A Call for Honest Debate

Sometimes all it takes is to look a little to the past to make improvements on things in the present. Television can better serve our American Democracy by providing a forum for honest and civil debate on the issues by using the example set by the late William Buckley. Buckley, best known for his PBS show "Firing Line" , also provided and took part in debates that aired on PBS. Buckley, the deep conservative thinker, would be joined by his fellow conservative intellects to debate issues ranging from foreign policy matters like the cold war to domestic issues like the role of government in our lives with some of the best liberal minds in the country. What made these shows memorable is that they were honest civilized debates that challenged both the intelligence and opinions of viewers. They were not like the current presidential "debates" which have become staged speeches and photo ops. The participants in these debates were intelligent and could articulate their side of the debate in well thought out paragrahs without being disrespectful to their opponents. There were no sound bytes here, these debates involved people who could articulate a view without resorting to third rate one line statements designed only to create shock value. After the debate , I always suspected there would be some viewers whose opinions on issues would change and some viewers whose opinions would be reaffirmed after watching the debates.
Shows like "Meet the Press" and "This Week" on Sunday mornings do provide some discussion with with different views on topics but that is only for 15 minutes. Bill O'Reilly, host of Fox's "The O"Reilly Factor" and Bill Mahr, host of HBO's "Real Time" (the show should be called The Politically Correct emotional orgy hour) probably think their shows provide debate. Someone should tell O'Reilly that bullying and interrupting your opponent to where they can't articulate their opionions does not make you right on an issue and that arrogance is not the same as intelligence. Someone should also tell Bill Mahr ,who has his show packed with an audience that overwhelmingly agrees with him, (and probably aren't smart enough to think for themselves) that ganging up on someone who has a different view does not make you a better debater and that a person with intelligence is not the same thing as a smart ass.
I hope that as the new decade begins stations like PBS or cable stations like HBO or Showtime will some day soon provide an hour and a half to two hour debates the way William Buckley did. These debates don't need to include polarizing media hustlers who are intellectual light weights like Ann Coulter on the right or Michael Moore on the left but instead people who are respected for their intelligence and expertise in their fields both by people who agree and disagree with their views. For example, there could be a debate on the United States role in the global economy with George Will, Newt Gingrich, and Alan Greenspan on one side and Paul Krugman, Gary Hart, and Mario Cuomo on the other. That's just one example and there are plenty of other intellectual heavy weights today, both conservative and liberal, who can provide stimulating debate on current topics. Televised debates like these are not only good television, they show people exercising their first amendment rights in the best and most responisble ways.