<p>Is it just me, or do the Republican and Democratic debates contain absolutly no substance?</p>
<p>Look at the behavior of the media at these “debates”. For the most part, the candidates are more than capable of giving nuanced substantive policy answers to serious quesions. However, they cannot do that with “raise your hand” questions or 30-second “lightning rounds”. </p>
<p>The only question about health care asked at the most recent Democratic debate was a 30 second lightning round question about how to increase the pay for doctors! Of course, we wouldn’t want to take away from asking candidates what they will wear for Halloween. My god.</p>
<p>The irony is that regular American people (i.e. those who don’t spend their lives on the Georgetown cocktail circuit) are very interested in issues based campaigns.</p>
<p>IMO, the American people need to express extreme displeasure with the shameful behavior of the national media.</p>
<p>BTW, one of the best ways to hear more substantive answers is to track down the audio and video podcasts of candidate interviews with the editorial boards of local newspapers. The local papers tend to ask real questions about real issues.</p>
<p>Also, many of the candidates have video and transcripts available at their websites of the major policy speeches – on health care, energy, foreign policy, etc.</p>
<p>Ron Paul said we’ve never faced an attack so imminent that we didn’t even ahve time to round up the freaking Congress. The question was about whether or not the President needed Congress’s approval to go to war.</p>
<p>The neo-cons were making it sound like the world was an episode of 24, and in the 2 hours it would take to round up congress, we’d all be dead.</p>
<p>Haha, the comparison of the world to “24” was pretty funny. Plus that is such an argumentative tactic that holds no weight. Take someone’s overall position and try to come up with an off-the-wall scenario to make it seem idiotic. I believe that is a fallacy which is what debates are supposed to uncover - not create.</p>
<p>Re: post 319 I never argue with a college student, they know everything and are never wrong.</p>
<p>Ok, it looks like the Ron Paulites have a date set for the next money bomb. December 16th. All people interested in Ron Paul, please note to donate on this day. I wouldn’t doubt if we could raise over 6 million in one day and destroy Hilary’s one day donation record.</p>
<p>Re: post 325…We’re wrong when we’re wrong and right when we’re right. This time one just happened to be right and the other fairly transparent. But let’s no one argue that point. :)</p>