So we've had two general election 'debates' thus far, and we've less than a month to vote out the fascist and all his abettors. I'd rather have seen Sanders eviscerate the old nazi instead of an avuncular oligarch. But there we are. I did not watch the debates, because I've already voted, and honestly, I don't hate myself that much. But the one thing in common I'm hearing in most news reports is that the president, likely hopped up on who knows what managed to bleat and interrupt without let, despite the rules, and apparently his diminishing capacity to breathe. And while that capacity isn't diminishing fast enough for this kid, I still wonder at it.
I suppose it has to be in order to create who knows how much sensationalized drama that's good for ratings and click-throughs that bad actors are allowed to interrupt and ignore any debate's format. A bit like some Karen or Kevin bellowing through any argument about their privilege, or their right to spread plague, or the contents of their latte; only with a security clearance and access to nuclear codes. But I'm thinking to myself it surely doesn't serve the public trust or interest.
The point is to hear these peoples' thoughts and strategies on the issues at hand. And when it degenerates into incoherent tantrum or corporate businessbro style mansplaining and condescension when it's the other person's turn, we're all cheated of valuable information we need. Not that the current election is much of a difficult decision. The whole Nazis vs. All of us really hasn't been this much of a morally clear decision since Pearl Harbor or the Invasion of Normandy.
And I have to wonder who else is having the same thought as me.
Just mute his damn mike! What are you, stupid??
These politicians do not own our airwaves. Those are ours. They belong to us. They've been invited onto those airwaves and into our homes. Once this was understood. Politicians would actually THANK the public for allowing them into their homes this way, back in the day that the GOP would allegedly have us believe they want to take our mores back to. (You know. Back when DDT was safe, and you could hang people without that messy business of getting arrested for it.) Now the candidates and politicians seem to think they've a right to your senses and to shout whatever propaganda they feel like shovelling.
I mean at first I thought, 'Make this part of the debate format. Let them know that should they go over their alotted time, that their mike will be muted. You know. Like they do in congressional hearings and state assemblies who don't want to let a citizen speak.' But even that is conceding a little too much, strategically. And if you make it the pol's decision to shut up or get muted, then they have the argument, "The mean old media shut down my god given right to trample the rules and lie my ass off. Jail for the moderator! Jail for a thousand years!"
So you don't even give them that choice.
"Gentleman, thank you for coming to this, the first presidential debate of the 2020 general election. Ladies and gentlemen of the United States, as well as people around the world, thank you for allowing us to broadcast this debate to you and allowing us into your homes. Before we begin, I'd like to reiterate to the candidates before us that your answers and rebuttals will be limited to a specific time frame. When it is not your turn, or when your time has elapsed, your mike will be cut off. There will be no exceptions to this rule. If you have objections or complaints about this rule, the door is over there. But I want to make it plain, if one of you leave, the other is entirely free to stay, and continue without you. It's your choice to abide by these rules, or cede your time entirely to your opponent."
How hard is that? Apparently too hard since if the President doesn't have a chance to directly infect his challenger with a lethal disease, he's 'not going to waste his time' with a virtual debate. The former vice-president DID get ceded all the time slotted, and will do a town hall on ABC instead. The criminal in the white house responded by allegedly scheduling his own town hall. So we don't get any more debates. We instead get two different flavors of a propaganda show each. In the one that was cancelled, voters would apparently have got to ask questions. The president appears to have opted for a virtual rally on NBC instead. Cause nothing says power, strength and bravery than ducking hard questions, chickening out of an actual debate and relaxing into a comfortable Nazi rally like a hog in the mud.
Perhaps if we've all been good enough this year, and clap our hands hard enough, attrition will take care of matters for us.
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