Posted on 05/10/2007 6:46:08 PM PDT by SJackson
The 2008 presidential campaign is like a reality show, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says.
"There are a lot of smart people who are running very hard," said Gingrich, who is considering getting into the race. "But they have allowed themselves to be talked into a consultant-driven model, which is the equivalent - it's a mixture of 'American Idol,' 'The Bachelor' and 'Survivor.'"
Gingrich said recent candidate debates "were ludicrous."
"In the debate the other night, the Republicans averaged seven minutes and 20 seconds apiece, split up into 25- to 30-second answers," he said. "The television celebrities dominate these things. They cut people off. They treat them with disrespect.
"The potential president of the United States, the most powerful governing office in the world, shrinks with each appearance in these shows, and we don't have a national discussion."
Gingrich has been arguing for a different style of debating than the rules, time limits and moderator that come with traditional presidential debates.
"Whoever the two nominees are, they should agree in advance to 90-minute dialogue - time keeper, but no moderator - 90 minutes a week, for nine weeks, from Labor Day to the election. Let the American people have in their living room a chance to see two adults." He was interviewed on "Face the Nation" on CBS.
Got it.
I totally agree with what Newt is saying. Our elections have become too much of a sound bite war.
Huckabee is soft on everything except guns and abortion. He’s a big nanny-stater.
I think Robin Williams explained it best when he opined that nature gave man a penis and a brain but only enough blood to use one at a time.
Exactly the right word.. ludicrous.. Political RAP..
The truth is America is so dumbed down its not stupid to be ludicrous..
Yes. Election campaigns for choosing our next President should not be guided solely by intuitions from prepared and remote appearances. We must choose much more analytically, but I doubt that we’ll be allowed to do so.
Sadly, we are now ruled by emotional Henry Beechers and Moses Hulls.
What do they expect? Fox News brought up perhaps having just people over 1 percent or something like that and they all complained so when you have ten or more candidates debating they are not going to get a heck of a lot of time to answer the question or expand on other issues. You must be precise with your answers which to me is a good thing. No BS! I love the format, but did not particularly love the questions. As President, you can be indecisive and full of baloney.
you can be indecisive and full of baloney.
you can’t be indecisive and full of baloney.
I admit that I am impartial to Newt. I like the fact that he comes up with agenda all by himself and can articulate it and persuade and win in a debate, and can lead (and I agree with his agenda for 80%+). His recent greening was painful for me, because I disagree with the skies are falling hysteria. His triangulating on it with market solutions is not strong enough stance for me. Also, I am willing to overlook his fallibility with the affair\remarriage because I don’t think the President must be a saint. I doubt there ever was one. I’d always prefer drinking, smoking philandering Churchill to any Chamberlain (I have no idea about Chamberlain faults, but you know what I mean...).
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