Canada’s leaders debates are dysfunctional. Viewers hoping get a real sense of who the candidates are and what they stand for are too often disappointed. As Rex Murphy points out, they’re often highly-scripted affairs, resulting in a lack of substance and authenticity. I agree with Rex that we need more debates, but if we’re going to make these events worthy of missing Grey’s Anatomy, the format has to be changed drastically.
An ideal debate format would knock the candidates off their talking points and force them to engage in a genuine discussion. Admittedly, no format will ever get a disciplined politician to ignore her message entirely, but it can encourage moments of spontaneity and expose overly-scripted participants. In order to accomplish this, I think we need a format that’s as open and free-wielding as possible.
Click to continue reading “Suggestions for constructive leaders debates”
