ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, May. 03 2007

"American Idol"-style debates leave much to be desired
By Colleen Carroll Campbell

The most revealing comment in last week's Democratic presidential debate came
from Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Asked to explain his lackluster political
showing, Kucinich lamented the superficial style of modern-day presidential
races. "This isn't 'American Idol,' " Kucinich complained. "We're choosing a
president."

Viewers could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. NBC's debate had all the
elements of a prime-time talent search: frontrunners hoping to retain momentum,
also-rans jostling for the spotlight, online viewer participation and even a
crank to offer comic relief. Moderators enforced a 60-second time limit on the
eight contenders and held lightning rounds to elicit one-word replies.

The result was the sort of airbrushed, depthless debate that has become
commonplace in presidential politics. Candidates went unchallenged as they
offered comically pat answers to rapid-fire questions. Asked what he would do
on his first day as president, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he would
"get us out of Iraq with diplomacy" before reforming energy policy on day two.
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards responded to a question about his use
of campaign funds to cover a $400 haircut by telling a childhood story about
leaving a restaurant his father could not afford.

Yet even Edwards, the smooth-talking trial attorney, seemed frustrated with the
debate's superficiality. He protested at one point that the discussion had not
touched on specific policy proposals. "And I think we have a responsibility, if
you want to be president of the United States, to tell the American people what
it is you want to do. Rhetoric's not enough."

Actually, rhetoric is enough for today's debates, particularly when joined to
carefully choreographed gestures and poll-tested personal anecdotes. As
candidates rely more on image consultants to determine everything from when
they remove their jackets to how they use their hands at the podium, they begin
to look and sound eerily alike.

There are occasional flashes of humanity and levity. Last week's came mostly
from irascible former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, who wondered aloud how the rest
of his opponents got there and scolded moderator Brian Williams for treating
him "like a potted plant." Gravel was hardly presidential, but his campaign
reported a surge of support afterward, perhaps from voters weary of
stage-managed performances by mainstream candidates.

Those candidates are learning that slick packaging can backfire. Yearning to
see the man behind the political machine, we now invest a candidate's personal
quirks and impromptu cracks with more significance than ever before. So
Edwards' primping makes national headlines and Arizona Sen. John McCain's "Bomb
Iran" quip inflames the blogs.

Such flaps capture our interest briefly, but even they cannot stem our
weariness with presidential races. A Pew poll released last week found that
more than half of voters consider the campaign dull, and nearly two-thirds say
it lasts too long. An earlier Pew poll found Americans losing confidence in our
collective ability to make political decisions.

Yet there are countervailing trends. C-SPAN's "Road to the White House" series
offers a less scripted look at candidates as they chat with voters, pitch
foreign policy to the 4-H club and engage rivals in more leisurely debates at
universities and think tanks. The Internet allows intrigued viewers to scour
everything from campaign footage to interview transcripts and enables bloggers
to track how a candidate's record matches his rhetoric.

The rising popularity of such political cyber-sleuthing suggests that Americans
are starving for substance in our presidential campaigns and debates. Perhaps
NBC executives cannot reform their talent-show format in time for tonight's
Republican debate. But with the first primary nine months away, there still is
hope that voters will be able to base their decisions on more than sound
bites.

Colleen Carroll Campbell is an author, television host, and St. Louis-based
fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Her website is
www.colleen-campbell.com.