The Lincoln-Douglas DebateThe format for the primary debates (if you can even call them "debates") can only be described as frustrating and disappointing. I feel like I'm wasting my time watching them. They're so unsatisfying. These two-minute sound-byte responses forbid any serious, substantive discussion of the issues. Newt Gingrich is right when he laments the abysmal state of modern political debates. He has persistently called for a series of Lincoln-Douglas style debates: no moderator, a series of single-issue forums, discussed back and forth for an hour or more. My fear is that the candidates of today, with the possible exception of Fred Thompson and Ron Paul (I disagree with him on several things but he's got the mind of an academic and can tilt lances with anyone) are sorely unqualified for such a format. I wonder if they would even want something like that. They've been groomed, cosseted even, for shallow, catchy talking points. No depth.
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