Two Iowas - When Debates Are Not Debates
Two hours, two debates, two disappointments: The Des Moines Register Debates from Iowa will push pundits to find a lead for their new stories and blogs. The format/moderator, which led yesterday's GOP no-news debate won't be enough today. The format didn't fundamentally change and results were similar -- muted repetitions of known candidate positions; so what's the news? The format of linear "interchange" again throttled at least some of the characteristics we'd like in debate, simply stated: DEBATE. [In fairness, the moderator had some flashes of personality today]
Candidates are often advised in debates to recognize that many viewers are first-timers who will hear their stance. Certainly that's good advice since even in the three main-stage presidential debates, after months of coverage, large numbers of "yet to be informed" are reached.
This advice, however, seems a misread of what was needed with the Iowa Register debates. They were more repetitions of candidate stump speeches than fresh information; and that is just not enough for these debates.
: democatic debate, Iowa, format
In a state like Iowa the campaign has been raging for months. Fatigue might better capture caucus-goers' mindsets than needing to know what comprised these debates. The pundits have heard all this before, so nothing new there. And the rest of the country is not watching, certainly not at 2 pm on a work day.
First Read had it right, as they observed during the Democratic debate today.
IA -- The debate has really turned into free TV ads for these candidates. On energy, Obama talks about going to Detroit to give his speech on fuel efficiency; Dodd talks about his advocacy for a carbon tax; and Hillary remarks about her cap-and-trade proposal. Without any challenges or rebuttals to their messages, this is free advertising...
"Learning" from debates is more than hearing policy stances. Interaction among the candidates, including how they respond to other's statement (quality of mind) and how they treat each other (character and leadership), are informative artifacts. The format of each candidate sequentially responding to stilted questions tended to take interchange out of the debate. In the debates the candidates themselves on occasion rose about the format to have some levity. Most of the Democratic candidates seemed relaxed, and Fred Thompson got the best line in the GOP affair.
