Presidential Debates Before Election

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The Presidential Debates

October 19, 2000.

By T.S.Khanna

According to the polls, even after the third presidential debate a large number of voters are unable to choose the candidate. It shows that the voters have not been able to clearly grasp the major issues, position of each candidate with respect to the issues, election time promises, and accountability during the office tenure.

Most of those who are already decided in their vote are the loyalists of their respective political parties. Their decisions do not depend on the new information or knowledge generated by the presidential debates. It seems that more of the party loyalists are turning to be party fanatics to the detriment of the national interests.

In view of the experience, I wonder about the usefulness of the adopted process for the presidential debates and would propose some amendments:

1. Each candidate may be required to issue an Election Paper defining and explaining, a) the major issues facing the nation, b) the candidate’s vision of the nation in the next twenty years, c) the candidate’s plans, strategies, budgets, and programs to elevate the nation to his/her twenty-year vision with specific goals to be achieved in each of the five four-year time periods, and, d) measures of the candidate’s performance and the framework of accountability.

2. The Election Paper may be available to voters at least six weeks in advance of the scheduled first Presidential Debate. Two weeks prior to the first debate, each candidate may issue a critique on the opponent’s Election Paper.

3. All the issues may not be included in each debate. Scope of each debate may be limited to the pre-selected issues announced well in advance.

4. A panel of past Presidents may be appointed to frame and ask questions to test the candidates’ responses during the first hour of the first debate.

5. The candidates may ask each other questions during the following half-hour of the first debate.

6. All other debates may be town hall meeting style limiting the scope of each debate to the issues scheduled for the debate.

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