Pointless back and forth

Now that the first presidential debate and the only vice-presidential debate are over, it seems the undecided have their minds no more made up than before.

While none of the candidates fumbled or made any major mistakes to hurt their campaigns, I’ve come away from both debates feeling as though I’ve learned nothing new about their respective policies or characters.

In fact, both debates have seemed a tad disappointing when compared to the amount of hype the media has shoveled onto them.

However, that might be just the point of these debates. A chance to offer the candidates an open forum that is rid of the soap opera qualities that news organizations have injected into the race.

Unfortunately, as useful of a tool as that appears on paper, in practice the debates have been nothing but a rehash of facts, stances and policies that have brought nothing new to the floor.

Take for example the back-and-forth between John McCain and Barack Obama on Sept. 26.

It was a polite display of banter of which neither candidate came forward with any real answers on foreign policy or the financial crisis. The hour-and-a-half debate appeared to be more of a formality than a utilization of the opportunity to assert their respective policies. 

Onstage together, the two candidates continued the same argument that had been tossed around on campaign speeches and in political ads. McCain called Obama out on not understanding the issues that the country faces, and Obama chastised McCain for being nothing more than a third term of the Bush Administration.

According to polls from ABC and USA Today, Obama came out ahead on the debate.

There remain three more to go, so it would be premature to label Obama the winner, but as of Oct. 6, he has also shown gains in the Gallup Polls.

However, the jump in points is attributed to renewed faith in the Democratic Party because of the financial crises, not due in part to Obama’s performance during the debate.

The vice-presidential debate was no more invigorating.

Sarah Palin and Joe Biden were tame compared to expectations, especially when contrasted to the lackluster three-part interview between Katie Couric and Palin.

Both governor and senator were solid stylistically and substantially, answering questions but still skirting important facts. It was a more entertaining debate than what had been offered by their running mates, but again offered nothing new to the table and neither emerged as a clear winner.

Although the opportunity to see both candidates on stage together is interesting, it’s also an exercise in futility. It helps to exemplify why Obama would decline McCain’s efforts at a series of town hall meetings. At the end of the day, it’s all politics. Nothing new has been learned.