Having read about the elaborate contract worked out between the W and Kerry camps about debate rules and formats, I figured that the upcoming debates would be pretty watered-down affairs with not much constructive back and forth discussion. However, I had no idea of the actual extent to which presidential debates have been corrupted until I came upon the page Top 10 Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know About the Debates. I am amazed at the audacity of the CPD presenting itself as an objective moderating organization; the rules and formats dictated by the CPD ensure that we’ll never have an actual debate that addresses real issues and allows for unscripted, candid responses from the candidates. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised, but it is a sad commentary on how managed and packaged the candidates’ messages have become…
Despite what I’ve read, I’ll at least tune in for tonight’s debate, perhaps even participating in Wonkette’s debate drinking game. 😉
Update: For those of you who missed it, the Washington Post has a complete transcript of last night’s debate.
