These debates are absolutely meaningless. As is the incessant rehashing of them as if they provided some powerful insight. They are designed to push a singular agenda and guide the right candidate out of the melee.
Here's what I hate:
Some of our greatest leaders were politically incorrect. Lincoln (who I detest, actually), Jefferson, Reagan, Teddy R, etc.
They weren't scripted or running up-to-the second polls to determine what to say. They didn't have CNN, MSN, MSNBC, Fox, Univision, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, C-Span, Rush, Savage, Hannity and hundreds of others parsing every syllable, looking for nuance, picking apart what they said and spinning it to their own purposes.
We live in a terrorist nation and the terrorists are ourselves. Through the media and through social media we have collectively created a herd mentality. Free thought must be stamped out. We must ALL think, act, live and tolerate the same things. Those who disagree must be driven out or silenced.
Hulk Hogan may have said the word "black" several years ago. Every mention of his long (and glorious?) WWE history must be scrubbed from the record. Mel Gibson doesn't like Jews. Burn him! Oppose gay marriage or homosexuality in general? You are branded as a loon.
When was the last time a candidate gave a real response to a question? When was the last time a political candidate felt free enough to express his or her true feelings or position?
Obama is a Muslim or at least has very strong Islamic leanings. He lies about it for political gain. He's the worst president in American history and has done more to undermine, weaken and expose this country in eight years than all the radical communists of the 50s and 60s combined ever could have.
The greatest advances in this country's history came about because two sides had a spirited and meaningful debate. They honestly and legitimately aired their individual issues/positions and then worked through them.
We are a long way from that now. Everybody is herded into the same box. There is no black and white, we must all be a shade of grey or the PC police will shout us down.
It's frightening to me.
I'm waiting for the candidate who says "fuck this noise" and puts the truth out there. Of course the media will bury him (like they did the pizza guy who would have been a billion times better than Obama) but there will eventually be somebody. Sadly, though, because the herd mentality is so ingrained the right person won't be the one to rally the masses with a message of truth.