• hOrni@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Are all debates in America just 2 people talking over each other so no one can understand anything?

    • nucleative@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      I think the rules are typically negotiable in advance, especially when it’s down to just 2 contenders.

      Debates have the potential to show more than eloquence or intelligence, they also show soft skills like whether the candidate can control the conversation, control under pressure, how easily they succumb when bullied, and give the audience an opportunity to read their body language, which may develop (or remove) trust.

      Biden famously told Trump in a debate: “would you shut up, man?” And in that moment quite a few Americans were swayed to select him believing he’s not susceptible to getting run over by trump mouth diarrhea attack like so many other politicians are.

    • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Unfortunately, way too many people view Gish Gallop style “debates” to be the only way to have a debate. Shouting someone else down is viewed as “powerful” and the sign of a real leader or something.

    • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      yeah its like the jerry springer model or something. People here argue and react; they don’t debate.

      • InternetUser2012@midwest.social
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        5 months ago

        The right cannot debate. They would get absolutely obliterated in a debate. The only thing they can do is get loud, sling insults and lie. It’s like an adult trying to argue with a spoiled second grader that wasn’t allowed to have desert after dinner.

        • nomous@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          And our “media” is complicit. This is only newsworthy because the moderator tried to press (heh) her instead of just letting her get her talking points (lies) in and moving on.

          • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            Yep. I think it was CNN that helped refine the “shout show”. I remember a book written in the mid 00’s by someone that was involved with that and trying to make up for it.

            Of course a lot of daytime television did the same thing, although I don’t know how much influence they have these days…but anyway, a forum in which points are awarded to the person that shouts the loudest, and gets the last word in, or some sick burn is apparently the way a lot of people think debate is conducted.

            Those of us that are not letting logical fallacies guide all of our thought processes know this for the sham it is, but unfortunately, critical thinking is not something encouraged at all levels in our society. I honestly think being able to spot logical fallacies is something every high school graduate should have, and a real liberal media, if we actually had one, would constantly reiterate and reinforce.

    • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Go look up the debates between Biden and Trump from the 2020 campaign. Biden literally had to ask Trump to “shut up” on stage. The Cheeto-dusted dipshit literally could not stop interrupting. How embarrassing.

    • deezbutts@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      As an American I’m ashamed to say political discourse here has devolved into “who shouts louder”, both among the politicians and the constituents.

      It’s unfortunately a lesson many of us learned in preschool, and yet it seems more congruent with voters across most demographics…