PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES CAN BE INVALUABLE

The Daily Democrat

Editorial
Friday, October 1, 2004

Debates need to be more about substance over style. It's our hope future debates will focus on national issues instead of political rhetoric.

So, are you talking about the presidential debates today? Remember this is the first of three and it's our hope they continue to deal with substance over style.

Presidential debates are often great political theater as we saw last night, even if not substantive. What political junkie can forget Ronald Reagan turning to President Carter in 1980 to say: "There you go again"? Or President George H.W. Bush in 1992 checking his watch, as if he were ready to go home?

That said, we hope the remaining debates between Bush and Kerry are much ado about real issues affecting the nation. We've heard way too much about Vietnam, Swift Boat Veterans, and service in the National Guard. Too much of this campaign has been about the politics of personal destruction and not about the future of America.

With five weeks before Election Day, voters deserve a full airing of the issues: Health care, homeland security, Social Security, the economy, the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Presidential debates aren't exactly set up with the public interest in mind. Arrangements are quietly controlled by the Republican and Democratic parties.

George Farah is founder and executive director of an organization called Open Debates , established to advocate for a more independent process. He notes that the Commission on Presidential Debates , sponsor of the upcoming forums, is a private corporation created by the major parties. The parties seized control of the debates from the League of Women Voters in 1988, Mr. Farah says. The commission co-chairmen are Frank Fahrenkopf and Paul Kirk - former heads of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

The commission accedes to the demands of the major-party candidates, which often means limiting town-hall forums (there's only one this year) and excluding third-party candidates.

Americans deserve to see the candidates in a forum most likely to elicit information and test background, expertise and other skills. Judging by the show on TV last night, it's our hope that before the next presidential campaign the parties will give way in favor of a more independent process.