There was a time when presidential debates were informative and instructive. The first one I saw was between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. I was still in high school so I didn't really understand, but subsequent analysis showed that the two men were about evenly matched over the four debates. As informative as the first one was, they weren't held again until incumbent Gerald Ford debated Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter in the 1976 election.
The presidential debates were generally civil and well-informed. They addressed opposing philosophies, governing principles, and differences on both domestic and foreign policy. Viewers appreciated the differences and felt that by the end of the debate they had learned more than they knew at the beginning of the debate.
The 2016 election changed everything, and the 2020 election made it even worse. The main culprit is Donald Trump, who cannot or will not debate with mutual respect. Trump's rude and bossy behavior has brought out the worst in his opponents, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. Trump has been described as a bull who carries his own cupboard. As a result, the recent debates have been reduced to a spraying contest between two skunks, with neither candidate winning and leaving wet and smelly.
In 2012, when my wife and I were living in State College, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State University, I had the honor of being invited to join a small group whose existence I had never known. There were about 15 members, and they came from a variety of walks of life and perspectives. The criteria for invitation, as I learned, was not only diversity of perspectives, but also a commitment to listen to one another with the intent to understand, and not listen with the intent to argue, but to respond with what we understood. The goal was not to win arguments, but to increase knowledge and mutually respectful understanding. Those who could not do this were not invited back from the group. One evening, an invitation was revoked when one of the newest members made a personal attack, claiming that the other member was ignorant because of an opinion expressed by the other member.
The best meeting we ever had was when we all decided to get together and listen to the first Obama vs. Romney debate. It became clear that about two-thirds of the group was left-leaning and about one-third was right-leaning. Not surprising in a college town. But this was not an extremely partisan group. On the contrary, they saw themselves as honest brokers, ready to call balls and strikes regardless of political leanings. At the end of the debate, we turned off the TV because we didn't want the commentators to influence our debate. After a short discussion, we all agreed that Romney had won. How refreshing it was to engage with knowledgeable, honorable people who put intellectual honesty above personal egos and partisan politics.
The closest thing I have here in the Williamsburg area is the regular coffee gatherings I've been invited to with my dear friend and fellow Gazette columnist, Frank Schatz. We don't always discuss current events as a small group, and our political positions vary, but when we do, there's never been any angry talk. Every discussion has been not only respectful but also informative. It was a great honor to be invited to those gatherings by Mr. Schatz, and he has become a dear friend to me and many others. I hope you'll forgive me for using a male analogy, but there are only three people in my life I would call “Renaissance men”: one professor emeritus of history, one mayor of State College, and Mr. Frank Schatz.
At the other end of the spectrum, there will be a presidential “debate” between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. If past is any indication, this debate will generate a lot of heat but little illumination. I will watch it, of course, out of a sense of journalistic duty and a certain amount of morbid curiosity. I will hope for the best, but what I expect to see will be hyperbole, fear-mongering, and slow-motion disaster.
Joseph Filko teaches economics and American politics and lives in Williamsburg. He can be reached at jfilko1944@gmail.com.
