The so-called political debates of the 21st century are so far removed from traditional political debates as to be at best worthless and at their worst a potential threat to our democracy. Once a time-honored vehicle used to demonstrate the political and philosophical differences between candidates, debates have devolved into nothing more than opportunities for candidates without solid political policy stances to attack their opponents, spread falsehoods and create chaos. Forget the traditional rules and etiquette of debate, today's debates are no-holds barred debacles with moderators having no control over what happens once the cameras are rolling.
It would be much more beneficial to have a single candidate answering questions posed by a panel representing the major parties, in a dignified setting, with no shouting, no name calling, no circus atmosphere. The rational that "we've always done it this way" no longer stands the test of relevance. It's time to move on.
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Lou Terry
Green Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
