Political Debates

Are you watching? I have a few things to get off my chest and I know that I am getting old because of these comments:

First, Let me just say that when they host political debates on college campuses in the mid-west, those of us on the East coast are holding our eyes open with toothpicks in order to stay up. The debate started at 9 and was over at 11. I think I made it though the domestic policy issues and by then, well, I'd had enough. I had a choice to make -- another hour of this or my nice warm, cozy bed. I think you know what I chose.

Second, am I the only person in the world who hates the Town Hall format? Like I said, I must be a fuddy-duddy. Just stand behind a podium and talk to the American public. I think they were too busy wandering around the stage and not wanting to appear too stiff that they were just driving me CRAZY. Really, I do not want to see your back-side and the camera people had no idea where they would be going to next so we say their back-side almost as much as their front-side. It just appeared sloppy to me. Were they talking to the camera, the moderator, the audience. Tom Brokaw even had to ask them to move in order that he could read the teleprompter -- come-on now that is just sloppy.

What's up with the stop light? Is this not the craziest thing. I must be have a post-modern moment -- isn't it a bit ironic that there is the odd Stop light in the room that no one is paying any attention to -- that is except Tom. Not only do they not pay attention to the stop light at all, Tom even interrupts them and reprimands them for not "following the rules" -- are we in kindergarten? I guess I am too much of a "J" on the Myers-Briggs. I just want you to stop talking when its not your turn. Is it too much to ask you play nicely and talk when it's your turn. My goodness, I have to teach this conversational turn-taking to my 5 year old. I would have thought that two presidential candidates would have conquered this skill by now.

I must also mention that I am a terrible political pessimist. Really, I have no faith that either of these two POLITICIANS will be able to reform Washington, DC. How many times have we heard that? And all these great programs and no new spending and no new taxes -- sure I'll believe it when I see it.