Whatever the questions, neither of the candidates were obviously stumped. Why not pay a certain respect to a performance that includes no missed double-axles, at least?
Second, the questions were kind of bland, yes?
For instance, the entire discussion about energy was about how to create energy jobs.
It left me wishing that Ralph Nadar had been asking the questions. True, it seems to me that Nadar's perspective on such things as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have gone quite stale, he's able to hold forth on the core questions of energy policy, for instance, to put his finger far closer to the pulse of where the discussion needs to be, even if he's lost his sense of timing (or time has passed him by).
EDUCATION
If these "debates" have any import, beyond the careful scheming and watchful eye of the small minority of American political junkies, it's to elucidate.
Obama hasn't quite put into evidence that he can use his rhetorical skills to do that, quite the way that Reagan did or, certainly, Bill Clinton. You need that when you go to sell a legislative agenda to the public. It's critical, not just important.
THOSE QUESTIONS NOT ASKED
Still nothing about the pardon question - and now it it too late to ask - or how vigorously either candidate would seek to address the growing list of potential Bush-II era lawbreaking (including, most recently, the grave allegations that Rove was involved in yet another case of Texas-justice).
Nothing on how their administrations would handle the CIA, including taping of interrogations. Nothing on a pardon for either Bush or Cheney. Nothing on eliminating the abuse of "National Secrets".
Little or nothing on the supreme court or the administration of justice, in general. No effort to expound upon how profoundly the Reagan Devolution's systematic assault on the courts is changing (and undermining?) American Values just as surely as the Terri Shiavo case illustrated in a more visible context.
Nothing on homeland security and civil preparedness.
Nothing on the failed Bush legal-strategy, that is only now, in the last months of his administration, bringing the first (or very near to it) cases against "enemy combatants".
The list is long ...
Instead, we take time to worry about Hillary's change in tone (which has almost obvious explanation) or the Right's latest quasi wedge-issue, Farrakahn, both issues that will substantively amount to nearly nothing in even two weeks time ...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Morning After
