The Media and Presidential Debates

I watched all three debates. I saw them as “Political Game Shows” without even the challenge of “Jeopardy.”

One thing I would like to know is, out of all the people in this country, why were all the panelists journalists? Are they the only qualified people who can ask questions of the candidates? They are with the candidates all along the campaign trail, why are they also on the debate panels?

Why were there no historians, sociologists or scientists on the panels? Why not have a teacher on the debate panel? (Everyone wants to talk education.) How about a criminologist? (Everyone wants to talk crime.) How about a single working mother? (Let’s talk family.) Why not have an economist on the debate panel? The candidates are great at talking foreign policy. Well, let’s put a foreign minister on the debate panel. Instead of packaged questions for packaged answers, we might just get some real discussion on important issues.

I think the all-time comment of the last debate was George Bush saying to Andrea Mitchell, on the topic of defense, “You know all about this stuff, you report on it.” I wish the news media would stop trying to be the news and just report the news.

MARTIN JOHN OSTRYE

Altadena