Harris, Trump and 2024: Debates, policies and press scrutiny are critical not optional

We are in danger of losing our way as a country if we do not require all our political candidates to engage in the essential activities that inform voters. Those actions include the basics of debates, press scrutiny and explaining their policy positions to the public.

The president of the United States is going to be called upon to make decisions on $6 trillion dollars of expenditures and taxes, settle issues of war and peace around the world and manage a workforce of millions of employees across 20 or more different departments and agencies. Most people, no matter how well-intentioned, could not do this job.

One interview. One debate. Some rah rah stump speech read over and over again is not a campaign that informs voters adequately to make a real choice. It’s a good gig if you can get it, but a real campaign has three debates, two years of primaries, time spent building coalitions, detailed policy papers carefully worked over and almost daily press briefings. 

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In the past, political campaigns focused on finding people with exceptional qualifications and accomplishments. Campaigns were not perfect, and candidates often distorted the views of their opponents, but they met the threshold of informing the voters about themselves, where they stood and how capable they were to do the job.

The important thing about elections is not actually who wins or loses. It’s about whether the process led to informed voters casting their ballots on a fair assessment of the leadership qualities and issue positions of the candidates. 

Instead, we are seeing campaigns built on "vibes and tribes" using the techniques of modern media and platforms like TikTok to emote feelings and identity-based politics instead of campaigns based on issues and policies. A lazy or biased press can let the most incompetent candidates slip through by shielding them from tough questions. 

The idea of voting was never meant to be based on party operatives tracking people down and pushing them to sign ballots to be cool. It was never to be based on race or on party membership alone. 

But the systematic failure of our political institutions to carry out their essential functions is now allowing Election Day choices to be divorced from the true considered wants and wishes of the electorate, because our press has abandoned its most basic function. The formerly nonpartisan groups that steered our elections have become partisan and some of the campaigns have found they can get away with previously unthinkable actions.

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Based on personal experience, the job of president is one of the most demanding and sophisticated jobs in the world, requiring a vast amount of knowledge about hundreds of subjects, the ability to make decisions under pressure, and to lead a diverse nation. 

We have seen up close the consequences of these new processes — Joe Biden is clearly not up to doing that job and yet he is in office today and was nearly the Democratic nominee for re-election. Party operatives neutered the primary process to prevent any opponents from effectively challenging him. It took only 90 minutes of open democratic process — a televised debate — for the obvious to be revealed to the American public. It was months too late to hold a proper primary. 

Oddly, we seem to be willing to let this potentially happen again. There should be three televised debates with questioners from across the political spectrum; candidates should face the press during campaigns several times a week; and their websites should be filled with their policy papers on key subjects. 

No one should vote for any candidate who does not comply with these disclosures. Knowing whether they have stock in their required financial disclosure forms is interesting, but whether they favor $5 trillion in tax increases or not is a lot more relevant to deciding a vote.

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Unfortunately, we can’t legislate these requirements, so it will be up to our institutions and for the voters to insist upon these basics. The presidential debate commission needs to be reconstituted with people from both sides; the press needs to do its job in vetting candidates regardless of who they support; our laws should deny any funding or tax breaks to campaigns that fail to meet these requirements. 

Obviously, the government also has to stay out of the business of censoring political views, and as a society we need to promote voters learning the basic facts about what is occurring in government. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has initiated a series of videos called "Just the Facts" which do just that. These videos should be viewed by all voters who should have some idea of what the size of the budget is, what the deficit is, how many people came across our southern border last year. 

A long time ago, V.O. Key wrote a book called "The Responsible Electorate." It dispelled the notion that Americans choose their leaders on the basis of their smile or the tie they wear. Key showed that it was on the basis of important policy issues. This thesis is in danger in this election if the candidates fail to explain their economic plans, their taxation ideas, their border strategy, as well as their positions on energy and climate change and abortion. 

The public also has to be assured, with at least one foreign policy debate, that each candidate knows enough about foreign affairs to serve as both the chief diplomat and the commander in chief of the largest army and most destructive nuclear arsenal in the world.

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The important thing about elections is not actually who wins or loses. It’s about whether the process led to informed voters casting their ballots on a fair assessment of the leadership qualities and issue positions of the candidates. As long as that occurs, we will have a strong and enduring republic. 

If we continue to stray from these basic principles and let dumbed-down efforts pass for campaigns, our republic will continue to deteriorate. 

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