tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post3959842254143419387..comments2023-10-27T07:50:27.411+01:00Comments on Next Left: How election debates do (and don't) matterTom Hampsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05917325958130851128noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-14654882873242020512009-12-22T16:15:38.872+00:002009-12-22T16:15:38.872+00:00Thanks for comments. A bit imprecisely argued by m...Thanks for comments. A bit imprecisely argued by me in the first place. No, I am not against members of the public putting some of the questions in one or more of the debates, as I am sure is likely. I was trying to argue against other ways to jazz up the format - eg, hearing audience views on responses, etc, and come to think of it, scrolling red button/text responses on screen, etc. <br /><br />* warelane ... a great many parliamentary democracies have leadership debates: eg Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Australia, Greece, New Zealand and no doubt many others. I don't think we would have a less leadership-focused national campaign without them, and having a PM and other policy debates alongside interviews and news coverage seems a good thing; along with local hustings between candidates too.Sunder Katwalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06671411534003530927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-42273735311537102242009-12-22T13:47:21.534+00:002009-12-22T13:47:21.534+00:00I am concerned that personalities not policies wil...I am concerned that personalities not policies will win out here. Besides, in the USA the debates work fine with a presidential system, when they do vote for one of the candidates. The vast majority in this country will not be able to vote for Brown/Clegg/Cameron, but rather their local candidate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-59575965332328018012009-12-22T13:30:44.541+00:002009-12-22T13:30:44.541+00:00It's questions from the public that most often...It's questions from the public that most often put politicians on the spot (partly because genuine personal outrage is hard to dodge). So it would be a shame if the format doesn't allow for this.Mark Packhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17596137350950820090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7985429043801017839.post-22891041467785289542009-12-22T12:22:27.041+00:002009-12-22T12:22:27.041+00:00Would your rejection of audience participation ext...Would your rejection of audience participation extend to being able to question the leaders?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01260196531848925078noreply@blogger.com