Debate Dance

Debates suck. The candidates get the questions in advance, the response and rebuttal times are measured, and a good campaign will spend at least 48 hours on prepping their boy. You time the responses, make sure the 27-9-3s are tight, and make sure they’re familiar with the camera setup so that they talk to voters, not to each other. And they have almost zero electoral impact. They can shift momentum, affect press attitude, and energize a candidate and staff, but they don’t move money or polls.

But the Debate Dance is fantastic. Charlie Ross challenged Phil Bryant to a series of debates so that Charlie can demonstrate that he’s smarter than Phil Bryant. Phil Bryant, not wanting to look like a giant wimp, agreed to said series of debates. But not wanting to 1. concede his status as the preeminent candidate by giving Harvard Charlie free air time and 2. not wanting to get SPANKED by someone who has earned the moniker “Harvard Charlie”, Phil conveniently forgets to actually schedule the debates.

Thrusting, the Ross campaign puts out a series of press releases that accuse Phil of being a big wimp and being afraid to be spanked by Harvard Charlie. Phil parries, releasing the list of “Forums” at which he will appear. And he’s going to be the only candidate at most of them, a fact not highlighted in the press release.

Ross counters with another press release pointing out that Phil isn’t debating, he’s stumping, and afraid to spout his conservative credentials.

The Debate schedule, to my knowledge, has not been finalized or published yet. But apparently I’m no longer on the Harvard Charlie press release list. They think that my views are slanted.

Charlie and his staff at Harvard Yard are winning the inside baseball game. I expect the debates to be announced by the end of next week.