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ALPERN AT LARGE - There are many out there (and probably many who read this) who believe it’s the job of the moderators to play “fact checker”, and who believe it’s their job to make things lively, or play favorites, or to set up a “gotcha” moment…and then there’s those of us who want the debating candidates to win or lose on their own.
In other words, there are those of us who want the moderators (and, for that matter, print and social media journalists operating and reporting the news outside the opinion section) to report and let the people decide.
For those of us who want moderators to moderate, and reporters to report, we won, and the moderators (CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper) won.
And hopefully, because of that, perhaps the American People won.
The AP reported that CNN’s two moderators performance established that it really didn’t matter they were there (LINK: https://apnews.com/article/cnn-debate-biden-trump-tapper-bash-ccff5a67e0dfbbb650b78a087ce268e6).
Which is precisely the point. Last Thursday night’s debate was about President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, not about Bash and Tapper.
Unlike Candy Crowley and Chris Wallace, it does appear that that Tapper and Bash have a future in debate moderating at the highest of levels…and it also went a very long way to restoring the trust of many in CNN after it appeared that CNN was doing what MSNBC and Fox News had done…
…which was to tell up to half the nation to pound sand and be dismissed as irrelevant.
Americans, both left and right, urban and rural, white and non-white, male and female, etc. aren’t irrelevant, and they all deserved to see our two presidential candidates in action, and to hear them questioned appropriately and thoroughly.
Think that Trump is a serial liar? Fine. Others think the same of Biden.
Think that Biden is cognitively impaired? Fine. Others think the same of Trump.
Think that Trump is an unrepentant criminal who deserves to be in jail? Fine. Others think the same as Biden.
Think that the Biden cabal is one big “swamp” and deserves to be in jail? Fine. Others think the same of Trump and the “MAGA” cabal.
And it goes on. Presumably, you get the point.
Some of us ignore (or take delight in) the screams of those who decry the mental acuity and behavior of President Biden.
Some of us ignore (or take delight in) the screams of those who decry the mental acuity and behavior of President Trump.
But you know what we did NOT hear last Thursday night?
Screams and yells and talking over the other candidate by either Trump or Biden.
We did not see or hear either candidate being prevented or interrupted from speaking what he so wished to say (even if we didn’t want them to say it).
If Trump evaded any questions, that was on him…but Bash and Tapper politely gave him more than one chance to answer their questions.
If Biden didn’t answer a question fully, that was on him…but Tapper and Bash politely gave him more than one chance to answer their questions.
If there was a “zinger” or a tough question to be answered, each candidate had a reasonable chance (or more than one chance) to answer, or respond to the other candidate’s answer.
If Trump bloviated or Biden mumbled, and if the two started devolving into issues of golf over public policy, that was on them…but it will be the American People who decide who won or lost.
And it will be the American People who discern which of the two Presidents deserve a second term, after each have had a shot at it through thick and thin.
But there are two people (and I frankly didn’t think they would do such a great job) who restored impartiality and respect to the presidential debate process.
This after over a decade of biased and problematic so-called “journalists” who wanted to BE the news, and not just report it: Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
If you want to vote for Joe Biden, then please do so. If you want to vote for Donald Trump, then please do so. Ditto for RFK, Jr and all those running as well, but who didn’t make it up to the stage last Thursday night…based on whatever methodology was chosen and agreed to by both major political parties.
But my vote for future debates (and we’ll see if ABC can do the job later this year) is for Dana Bash and Jake Tapper (and honest and professional journalists who want to emulate them) to make each debater answer and confront the tough questions the American People want to hear answered.
If the debater screws up the answer, or evades it, or doesn’t sufficiently answer it, then that’s on them. Give them a second chance. Be polite, and don’t unnecessarily put them on the defensive. They’ve earned the rights and opportunities to answer those questions as best they can.
Provided the questions are asked and formatted fairly and professionally.
Last Thursday night was, to the thoughts and opinions of many, a rough night for American politics.
But maybe, just maybe…it was a great night for American journalism.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
