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Mike Lew's avatar

Let's forget how this will potentially hurt or help these particular candidates. What is the point of a studio audience in a Presidential Debate? They should be talking to the cameras and the nation. Seeing who can get the biggest cheers from an audience seems to be a dumb way to select a leader.

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Dave Yell's avatar

You can say that again.It is what Trump loves.

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pfuhlir's avatar

What they should use instead: a canned laugh track.

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redlineblue's avatar

Perfect! Its suitability confirmed by Graham Parker:

Canned laughter, still echoing in the rafters

Canned laughter, I hang on the morning after

Can't disguise the way you feel, you see the razor blade and the reel

It don't do nothing to conceal that you're not having fun

Canned laughter, rings in my ears the morning after

Canned laughter, don't laugh baby you don't have to...

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max skinner's avatar

The former president feeds off of audience response. Like any performer he sees what lands well with the audience and what doesn't. No audience means not as good a performance. From the network standpoint a live audience is uncontrollable, their applause or jeers takes up valuable air time, and who knows whose fans will infiltrate the crowd.

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Linda Oliver's avatar

I didnтАЩt really think we needed more debates because Trump and Biden are both known entities, and I remember the debacle the last one was. I was mollified to learn there would be no audience for Trump to play to; he wants it in a big venue so it can be a тАЬrumbleтАЭ, but we donтАЩt need Thunderdome. This is supposed to be about informing the electorate. TFG seems to have mentally deteriorated since Jan. 6, and the part of that electorate who donтАЩt follow him like Deadheads need to see this, so I suppose itтАЩs worth putting Joe back in there with the rabid dog. HeтАЩs had his shots this time.

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SandyG's avatar

Agree.

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Steve Spillette's avatar

If Biden acts in any sort on non-senile vivacious manner, you can bet that the MAGA media will once again insist that his handlers pumped him full of amphetamines, just like they said after the SOTU. And apparently a whole bunch of MAGA listeners believed exactly that.

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SandyG's avatar

You are right, Steve, but please unserstand the MAGA listeners don't matter. Biden's audience is the swing voters in the swing states. They are Independents and educated, suburban Rs who are NOT MAGA and who will decide the election.

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Dave Yell's avatar

But this is by far the best way for Biden to counter the image of the old, doddering man with dementia image that Trump has cultivated.

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R Mercer's avatar

And yet it is the way we regularly select a leader. Which is why elections end up being a shitty way to choose leaders, just less shitty (usually) than inheriting the position or getting it by force.

Less shitty doesn't mean good.

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E2's avatar

Well, you're not wrong, but I am compelled to point out that *elections can be done better* in a lotta ways. Let's get through this one right way up, and then talk about how we can make future elections less shitty.

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R Mercer's avatar

I am compelled to say that politicians are not generally interested in elections being done better ;)

What they are interested in is having them done in ways that improve their chances of winning.

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E2's avatar

Of course incumbents are usually the opposition to reform. Not always; the Oregon leg did agree to put a ranked-choice voting referendum on the ballot this year (not my preferred reform there, but an improvement). Other times itтАЩs possible to get a referendum despite the politicians.

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R Mercer's avatar

It is usually despite the politicians. There is at least one GoP state that has outlawed ranked choice voting.

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