A blog about world events, history, politics, technology, music, movies, and sports as well as anything else I may enjoy writing about.

Friday, September 07, 2007

Our Country is Stuck in 9th Grade

Here's what I observed during the Republican debate the other night in New Hampshire: a high school debate, with the exception of Ron Paul. It was painfully obvious how rehearsed the other candidates' answers were. Why is this a bad thing? Shouldn't candidates rehearse and prepare for debates? Sure...if they're in the 9th grade and arguing some position their teacher handed to their team. These people are competing for the office of the President of the United States. The candidates should be prepared for all the different types of questions they're going to be asked. This preparation should come from the natural preparation any candidate should be doing if he/she wants to be an effective president. However, you should be able to get up on stage and answer a question as if you're hearing it for the first time. We should be seeing that your beliefs are shaping an on the spot honest answer to the question, not that you've been practicing the answer, and your other talking points, in front of mirrors and your campaign staff for weeks. Why do campaigners continue to give these rehearsed answers? Because it is effective. The public is mentally stuck around the age of 14, so the candidates play to this and give answers that appeal to the public's level of thinking. Ron Paul's success in the online community indicates that the level of critical thinking of politically active internet users is higher than that of the rest of the country. I hope I'm wrong. Hopefully there is a huge movement throughout the country that is being ignored by the media and their (bullshit?) opinion polls. Part of the problem is certainly the format of these debates: many candidates, many topics, and limited time for answers. Their answers often have to be short and to the point, thus not giving them the opportunity to expand into further detail. However, something insightful can be said in 90 seconds as Ron Paul continually proves. The front running candidates most likely see this debate format as a blessing. In a longer format, Guiliani would be exposed as a one-dimensional candidate with a mantra. Hell, during last night's debate the people watching the debate said all Guiliani seems to do is talk about what he did as mayor of New York and they were very disappoined with him. Imagine what their reaction would be if he spoke for twice or thrice as long. Romney, whom I see as a very intelligent and shrewd man, would be hurt by a longer amount of speaking time because it increases the probability that he will contradict himself within the same answer. The guy is a sheister much in the same way the people who really run this country are. Expect to see the GOP and the mainstream media eventually give him the push as the Republican candidate. If McCain were to give longer answers and were to have his answers challenged by follow-ups, he'd slip into a level of incoherence similar to what happened to him on the Daily Show a couple of months back that would make any sane person say this guy is not fit to be president. Many people I'm sure will disagree with most of this. They will say rehearsal shows that a candidate is putting in the necessary preparation that voters should expect of him/her for a debate. But if this well-rehearsed individual is elected president, the individual will often not have the opportunity to rehearse the answers to certain unexpected questions from foreign leaders and dignitaries. I'm looking for someone whose beliefs guide his actions and is sharp enough to give an answer on his feet when the situation so requires. Ron Paul is the only candidate in the Republican party, and dare I say both parties, with dynamism in his answers. I never get the feeling that the answer he's giving to a question has been rehearsed in front of a mirror or touched up by campaign advisers to maximize effect on voters. He has a core set of beliefs and a great understanding of the issues that are vital to our country, and he uses that information to form a unique answer to every question. Next time you watch one of these debates, from either political party, look at and listen to each candidate's answers and ask yourself if this person must've rehearsed this answer dozens of times.

1 comments:

gittlebass said...

I also like how fox news was trying their hardest to smear ron paul with the questions. its painfully obvious how scared the neo-cons are of an actual republican. the post interview with hannity was laughable, he's such a piece of shit. theres a great documentary that came out in the 90's called spin. its all about this shit. its awesome.