DAVE ROSS

Ross: A creative rule change for the next presidential debate

Oct 1, 2020, 7:47 AM | Updated: 10:14 am

Debate, Trump and Biden...

President Trump and Joe Biden during the first presidential debate. (Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

The presidential debate commission says it will change the rules for the next debate because of the un-presidential food fight that broke out Tuesday.

I actually thought it helped bring out the personality of each candidate, but the social media verdict seems to be that America wanted to hear more complete answers from the debate.

They wanted to hear more about job creation; more about health care plans. OK – if you say so. But what makes you think that a president who won’t follow the old rules will follow the new rules?

Twitter was full of suggestions for improving the format – a kill switch, shock collars, sound proof booths, and ejector seats, among others. But what we need to see on that stage is how they react under stress.

These are two old men set in their ways, and whichever one wins will face problems none of us can predict. We’re entitled to know how they’ll react, and I don’t think you learn that from a polite policy discussion. I say we stick with the food fight, but take it to the next level.

They each get 90 minutes to prepare an entrée using corn tortillas, fiddlehead ferns, alpaca hot dogs, and a snickers bar, while explaining how to finance the coverage of pre-existing conditions.

Anyone can run the country when things are going fine – we need to see how they do when things go wrong. Can they think on their feet? Can they be trusted with knives?

And at the end – as in real life – their supporters in the audience have to eat whatever they make.

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