Everyone, Grow Up and Debate Each Other Already
All right, listen up. All those running for public office should suck it up and debate their opponents.
I know, I know. Political debates have devolved into air hockey tables at Dave & Buster's, bleating fracases devoid of the decorum befitting public servants. Whereas citizens once gathered around TV sets in unison, televised tussles are now harvested for viral parts -- flies landing on heads, sweaty upper lips, potshots and low blows to feed gluttonous yet microscopic attention spans.
I was ready to write off debates after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sparred with California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023. Sticking hot needles under my nailbeds would have been more pleasant than watching "The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate" on Fox News. Do you remember that one? That was when DeSantis whipped out his Poop Map, a chart of fecal street deposits in San Francisco. The two dudes preened and mansplained over each other while neglected moderator Sean Hannity compared himself to a potted plant.
However, three more years into this endless episode of "H.R. Pufnstuf," I have reversed course. Even if debates are mired in every cynical wart described above, they matter. In fact, they may offer the last shot at an unvarnished, real-time dialogue in a world where political messaging can be so deftly manipulated online. Need we revisit former President Joe Biden's disastrous 2024 debate with President Donald Trump?
Sadly, the race for Florida governor is shaping up to go debateless for the first time in more than 50 years. Democratic nominee former Rep. David Jolly has declined to debate his Republican opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds. Jolly said Donalds refused debate invites first before setting new rules. "You can't debate a liar," he said.
Oh, sure, you can! And you should!
The Donalds campaign was quick to hop on the opportunity to call Jolly a wimp, even though Donalds did the same thing in the primaries.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Angie Nixon, the Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Florida, is ready to debate her opponent, Republican Sen. Ashley Moody. But Moody has refused, calling out Nixon's affiliation with Democratic Socialists. "I'm not going to give a stage or any attention to that," she said.
Oh, sure, you can! And you should!
The number of political debates in competitive Senate races has tanked since 2010. Live audiences are shrinking, and candidates don't want to cede screentime to their competition. Opting out is a political strategy for risk-averse candidates in tightening races, yes. But it's not fair to voters who are desperate for someone to have their backs in this chaotic economy.
Aren't elected leaders supposed to be one of us? If I apply for a job, I have to be interviewed by those who want to hire me. And, yeah, if I bomb, I might not get the job. That's the point.
Politicians are applying to work for the people, so they should stand in front of the masses and be interviewed. Voters need more than paid ads and algorithms that boomerang back existing ideas. They need to see whether their chosen fighter can withstand hits from the other side and field curveball questions from moderators and regular folks. They need to prove that they can -- or can't -- keep cool under pressure.
While we little people are rubbing two dimes together to drive to work and buy questionable beef at $9 a pound, we deserve honest engagement from would-be leaders. Powdering up that glossy forehead spot and fencing over how to fix this nightmare should be the bare minimum.
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Stephanie Hayes is a columnist at the Tampa Bay Times in Florida. Follow her at @stephrhayes on Instagram.
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