Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Looking Again: How A Mediator Would Improve the Functionality of the Second and Third Presidential Debates, If Not the Substance

BONGINO REPORT:  BIDEN'S TOP SIX LIES 

 

UPON REFLECTION I WANT TO AMEND MY EARLIER POST ABOUT THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. It was totally dysfunctional and the moderator was a plant; however after reading several savvy writers's analysis today, I have to agree with Patricia McCarthy at the American Thinker on at least one point: Two minutes is an insanely short time to answer a serious question with any real substance.  It belies our immature and superficial  body politic.  


But her article got me thinking, as a court mediator, how I would improve the process to make it better since it works well in a court venue.  With that in mind here are several suggestions:

 

1.  The debate should allow a candidate 5 minutes each to answer the question rather than 2 minutes.  The other candidate silently waits his turn. A buzzer is to go off when his time is up and the candidate is to immediately stop talking.  If the candidate fails to stop talking he will have to say "Oink, oink, I'm a pig" before his next turn can commence.


2. The candidate may use about 2 minutes of his allotted time to rebut his opponent's allegation, then answer his question for the rest of the time. He must remain silent when his turn is over and his time is called.

 

3.  Any interruption by the opposing candidate automatically gives the speaker an additional minute to say whatever he wants.  He can tell a joke, dance a jig or keep a minute of silence.  Multiple interruptions give additional minutes to the speaker.


4.  Calling your opponent a jerk, a clown, an incompetent, a fool or any other name calling during speaker's turn gives an additional minute to his opponent's time.  However calling an idea or proposal a joke, etc, is allowed during a candidate's allotted time.


That's it.  I guarantee, it will improve things right away. And it will be terrifically fun.


Oh, and one other suggestion:  Make me the moderator and I promise to keep it copacetic.

Last Night's Presidential Debate Was.....

....NERVE-WRACKING, CRINGE-WORTHY AND SHAMEFUL from start to finish. That includes the moderation. I agree the United States is a nation in decline. I will absolutely vote for Trump though I am most certainly not a Trump apologist. Yet the underlying moral foundations of a functional society are breaking down. Seeming at warp speed. But who knows? Maybe a chaotic collapse here would ultimately take us to a newly configured better country and Constitutional republic. With emphasis on the maybe.

Monday, September 28, 2020

The Chosen, Episode 5, Jesus Turns Water Into Wine At the Wedding Feast

AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN SKIP ADS AND FAST FORWARD TO THE START OF THE EPISODE. And of course you can go directly to Youtube or download the ap.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Continuing, The Chosen--Episode 4

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.