Election '08: Not Another Debate Analysis
⊆ 12:09 PM by A. Liebendorfer | barack , debate , democrats , foreign policy , human , jessica biel , john mccain , obama , politics , president . | ˜ 0 comments »This isn't punditry. A college freshman offering political punditry is almost as absurd as punditry taking over mainstream media. Knowing well that the debates we're on last night, I was cringing at the thought of waking up and seeing armies of self-proclaimed bloggers-turned-news hubs give their thoughts on how the debates went. So far, it has been kept to a minimum (I was relieved to see a series on pro wrestling) but just to clarify, I am NOT going to play scoreboard in presidential politics.
The impressions that I got from watching the debates this morning, however, took me aback. If you didn't have a chance to devote the hour or so Friday night (I call that weekly block of time "kick-off"), I suggest finding it on YouTube. During the day, more and more posts became more accessible.
In some advanced wisdom, I remember taking the 2004 debates seriously. They didn't make a lick of difference to me as a high school freshman, but they seemed noteworthy. I even remember staying up a little later to see one or two in 2000.
It was watching these discolored videos on YouTube that made me realize how grave things are getting on a national level. While , a few of us Scripps freshmen were sitting on College Green lamenting about the future of our majors. "It's depressing to hear the professors talk," was said, and I remember saying, "It's like we're getting bachelors in Unemployment, minoring in Useless."
I was taught that debates were about more than just content and regurgitating figures and slamming people, but the candidates themselves. The debate videos had piqued my curiosity; I took a glance at videos from past debates.
Then it occurred to me: There's a reason plastic caricature masks of Kerry and Bush were so trendy for Halloween 2004. Amidst the typical "actually, my words were..." and "my opponent's plan..." were a lot of Bush's thoughtful pauses and Kerry's "my fellow Americans"'s. Politicians were politicians and life was good.
In last night's debate, two people stood behind two podiums and relayed their thoughts. Watch the videos again. You can feel the weight of the world squeezing the politics out of them. Suddenly McCain really was old, and Obama really was young and impulsive. McCain lectured a little bit and, if you listened closely, Obama snorted into the microphone once or twice.
Both men scrambled to fit and defend details of their plans into the allotted time. Moderator Jim Lehrer pointed out that though time was being swapped between them pretty equally, both candidates were using much more than their five minutes.
By the ease and eloquence in their speech, I don't think the slow pace was tactic. Rather, it showed that we now have people who connect with Americans and care.
I'm no more optimistic about the state of our country. I'm still not used to personal candidates, and it worries me, but in the same token, come January, there's going to be a little more work be done on Pennsylvania Avenue.
So, to parody Eliot:
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but passionate politicians
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