To the editor: Does a presidential candidate’s character still matter to American voters? What if we shifted the focus of the Sept. 10 presidential debate from the “usual” array of important issues to just one: each candidate’s character?
I have an “out of the box” suggestion: forget about debating the usual topics and focus entirely on the character traits of each candidate. I believe this approach would provide an opportunity for the American people to find out who former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris really are.
So what would a debate about each candidate's moral character look like? The moderator might consider addressing honesty, integrity, compassion, and even the Golden Rule. Some examples of possible questions for each of the candidates might include:
When have you made or admitted a mistake? What did you do to make it right? When have you felt bad about your behavior? When have you apologized? When have you gotten sensitive? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What is important to you? When have you performed an act of kindness?
Talk about your faith. Talk about your listening skills, especially when you disagree with someone. Talk about loving your neighbor and how you have shown concern for a stranger. What makes you sad? What makes you feel humble?
If this kind of “debate” were to occur, it could be an eye-opener for many of us.
Howard Bolinger, The Fifth
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To the editor: I wish the corporate media (including yourselves) would stop referring to these political standoffs as “debates.”
Actual debates would take place in academic debating societies without an audience, with neutral moderators presenting proposals for participants to comment on and support with objective facts and data, followed immediately by scoring by a team of independent judges.
Calling these reality shows “debates” is tantamount to bad journalistic practice.
Daniel Harrison, Chula Vista
