Debate?

 

 

I told you last week I would not be watching even a minute of either political party’s conventions. I’ve kept my word.

You see, I was waiting for the planned three debate format pitting the two major candidates for president. I figured those would be the most interesting events. You know…getting to see the two candidates go head-on-head on the issues….

But the Speaker of the House is weighing in on that tradition. Televised presidential debates go back 60 years. I’ve studied the Kennedy Nixon debates. They were decisive in that race. It’s a given there should be debates, right?

Nancy Pelosi suggested yesterday that the Democratic challenger should cancel the debates because the incumbent would “belittle” the forum and engage in “skullduggery.”

I have a question. Wouldn’t that conduct be totally visible to the electorate and swing the election?

I couldn’t disagree with her more. In fact, it is the second time in the last week that I found advice for the challenger to be disturbing. Former nominee Hillary Clinton also had some political advice. She said the challenger shouldn’t concede the race under any circumstance. I take that to mean even if he clearly lost the election.

Both ideas are patently un-American.

The aforementioned JFK once said:

“Without debate, without criticism, no country can succeed—and no republic can survive.”

 Agreed.