We need more debates. Hillary Clinton demanded another of Barack Obama before the Wisconsin primary (and was turned down). Obama pointed out that they had had eighteen debates, wasn't that enough? But on FOX, survey expert Frank Luntz found that his focus group members were still confused about where the candidates stood. They'd like some more confrontations. The Democratic candidates have had eighteen debates, Luntz fairly shouted at them. What do you want, Oxford style? ("Yes," someone quietly piped up.)
Actually, old fashioned classical debates where people don't interrupt each other and the moderators don't dominate the show are best. Let the college debate professors set the rules and moderate the proceedings, I say. Leave the journalists out of it.
We should have many such debates. The best thing would be to really test the candidates on specific areas, such as, say, the war on terrorism or the economy.
The latest non-political example of how revealing debates can be was the set-to a couple of weeks ago at Stanford University on intelligent design and atheism. Atheist author Christopher Hitchens insulted, sulked and raved. Quite a show. Jay Richards, co-author of The Privileged Planet, followed the rules of the debate (as he made a point of noting) and also presented evidence--evidence, what a concept!--on behalf of his case. Hitchens was faking it, because he doesn't really understand the issue as a matter of science. Nor do most Darwinists. They always resort to name calling and think that does the job.
Apparently, the audience disagreed with Hitchens and mostly appreciated Richards. We heard excellent reports to that effect, but had to discount them to some extent, coming as they did from friends. However, now we have this account from the Stanford Review. Most of the audience, apparently came in friendly to Hitchens, but he disappointed them.
Do you see why I like debates?
Here's the Stanford Review article (the magazine also contains some good interviews of Richards and Hitchens and the moderators, Ben Stein and Michael Cromartie): http://www.stanfordreview.org/Archive/Volume_XL/Issue_3/News/news1.shtml