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About six weeks ago I took an online poll that supposedly matched the "Republican candidate closest to my views." My primary match was Jon Huntsman and my second place match was Ron Paul.
So, I checked out how they were doing in the polls. Depending upon what source you check, Paul ranges from second to fourth, and Huntsman is dead last of the candidates the pollsters are still bothering to track.
Awesome.
In 2008, I wanted either Hillary Clinton or John McCain to win. I didn't care which one, because they were fairly closely aligned on most of the big issues and had once had a vodka drinking contest with each other. Although rumor has it that Hillary won, supposedly the rules were fuzzy. Either way, I'm more of a centrist. An independent.
Or, another way to put it would be, "someone who will likely never get to see her favorite candidate elected to the post of U.S. President."
My undergradate degree is in Communications Education. And, about fifteen years ago I jumped through all the hoops it takes to get a teaching certificate. That means that the Board of Education of Oklahoma now believes I have the minimum qualifications to teach speech, drama and debate classes in public high schools.
Ahhh, de-BATE.
I'm a Cross-Ex junkie, a pollster wanna-always-know-bie, and if you ever catch me judging a truly gifted set of Lincoln-Douglas high school debaters, I won't be writing notes. I'll be watching them, thinking about Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln and floating slightly above my chair with the romantic notion that the United States democracy could be in the hands of those before me within the next decade. And THEY will formalize the debate process.
I love a good debate. A good real debate.
But I hate presidential candidate debates. Well, I can tolerate those moderated by Jim Lehrer, but otherwise...I hate them.
I honestly wish debate forums would draft rules to allow presidential candidates to bring in notes, or even computers from which to draw talking points. I wish they were genuinely regulated the events with time, responses, and scorers. And, I wish that if one of the candidates entered "evidence" into a response, another candidate could feasibly "negate the evidence" by matching each point with better or stronger information.
And now, I'll leave Non-Reality Land.
So, given my premise of disclosing my political leanings, and hearing the planks of my education and my desires for debate reform, I shall now wrap up this appeal to your better senses by sharing my astute New Hampshire Republican Candidate Debate analysis.
Mitt Romney, your conduct in debates makes me feel icky.
Huntsman, your conduct in debates is admirable.
Newt Gingrich, I want you to guest lecture in my class. My Policy, Law and Advocacy class...NOT my Human Sexuality class
Ron Paul, I think you need to head up a new cabinet post called, "Clarify the Muddle."
The rest of you...you're shrinking.
Other thoughts? I'd like to see Obama and Huntsman debate. I'd like to see Obama and Gingrich work together on a team building task. And, I'd like to see Mitt Romney go away.
So, there you have it folks. My highly professional and life-changing analysis of last night's debate.
Thank you, ladies and gentleman. I bid you good evening, have a good weekend, and may God Bless Jim Lehrer when he finally gets to moderate between Obama and whomever ends up competing against him.
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Find me at the Red Dirt Chronicles...
Best, Red Dirt Kelly
