New Hampshire Debate - Jan. 5, 2008
Watching this debate further convinced me how lame these 30-60 second response debates are.
Someone says something, and then someone says its a lie. The moderators never give enough time to really let the 2 people debate it. It usually ends with someone getting the last say or whoever can come up with the best one-liner or zinger.
Sometimes they do get to the bottom of it though. Fred Thompson’s question to Rudy was classic, “But do they get to stay in the country?” Rudy kept defending his immigration plan, saying it wasn’t amnesty. Thompson asked the same question 3 times in a row, laying bare a plan that allows people to stay, whatever the “penalty.”
Issues can be complicated and rarely can you get to the bottom of something with such short responses and no lasting debate allowed when there are still 6 people on the stage. I’m not a fan of Ron Paul but with his poll numbers and fund raising, to exclude him seems so wrong. However, 6 people still is just difficult. Perhaps it is hopeless. 