Let ’em Debate

Jim Lehrer deserves a break. If he made a mistake moderating the presidential debate, it wasn’t that he should have done more to rein in Romney and Obama. He should have done less.
 
The presidential debate, with its free-flowing format, was much more informative than the gubernatorial debate, which stuck to the stiff and stifling “two minutes and your time is up” style.
 
No moderator can keep the President of the United States and his challenger from dominating the debate. They are, by definition, dominating men.
 
So let ‘em have at it. Let them ask each other questions – like Jim Hunt and Jesse Helms did in 1984.
 
Lehrer’s biggest mistake was to keep asking: “Don’t you admit there’s a difference between you two on…” one issue or other. Well, gee, Jim: yes. That’s why they’re running against each other.
 
Let’s have a debate where Walter Dalton and Pat McCrory go at each other with no holds barred. We’d learn a lot more than we did the other night.
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Gary Pearce

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Let ’em Debate

Jim Lehrer deserves a break. If he made a mistake moderating the presidential debate, it wasn’t that he should have done more to rein in Romney and Obama. He should have done less.
 
The presidential debate, with its free-flowing format, was much more informative than the gubernatorial debate, which stuck to the stiff and stifling “two minutes and your time is up” style.
 
No moderator can keep the President of the United States and his challenger from dominating the debate. They are, by definition, dominating men.
 
So let ‘em have at it. Let them ask each other questions – like Jim Hunt and Jesse Helms did in 1984.
 
Lehrer’s biggest mistake was to keep asking: “Don’t you admit there’s a difference between you two on…” one issue or other. Well, gee, Jim: yes. That’s why they’re running against each other.
 
Let’s have a debate where Walter Dalton and Pat McCrory go at each other with no holds barred. We’d learn a lot more than we did the other night.
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Gary Pearce

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