Presidential Debates: Modern Day Gladiators

George Wenschhof

 

Prior, to the Colosseum being built in Rome, Gladiators would fight in many amphitheaters across the empire, providing they would hold an audience, who would always weigh in on whether a life should be spared.

Not all gladiator fights ended with a turned thumb by the emperor.  But, there was always clearly a winner in this brutal spectator sport.

Today, Television and Internet coverage of the U.S. presidential and vice president debates result in 60 million viewers, a twenty-first century version of the Colosseum.

The debates are held to assist voters in determining the candidates they will support to hold the highest elected positions in the United States.

But, like the gladiators of ancient Rome, the debates have turned into a brutal spectator sport and hardly a trustworthy means for a voter to determine how they should cast their ballot.

The first presidential debate moderated by PBS Jim Lehrer displayed a desperate Republican Mitt Romney, who behind in the polls, was on the attack. Romney gave his best chameleon impression with statements devoid of truth, always ending his remarks with a fake quirky smile as he gazed off to the left.

All the while, President Obama absorbed the blows and instead of striking back, stayed with his message.

What followed illustrates modern day politics dominated by campaign communication directors, pundits and special interest groups. The spin room, already in operation prior to the debate, was working full bore to tell the voters what they had just witnessed.

Campaign communication directors were busy prior, during and following the debate, highlighting to the media the positives of what their candidates had said during the debate.

NBC commentator Chris Matthews; a progressive, was quick to denounce Obama for not fighting back more fiercely during the debate, citing example after example of the purported lies put forward by Romney during the debate.

Republican friendly commentators touted Romney had found his voice and was back in the race.

The spin had taken hold with progressives critical of lies from Romney, who became disappointed with the performance by Obama. Conservatives, bolstered by the spin, were giddy over a  perceived lackluster performance by the President.

Subsequent polling reflecting the spin showed a tightening of the race in the battleground states with Romney and Obama essentially tied among most likely voters nationwide.

Next up was the only vice president debate with the spin influencing the tone of the debate which resulted in a slug fest.  Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Vice President Joe Biden did not disappoint.  Biden was to Ryan what Romney had been to Obama in the first presidential debate. 

Now, the spin masters are in full force and effect once again prior to the second of three presidential debates on October 16.  This debate will be a town hall forum with questions from undecided voters.

The candidate campaign staffs are now in a dizzy over the possibility moderator Candy Crowley of CNN may deviate from the agreed upon format and actually ask a follow up question, instead of merely serving as a prop for the questioners.

As the debate nears, Progressives and Conservatives are thirsting to see their candidate dominate the other in this debate.

Three presidential and one vice president debates in the month of October, prior to the November 6 election is one way to assist voters in determining their choice.

Democracy isn’t easy. But, unlimited campaign spending and the current presidential debate format leaves one longing for a better way.

We can do better.

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