Tim_Skubick's Blog

Can you contribute 360 minutes of your time to our democracy?      

This is not a pitch to do anything partisan.  It is a call to watch the three presidential and one vice presidential debates.       

John McCain and Barack Obama go head to head in the first one Friday, September 26th.      

The debates are so useful because they are unedited, unscripted, and they are not thirty second commercials. The media filters none of it---It’s just you and the candidate.     

Here’s a viewer’s guide on what to look for.     

First of all don’t waste any energy objecting to the anchor’s questions.  In the first meeting PBS anchor Jim Lehrer will handle those chores.  He’ll be fair which is why he was picked.  Viewers get all up in arms because the questioner “seems” to favor one candidate over another.  That’s baloney.     

It is Lehrer’s job to frame questions that break new ground; that give you a chance to see if these guys can think on their feet and evaluate how they handle the stress of battle.

The best debate approach is no rules, no time limits, and the freedom for both candidates to go back and forth.  There will be a little bit of that Friday night, but frankly note enough.

In the first V.P. debate the restrictions are tighter at the insistence of the McCain camp. You can figure out why they did not want a free form free for all involving Sarah Palin.   

Don’t get sucked in if there is a magic moment in the debates.  These tend to dominate the news coverage, but if you focus on the “knock out punch” you’ll miss the rest of the content which gives you a complete picture of the candidate.    

“I knew John Kennedy, and you’re no John Kennedy.” 

“Where’s the beef?”

“I’m not going to exploit for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”      

These classic lines told you nothing about the presidential qualifications of the men who uttered then.      

Finally listen for honesty.  Sometimes the best answer is, “I don’t know."      

Who you want to have a beer with is not an issue. And it is not about who wore the best tie and suit and who performed the best.  After all we are not electing a host for Dancing with the Stars.

Here’s a toughie.  Try to open your mind.  Suspend your biases and just listen.      

You can tune-in the post debate commentary.  These folks can spot flip-flops, inconsistencies, and provide a nuance or two that might help in your final decision.  But make sure you sample a variety of opinions not just your favorite station, and ignore the spin doctors from each camp.      

And bring the kids in to watch even if they can’t vote.  They will someday and you can set a good example and help our democracy at the same time.

Watch and enjoy.