After reviewing the transcript from last night’s debate I compiled a quick summary of the questions asked and by Charles Gibson and George Stephanapoulus. While some might nitpick about how I summarized the basic topics of the questions Mr. G and Mr. S asked, I don’t think I’m too off base on any of them. Here’s my summary:
1. Will you offer loser the VP – Gibson (G)
2. Obama’s “bitter” comment – G
3. Can Obama beat McCain (to Clinton) – Stephanopoulus (S)
4. Can Clinton win (to Obama) – S
5. Wright question (to Obama) – G
6. Wright question (to Clinton) – G
7. Several Wright questions (to Obama) – S
8. Why don’t people trust you/ Tuzla question (to Clinton) – S
9. Has Clinton been truthful (to Obama) – S
10. Flag question/patriotism (to Obama) – G
11. Flag question/patriotism/Ayers (to Obama) – S
12. Questions on Plan to get out of Iraq (to both) – G
13. Iran questions re attack on Israel (to both) – S
14. Economy questions (Will you raise taxes?) (to both) – S
15. Raise Capital Gains Tax questions (to both) – G
16. Soc. Sec. Taxes (to Obama) – G
17. Guns/2nd Amend. Questions (to both) – G
18. Affirmative Action question (to both) –S
19. Gas Prices/Energy policy questions (to both) – G
20. How would you use Dubya as advisor/other role (to both) – G
21. Undecided Superdelegate question (to both) – G
By my count, the vast majority of the questions were about “horse race” issues (Tuzla, Wright, flag pins, poll numbers, electability, etc.). When the economy came up it was either along the lines of tax questions and/or gas prices. There was only a few questions about Iraq and Iran, one about gun rights, one about affirmative action (hardly a burning issue in this election), and one really stupid question about how they would use George W. Bush’s experience as president if they won the election in November.
Here’s a few topics that neither Gibson or Stephanopoulus covered with their questions to Clinton and Obama last night (though the candidates did occasionally sneak in some discussion of them in answer to some of the other questions). This is not an exhaustive list, and the topics for which no questions were asked is set forth in no particular order:
Global Warming, New Orleans Reconstruction, Health Care, Veterans Benefits (New GI Bill or Health Benefits), Defense Spending, National Debt, Trade Issues, Environmental issues (not about global warming), Regulatory Agency scandals and problems, Financial markets, Worldwide Food Crisis, Darfur, Pakistan, Somalia, North Korea, NATO, Russia, China, Nigeria, Venezuela, Drugs, Unemployment, Mortgage crisis, Bush administration Crimes and Scandals, Torture, Guantanamo Bay and other detention facilities, Loss of Civil Rights (Electronic surveillance, FISA, Habeas Corpus), Infrastructure issues, Gay Rights, Race (except as it came up re: Reverend Wright), Immigration
So it wasn’t just that the questions asked were framed in the same manner that FOX News moderators would have done, nor was it the adversarial tone of the questions and the attempts to gin up fake controversies. What really made this debate shameful and a complete waste of any potential voter’s time was that there was simply little if any debate on the substantive issues of this campaign. This was the real travesty of last night’s debate: that it was concerned primarily with trivial matters that have little if any bearing on the important issues affecting most Americans. I can just imagine how awful the debates this Fall with McCain will become, if this is the template for future televised political debates in our country.
Frankly, we’d have been better off without any moderators – just let the candidates go at it in the fashion of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Because it seems to me we’d get a better debate eliminating these “gotcha style” media types from any future participation in choosing the questions whatsoever. Certainly it couldn’t be any worse without them.
