The purpose of a debate is to identify differences between the candidates, and see which ones align most with your personal beliefs on issues important to you.
Despite the spectacle of some of the Republican debates, they have managed to identify stark differences between the candidates on a wide range of topics.
However they have not gone into detail on them. So really all we have heard are surface comments on the issues. Soundbytes designed to get a reaction. And they have.
The debates themselves however lack the enthusiasm and depth that the country deserves in making this decision.
So what should we look for from the Democratic candidates?
- Where do they see the biggest issues facing the country being? and more importantly do they have thoughts on how to fix them that have some semblance of detail and structure? Not lip service, not soundbytes, depth. It is unreasonable to assume they have every detail worked out at this point, but something more than a talking point is imperative.
- What about their plan is better than the Republican positions? Like it or not the next president will almost assuredly be from one of the two parties. And despite what some observers like to say - there is a major difference between the parties and the candidates. However what makes one more appealing or likely to work than the others?
- How will they work their ideas through congress? A great resource to follow is the Five Thirty Eight Blog to see how things are shaping up. (Also Real Clear Politics, Politico, and the Hill - all strong insights into congress) If a Democrat wins, they are likely to have to work with a Republican controlled congress (Senate is less sure than the house, but still a strong party line). That means any idea they talk about they need to convince the other party to go along with. Right wrong or indifferent - Clinton, Bush and Obama all faced challenges there. How will these candidates overcome that?
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