Poll Position: How many debates for a presidential primary?
Last night brought us the 19th or 22nd — depending on how you count them — GOP presidential debate of 2011-12. It was the second this week and sixth this month.
Mercifully, there won’t be another for almost four weeks.
To say the networks have had to strain to keep things fresh would be an understatement of Newt-ly grandiose proportions. We were only two debates into the schedule when moderators tried the “This or That?” gimmick (as in: Elvis or Johnny Cash?). Last night, we were treated to questions about such issues of immediate national importance as lunar exploration, Puerto Rican statehood and why each candidate thought his wife would make a good first first lady. (Note that CNN was responsible both for these and “This or That?”, as well as the infamous debate-opening exchange between Newt Gingrich and moderator John King in South Carolina last week about allegations by Gingrich’s second wife that he’d asked her for an “open marriage.”)
How many debates should there have been in the GOP primary?
- About half as many as there have been (56 Votes)
- Just a few (27 Votes)
- I wish there had been even more! (20 Votes)
- We've had just the right number (13 Votes)
Total Voters: 116
Loading ...My multiple references to Gingrich are not accidental. Each time he’s stumbled on the campaign trail, debate performances have brought him back to the fore. Rick Perry, by contrast, had arguably the best resume of any candidate but was undone by his stumbles (”Oops”) on the debate stages. It’s quite reasonable to wonder if, had there been only a couple of debates rather than almost a couple of dozen, Perry might not have been sitting in Gingrich’s place and vice versa. And because debating skills are valued in presidential campaigns out of all proportion to their utility in presidencies, one also wonders if the current arrangement is really best.
On the other hand, no one can argue they haven’t had an opportunity to watch the candidates tackling a variety of topics that test their grasp of the issues, ability to think on their feet, temperament and discipline. So, were voters well-served by having so many debates, or did the number of forums waste our time and the candidates?
That’s this week’s Poll Position question. Answer in the nearby poll and in the comments thread below.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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115 comments Add your comment
Linda
January 27th, 2012
2:40 pm
Obama has not even been confronted regarding his policies since he was elected. The last time he debated was against Clinton.
The folks that attend his speeches are screened. The rare times he’s in the White House briefing room, he chooses the reporters from whom he takes questions. The reporters he’s given interviews to follow his rules with pre-approved questions. I don’t recall his ever having to answer a single tough questions from the media.
Obama now has a “record.” He’s actually run something for the first time in his life: the country.
Any one of the Republican candidates will cream him in a debate. There is no way a mediator can prevent statements from being made. The Rep. candidate will bring up the facts that:
the natl. debt has almost doubled
there’s nothing to show for it
except the US credit rating has been downgraded
govt. spending has increased
fed. govt. employment has increased
the price of gas has gone up 84%
the price for electricity has increased
health care premiums have gone up 12.6%
Obamacare is unconstitutional
the unemployment rate has been higher every single month under Obama than it was under Bush
etc., etc., etc.
Obama is sensitive & arrogant. I don’t think he will survive a debate without loosing it completely—& he’ll blame it on Bush.
Kyle Wingfield
January 27th, 2012
2:43 pm
Snark: Did it take 18 debates for you to come to those conclusions?
Look, I’m not interested in the “is it good for Republicans” part of the argument. But at some point in this cycle’s process, the debates became largely a medium through which the campaigns aired those parts of their rivals’ dirty laundry which were hardest to rebut in 30 to 60 seconds. Even if you accept that illuminating the bad parts of the candidates’ backgrounds is a good and necessary part of an election — and I do — doing it in this format, with its limitations regarding time to explain situations, put them in context and establish the truthfulness of a claim, does not always or even usually amount to truly educating the public. It’s image management — managing your image, and your rivals’. It seems to me that’s at the heart of a lot of complaints about politics.
Dusty
January 27th, 2012
2:43 pm
Truth@2:03
I find it a bit satisfying to be classified as “rich” since you say the GOP represents the “rich”. Surely I shall toss my credit card and pay everywhere from the big fat roll of 100$ bills I shall flash from my designer purse as I stroll out to the RollsRoyce. I mean this is so much fun. I am so glad you told me this fact. Woohooo! Party time!! All us GOPers are RICH, babee!!
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
January 27th, 2012
2:52 pm
Regardless of who originally said it, Sarah Coulter, no one threatened the current Disaster-in-Chief.
Your childishness is unbecoming.
