Spring Break
Political debate, or audition?
Sam Chenkin
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Ed-Op
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I watched the debate from a truly remarkable vantage - the campaign offices of Sen. Biden, with his top staff around me. I expected it to be a fascinating experience, a look at real politics, without all the spin and glitter and construction paper hearts we see. And it was, but not for the reasons I had expected.
To be honest, none of the candidates said anything particularly interesting, nothing I haven't heard before in their stump speeches. Sen. Biden (Disclaimer: I like him) is the only candidate who said anything that even made me sit up and listen, and he was talking about the situation in the Middle East, not his politics.
Instead I saw Clinton give a nuanced, if not eloquent, response to a difficult question, and get cut to shreds for it. I saw her getting more ruffled by the moment. I saw Obama lose any poise he has thus far displayed in the campaign. I saw Kucinich forced to admit he saw a UFO. These stuck with me. I found myself disliking Clinton. I began to see Obama as his opponents would have me: a young man, too young to lead, heady with newfound fame. I felt moved by these debates, reaffirmed, challenged, stimulated.
Then I watched Chris Mathews. I witnessed him forcing politicians to give one-word answers to difficult questions. I saw him attempt to bait Senator Biden into talking about Clinton's gaffe, as I watched Biden's campaign begging him under their breath to stay away from the issue. I watched them hiding their faces in their hands, waiting for it to be over. Biden was the only candidate who said anything memorable Tuesday night, and they were terrified that a single sentence here would bring all that down, a sentence that would have no bearing on his ability to be president. It was then I realized that all of this is a farce.
Debates, especially at the primary level, are nothing more than an opportunity for candidates to show off their ability to avoid getting into trouble. Nothing of substance is ever said, and there are no questions the candidates aren't prepped for.
To be honest, none of the candidates said anything particularly interesting, nothing I haven't heard before in their stump speeches. Sen. Biden (Disclaimer: I like him) is the only candidate who said anything that even made me sit up and listen, and he was talking about the situation in the Middle East, not his politics.
Instead I saw Clinton give a nuanced, if not eloquent, response to a difficult question, and get cut to shreds for it. I saw her getting more ruffled by the moment. I saw Obama lose any poise he has thus far displayed in the campaign. I saw Kucinich forced to admit he saw a UFO. These stuck with me. I found myself disliking Clinton. I began to see Obama as his opponents would have me: a young man, too young to lead, heady with newfound fame. I felt moved by these debates, reaffirmed, challenged, stimulated.
Then I watched Chris Mathews. I witnessed him forcing politicians to give one-word answers to difficult questions. I saw him attempt to bait Senator Biden into talking about Clinton's gaffe, as I watched Biden's campaign begging him under their breath to stay away from the issue. I watched them hiding their faces in their hands, waiting for it to be over. Biden was the only candidate who said anything memorable Tuesday night, and they were terrified that a single sentence here would bring all that down, a sentence that would have no bearing on his ability to be president. It was then I realized that all of this is a farce.
Debates, especially at the primary level, are nothing more than an opportunity for candidates to show off their ability to avoid getting into trouble. Nothing of substance is ever said, and there are no questions the candidates aren't prepped for.
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