We have given up on the game-show debates run by self-important media hosts and "gotcha" jabs from the candidates, unless someone decides to bring in candidates we haven't yet heard from. With all the air time, they could have at least one show with the outsiders, just to give the rest of the country an idea of who's out there. Even the all-American windbag Donald Trump got prime time talk. Is that all there is to a presidential campaign? To paraphrase an old commercial, There's got to be a better way. |