Debate Drama and the Climate Crisis

A few additions and clarifications to yesterday's comment...I am well aware that the candidates have their own motives and strategies for what they say and how they say it at the debates, but that's the only aspect of the debates that gets reported and analyzed ad nasueam.

What I find significant is that the candidates are out there campaigning, not only talking but listening to concerns expressed in Iowa and New Hampshire and elsewhere, particularly in today's campaigning style that emphasizing town meetings and other forums where citizens ask questions and even engage the candidates one on one. So they hear what voters are concerned about. But who do the TV "journalists" listen to, who are asking the questions and otherwise making the rules of these debates? It seems to me they listen mostly to each other, and of course their bosses.

There's a real and growing disconnect between what's important to the voters and what's important to cable and network TV. The candidates respond to this--partly because of what they hear from voters, and partly because they know about and even care about these issues. Say what you want about Bill Richardson's image, style and poll numbers--he clearly cares about health care, education, immigration, energy and environmental issues. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd may be afterthoughts to the hosts and handicappers, but they know a lot about what to do and how to do it in America's relationship to the world, and to not benefit from their knowledge but to instead indulge these low wattage media "stars" in their blather is criminal.

And Dennis Kucinich--before the media bobbleheads got their single story together so they could shout it at each other all day today--that for instance the crowd was on Hillary's side at the debate in "Vegas"--some observers remarked that the person the crowd responded to the most was Dennis the K, especially when he uttered the word "impeachment."

That the people in that room, whoever they were, did not approve of John Edwards going after Hillary so relentlessly, or Obama lumping her in with Romney and Rudy, and at the same time, cheered Dennis most of the time, seems to comport with my image of the Democratic electorate this year. They want substance, and they want boldness; they are civil and they are angry.

As for the issues that voters care about but the media finds too boring to talk about, one of the biggies these days is the climate crisis. After being dazed and confused by the subject for a number of years, it is now a matter of widespread public concern. If you needed any evidence of that, listen to how the candidates are trying to cram in their positions and plans on the subject whenever they're asked anything remotely relevant.

And the climate crisis is going to become much more relevant to this campaign in a formal way, later today in Los Angeles at a candidate's forum and in particular at a bipartisan presidential forum on energy and climate change in New Hampshire next month, weeks before the primary. Both Democratic and Republican candidates will participate, and each "team" will have a "captain": Ahnold for the Repubs, and for the Dems, Al Gore.