The Poet's Eye
commentary by Lightning
Rod
the Poets' Eye is skeptical
without being cynical, innocent without being naive and critical without being
judgmental
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America
loves ritual combat. As we slip into the age of empire, like Rome, we
have become enamored with things gladiatorial. Witness professional sports
(wrestling included) and American Idol and Survivor. And the presidential
debates. Lou Dobbs of CNN has the temerity to refer to them as "so-called
debates," and "presidential presentations."
The rules for the debates, set out in a 32 page document authored by teams
led by veteran Democratic lawyer Vernon Jordan for Kerry and the Bush
family's go-to guy, former Secretary of State James Baker, wring any possibility
of true debate from these ceremonies.
Even before the Democratic candidate was chosen, this writer predicted
that if Bushco even deigned to participate in a series of debates, the
format would be so structured as to allow for no actual discourse.
These debates will be no more than dog and pony shows. They amount to
no more than tandem stump speeches. The candidates cannot address one
another, there are no follow-up questions, no third party candidates present
and no audience reaction shots allowed. The details are specific down
to who can be in the wings and what the temperature will be in the auditorium.
There's even a coin flip clause.
Imagine if boxing were a non-contact sport. Just two guys in shorts out
there shadow dancing without ever coming to blows. This is what our presidential
debates will be-- two little rich boys who are both afraid of getting
a black eye.
The Encyclopedia Britannica describes debate as:
"formal, oral confrontation between two individuals, teams, or groups."
There will be no confrontation in Bush-Kerry "debates," because
the parties know that one false statement or faux pas or drop of sweat
can turn this election around.
When I see debates, I want the spit to fly and I want to see blood on
the mat. I don't want them to be gentlemanly affairs, completely arranged
and conducted by the dualist's seconds.
In boxing there is at least the pretext of real combat. This fight is
more like professional wrestling than it is like boxing. If the outcome
is not pre-arranged, at least the choreography is planned. If the fans
buy it, that's all that counts. After all, the debates are not so much
a contest as they are a show.
The Bush campaign wouldn't even agree to a town hall type format unless
they could hand-pick the audience. God forbid that the common man should
be able to question those on high. They might ask questions like, "Mr.
President, why are we spending a quarter trillion dollars on bad wars
while I don't have proper health insurance?" So to avoid this kind
of embarrassment, they insisted on being able to pack the audience with
shills. When they took the debates away from the League of Women Voters
they should have given them to the World Wrestling Federation. It would
have been a better show.
The Lincoln-Douglas debates
went on for hours. The combatants didn't wear gloves. There were no pre-arranged
rules. It was Mano y Mano. In the presidential debates of the past, at
least the candidates were allowed to address each other.
The Poet's Eye sees that our presidential debates are a charade, much
as our whole electoral process is a charade. Welcome to the world of professional
wrestling.
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