Ross: The next debates should separate moderates and progressives

I realize you have to have rules, especially in debates with ten open microphones. But last night’s debate reminded me of when everybody plays a new board game for the first time, and having to read the rules after every move.

KIRO Radio, KTTH hosts react to first night of Dem debates

Those rules got in the way of what was really happening on that stage, which was the progressives trying to excommunicate the moderates, and both sides ignoring the psychic darkness that only Marianne Williamson seemed to understand.

So, I want to make another pitch to junk this format and replace it with brackets. Except now, I realize the participants need to be separated into two divisions: The Pragmatic Moderates, and the Uncompromising Progressives.

Each division would have a series of one-on-one debates — I noticed last night when two people got into it, you could learn things.

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We would do a series of one-on-ones and let the viewers vote, and send the winner of the Pragmatic Moderate division into a final debate with the winner of the Uncompromising Progressive division. That debate would be refereed by Marianne Williamson. She may be a little out there, but she would remind us that in the end, if Americans can’t agree that this is the country where everyone deserves to get a fair shot, brilliant policy proposals are merely moonbeams to nowhere.

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