Debates become a machismo contest in a fact-free environment
by David Atkins
The reviews are in: Joe Biden cleaned Paul Ryan’s clock last night in the Vice-Presidential debate. It’s unclear just what the impact of that might be for the election, but there’s no question that Biden’s performance lifted progressive spirits while potentially moving undecided voters, among whom Biden won the debate across many polls.
Those on the left would like to believe that it was Biden’s command of the facts and figures that won the day. But that would probably be putting too much faith in the undecided voter, who largely has no idea what the facts are. More likely, it was Biden’s commanding personal presence on the stage that did more to sway the debate, just as Romney’s display of alpha-dog confidence won him the first debate despite being as devoid of substance as he was full of lies and evasion. In a sense, the two debates were mirror opposites of each other in that polls afterward showed that the loser of each debate (Obama and Ryan) came across as more likeable. But that didn’t help their cause.
This isn’t always the case. In a reasoned and grounded debate, it’s often the more charming yet gaffe-free candidate who winds up the “winner.” But these aren’t your parents’ debates. Romney and Ryan lie so effortlessly and breathlessly that it’s difficult to even have a conversation with them, but less a debate. Witness this extraordinary catalog of debate lies from Romney, for instance:
The moderator can only do so much to help with this. Jim Lehrer was totally useless. Martha Raddatz did a much better job, but Ryan still lied and evaded at every turn, making a productive conversation between the two candidates practically impossible.
And that’s a big problem. When debaters can’t even argue from a single set of facts, the argument ceases to be a debate and becomes a pissing contest instead, with each interlocutor interrupting and shouting the other down. Respect is impossible to maintain. With a female politician the negative effects of this are mitigated somewhat thanks to sexist cultural expectations. But especially in a debate between two men, when factual ground rules disappear the contest goes almost entirely to the alpha dog with the bigger bite, louder bark and broader grin.
Yes, Biden had greater command of the facts, better moral values and greater empathy. But that’s not why he won.
And that’s a bad sign for our democracy.
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