The first GOP debate is next month. It will be on Fox News and Fox is limiting it to the top 10 candidates in the polls. I agree that 16 people on stage is to unruly. Viewers will have trouble remembering who said what. I think 10 is even too many. I would have gone a different and do what European soccer has done for decades: multiple divisions.
I would use the polls just like Fox is doing and also what the BCS had been doing. I would have the 1 to 4 debate at Fox, 5-8 at CNN, 9-12 at MSNBC, and 13-16 at C-SPAN. The top three divisions can rotate for the second and third debate alas college football style. C-Span is the minor bowl. By the four debate there should be less than 12 left and we can regroup. But after each of the first debate the grouping maybe different as the poll result maybe different. This would be like the relegation of European soccer leagues where the top three in each division move up and the bottom three move down. With only four players, each player can give the viewers a much better sense of their personality and ideas. If they do well in a debate, they can move up or if they do poorly they move down. If you have not move up to the top two division after 3 debates you are sunk anyway.
Right now with a lot of people on stage, thing can get messy. Can you imagine Trump refusing to yield the floor and 9 guys trying to talk over him? I would use soccer rules again where a moderator can issue a yellow card if someone refuses to stop after the whistle blows indicating time is up. Two yellows means a red card and you are escorted off the stage. This will insure more civility and more debates on issues rather than name calling. Of course the GOP is not known to like international things so soccer rules may not work here. So 15 yard penalties or 2 minutes in the penalty box may have to be used against anyone who does not behave!
Sunday, July 26, 2015
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This was a pretty funny post, Unfortunately soccer rules are still foreign to Americans so I doubt this would ever work! I think what they should do is have 4-8 person debates and spread the debates over 2-4 nights, with the lower polled candidates going first, culminating in the highest ones on the last night.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I don't even know why anyone would throw their hats in the ring at this point. It's a waste of money and it takes some of these candidates away from their day jobs. I also think that if you intend to run, that you should resign your current position. I don't know how governors can effectively run their states and run for president at the same time.
-LBOAYM
Well, I don't know why they have the debates so early. I am no fan of the primaries where Iowa, New Hampshire and other early states have a bigger say in the nomination. But at least it weeds out some of the people who are not contenders. These early debates are irrelevant since most of the nation are not going to vote early. They should just debate in Iowa and other early states and have the networks summarize how everyone did. I am sure whole bunch of people would show up in some high school in Iowa to listen to candidates with 1% in the polls. I don't think the rest of the country cares at this point.
ReplyDeleteI don't think a candidate should resign his post to run. This would decrease the chances of someone like Obama who was a first term senator to run. People who have been in office several terms would more likely to resign to run then. I think the ability to multi-task would be a good indication of the ability of a candidate. So if someone ignores his duty as a senator or governor while running then the voters should take note.
Speaking of candidates, I am appalled by Huckabee's statement that the Iran deal is like taking Israel to the oven. If I am an Israeli, I would be offended. This is like saying Israel is incapable of defending itself against Iran. Even if one believes that the deal is not good, there is no reason to believe that Israel can't defend itself. Israel has multiple nuclear weapon and is by far the strongest nation in the middle east. My money is on Israel in a war against Iran or any other enemy. To say that another Holocaust is pending is insulting to Israel.
I am not sure about Mike Huckabee. For a guy that had unsuccessful runs for the presidency, he sure is popular. He's gotten more outrageous over the years, since he's on TV. So, it doesn't surprise me that he made the comments he made. But, he should know better that you should never equate anything to the Holocaust. In this instance, I wonder how the Israelis are reacting to this. I'm not even sure that his comments are big news there.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of being in office while running, I remember when Al Gore was running for president and the USS Cole was attacked. I thought that he should have told the press that he had to stop campaigning and get to work. Even though he probably wouldn't have much to do about it, I think that it would have made him look presidential.
You are right that the debates are too early. Though I guess at some point, you have to eliminate some candidates. Maybe they should have the debates at the convention. I just think that the reason they do these primaries is because of tradition. Plus, it makes the people in Iowa and New Hampshire feel special!
-LBOAYM