Dusty
January 27th, 2012
2:57 pm
Tiberius,
Don’t mind Sassy Sarah. She’s just angry ’cause she isn’t rich like us GOPers.
Linda
January 27th, 2012
3:25 pm
Obamamotors is coming out with a new all-electric car. It’s to be driven on sunny days during daylight hours. It will appeal to hot natured folks in the winter & cold natured folks in the summer. It will be marketed to non-smokers, people who like to read behind the wheel & people who travel in one direction on roads with no stop signs or traffic lights. It will be popular with athletes.
It will have no windshield wipers, no headlights, no heat, no air-conditioning, no cigarette lighter, no radio, no turn signals, no backup lights & no brake lights. Seats & windows will be manually operated.
Obamacar is designed to prevent any drainage on the battery.
It comes in both light green & dark green.
TRUTH
January 27th, 2012
3:40 pm
@Dusty 2:57 pm Thank you for proving my point. Obviously, your attempt at humor by claiming your instant “richness” indicates that you are struggling like the rest of us. I didn’t buy a house I could not afford. I have a job that has not provided an adequate raise in years (other than a 2% cost of living increase…massive fail), while our CEO and senior executives pocketed a few million in bonuses. I have a child in college that is WAY overpriced and carry him on my insurance. So you tell me, do Republicans stand for bettering the lives of ALL AMERICAN citizens and leveling the playing field for the middle class (which, might I remind you), YOU are a part of? Or will they continue to protect the rich…(which YOU AIN’T a part of)?
TRUTH
January 27th, 2012
3:41 pm
I meant @ Dusty 2:43….BABEE!!
Hillbilly D
January 27th, 2012
3:56 pm
Haven’t read all the posts but as some that I skimmed through said, 6 months is plenty of time to elect a President. We very quickly went from a 2 year cycle to what is now a 3 1/2-4 year cycle. Probably just a matter of time before people start running 5 years ahead. Is it any wonder people are disgusted with politicians?
Sarah Coulter
January 27th, 2012
3:56 pm
Tiberius,
Don’t mind Sassy Sarah. She’s just angry ’cause she isn’t rich like us GOPers.
**********************************************
Do you mean rich in spirit, Dirty Dusty?
**********************************************
Regardless of who originally said it, Sarah Coulter, no one threatened the current Disaster-in-Chief.
Your childishness is unbecoming.
*****************************************
He said it. So deal, jackhole. And your childishness has become so passé!
Michael H. Smith
January 27th, 2012
4:09 pm
Earth to moon colony… Earth to moon colony… come in Lord Newt.
To tell you the truth Kyle, at first thought I might have agreed that we have too many of these so-called debates but I’m starting to have second thoughts: Giving some of these candidate more airtime to show us all just how foolish and ridiculous the voters would be to elect some of them could save all us from future “grandiose right-wing out-of-this-world social engineering” failures.
Michael H. Smith
January 27th, 2012
4:14 pm
I hope everyone can be rich. More reason to vote the anointed one out of office. Nail if I’m late again Linda, but did any of you hear that obama is the first President since records have been kept on the GDP to not have had at least one quarter of 4% or better economic growth?
Linda
January 27th, 2012
4:18 pm
Michael, you’re on the wrong blog, but before you leave, read my 2 posts above. Do you prefer light green or dark green?
Michael H. Smith
January 27th, 2012
4:22 pm
Guess that means you brought that fact out already. On selection of cars: I prefer something non-UAW in money green.
@@
January 28th, 2012
7:07 am
If the campaign seasoned were shortened, the number of debates would follow suit. Having said that, the debates have only gotten better. Palin was right when she said steel sharpens steel.
This comment by Palin was priceless:
After Christie dubbed Gingrich an “embarrassment” to the Republican Party, Palin warned Christie not to get his “panties in a wad.”
“You know, sometimes, if your candidate loses in just one step along this path, as was the case when Romney lost to Newt the other night — and, of course, Romney is Chris Christie’s guy — well, you kind of get your panties in a wad, and you may say things that you regret later. And I think that that’s what Chris Christie did.”
She took it a step farther, saying the New Jersey governor, who has made his name as an in-your-face politician that frequently says eyebrow-raising things, demonstrated a “lack of self-discipline.”
Palin, 5′ 6″ 120lbs vs Christie, 5′ 11″ 350lbs???
YOU GO GIRL!!!!