Debates a major let down
Political Smack-Down
The Boston Presidential Debate last Tuesday between George W. Bush and Al Gore turned out to be much more conventional and dry than expected. The candidates miraculously stuck to the issues and avoided the bells and whistles commonly associated with televised debates. The Tuesday debate depicted two candidates, who focused almost entirely on the differences between them and boy, did they find some!
Bush and Gore argued about everything from taxes to education. However, the central point throughout the debate was the differences in their prescription drug plans. Each candidate criticized the other for having a plan that basically screws seniors over. Bush said many seniors would not benefit from Gore's plan, while Gore accused Bush's plan of being too drawn-out. He said very few seniors would benefit the first few years the plan is implemented. This and other issues basically marked the theme of the debate.
Unfortunately, there were no truly memorable moments. The candidates didn't really try to come across as amusing. The result was a dry and uninteresting debate, with two men droning on and on forever about the usual rubbish. The next debate, slated for Wednesday, October 11th, promises to be much more fun and informal, with the candidates sitting together at a table. I strongly urge you all to watch this next debate, if only for the entertainment value.
Virtual Lie Detector
The debate on Tuesday may well be marked as a historical event. For the first time ever, people were able to interact while the debate was going on. The Gore campaign had eight people taking Instant Messages from voters watching the debate and answering questions. The Gore campaign reports that the response from people was absolutely overwhelming, and that they could hardly keep track of all the IMs coming in. Furthermore, sites such as debatefacts.org tracked the candidate's statements and made a timeline of them in real time. Under each statement the people running the website made comments. Even more websites were actually broadcasting the debate itself, live, using Real Player, QuickTime, or Media Player. Cable channels such as C-span offered Internet viewers the option to choose their favorite camera angle and watch the entire debate as such.
Most interestingly, though, is the Washington Post's little web-stunt. Washingtonpost.com decided it would be neat if they could set up a virtual lie detector. To this end, they have created what is now dubbed a "cyber-referee." Basically, what this system does is it keeps a complete transcript of the entire debate. While the debate is going on, tons of experts are on "stand-by" watching it, looking for errors or lies on the parts of the candidates. When one is found, they record it immediately, and it appears on the transcript. What makes this site so neat is the way the material is presented. Next to a lie or indiscrete statement, there is a referee with a whistle pointing at it, asking you to click for details. Basically, this allows people to stick with the facts, while creating a really neat, entertaining yet informative method of communicating these facts to the public. I strongly urge anyone interested to check it out at http://www.washingtonpost.com.
So Don't Touch That Dial!!
With the election just a stone's throw away, you can rest assured that the campaigns will get more fired up more than ever. Bush and Gore are finally differentiating themselves from each other personally, and the debates can only get more interesting. Thursday's vice-presidential debate was the last formal debate of the election. The next debate on Wednesday will be informal, and promises to be quite entertaining, as the candidates can actually talk to each other and ask each other questions. The one after that on October 17th will be set up like a Town Hall meeting, with the public of St. Louis asking the candidates questions.
The best part about informal debates is that we can see the candidates' true personalities and feelings about each other. Most importantly, though, we can observe how they act under pressure, because you can be rest assured that they're going to be putting the heat on each other in this one. Don't miss it! If you're into politics at all, I can promise you first-hand that you'll like it. The more you know about the candidates, the better educated you will be when you cast your vote on November 7th. Incidentally, this will be the last Tech News issue until Election day, as exams and Fall break are both coming up. Have fun and don't forget to vote if you're registered! If you live out of state, you can get absentee ballot information at http://www.election.com.
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