Debate?

Some of the rules for the "debate!"

This post is from Politics1, see website at your left.

A SUGGESTION FOR THE FIRST KERRY-BUSH "DEBATE." Instead of the 32-page list of rules approved by the Bush and Kerry campaigns -- restrictions so stultifying as to render Thursday's so-called "debate" into nothing more than side-by-side memorized monologues -- I have an idea to liven things up. Under the agreement, the two sides mandate camera angles, the before and after handshakes, who sits in the audience and where, podium height, allowable pens and paper for each candidate, bans props, prohibits the two men from addressing each other directly, imposes severe restrictions on the moderators, etc. So ... here's my idea to fix the problem. Since the debate is to be televised live -- and live TV is, well, LIVE -- what would happen if the moderator, with cameras rolling, says "Gentlemen, these rules are ridiculous. They don't allow for a meaningful exchange of ideas, so I'm simply going to set them aside and tell you how we're really going to do it tonight so that the American people can benefit from a real debate ...." And, while we're at it, I hope the TV networks break the restriction that prohibits them from unexpectedly filming either man while others are speaking while all this is going on.