As in the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, vice presidential candidates Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Tuesday’s debate between them also gave voters little information on the issue. energy problem.
Indeed, the ridiculously oblique questions asked by CBS hosts Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan highlight the futility of such debates as a tool to inform voters about the important issues they really care about. did.
It was disappointing, but not surprising, that the moderator was unable to ask a single question focused on the topic of energy. The only question regarding environmental issues when did you come CBS host tries to blame all weather events on trace elements in plant foods in the atmosphere, ostensibly related to the human tragedy that continues to unfold in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen. He cited the boring climate warning story. . (Related: David Blackmon: Harris doesn’t want to talk about EVs — it’s easy to see why)
Both candidates could not help but be struck by Mr. O’Donnell and Mr. Brennan’s callous disregard for the all-too-real human suffering and despair occurring in the rural western Tar Heel state. The absurdity of the decision to tilt the question that way becomes even more blatant when you consider that “coping with climate change” ranked only 18th.th 20 inch medium CBS News’ own recent poll About the issues of greatest social concern.
To his credit, Mr. Vance has at least criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to grasp the reality of the critical role that energy security plays in maintaining our national security. I tried to bridge the answers to some questions just to mention. But he often had to do so in the face of efforts by both Mr. O’Donnell and Mr. Brennan to silence him and move on to other issues they believed were more important. Those questions include where Mr. Walz actually was when the Chinese government massacred innocent civilians in Tiananmen Square; It contained questions.th The media asked about the events of January 6th, an issue that didn’t even make it onto people’s top 20 list in CBS’s own poll.
Indeed, this model of discussion is broken. The main wonder is why Republicans would agree to create another model until that one is fixed. It’s a shame that Jim Lehrer, a longtime PBS newsman who moderated many of these debates in a fair and balanced manner, will no longer be able to continue. Any Republican candidate now knows that when he or she participates in such debates, he or she will be targeted by the moderators and “fact-checked” in often non-factual ways. Masu.
Trump frequently promised to destroy this broken system over three election cycles, but always ultimately agreed to repeat the same process over and over again, perhaps expecting a different outcome. That is the very definition of insanity and a term that accurately describes this system.
When it comes to energy policy, the public is once again largely left to their own devices to determine where candidates actually stand. This lack of conviction is especially true for Harris, who continues to run away from her past positions on important issues like fracking and her support of the Green New Deal. Does she really mean it when she claims to have had a change of heart on these issues, or is she just trying to win votes in Pennsylvania, home to the giant Marcellus Shale natural gas operation? (Related: David Blackmon: Biden-Harris energy policy is a mess and totally owned by Kamala Harris)
The answer seems obvious to anyone involved in the energy sector on a daily basis. But for the general public, Harris’ attempts to portray herself as an agent of change in an obviously transformative election cycle can be confusing. Of course, that’s the main goal.
The sad truth about the Vance-Waltz debate is that O’Donnell and Brennan clearly entered the event with a plan to aid Harris’ efforts to confuse the public. This reality, along with other factors, is why it is time to truly end this farcical and counterproductive model of political debate. Let’s end the madness.
David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, specializing in public policy and communications.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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