Last question: Are debates worth it?

Watching presidential debates is more than a hobby for me and barely less than an embarrassing compulsion. They must change some votes, although I doubt that they make a difference in who wins and who loses. In 1960, I watched John Kennedy and Richard Nixon debate, the first on television, and I’ve been a debate junkie ever since.

Recently, I watched Chris Christie, Nikki Halley, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy in the third Republican debate this year. It was two hours long, and I fell asleep with about 20 minutes to go. People smarter than me didn’t watch from the beginning.

The first 2023 debate had been watched by 12.8 million people. The second with fewer candidates had 9.5 million, and my sleeping pill performance drew only 7.5 million.

Are presidential debates worth the effort for the candidates? Are they worth watching for a voter? I wouldn’t miss one, but I think they are more show business than substance. They confirm your choice coming in and rarely change it going out.

That 1960 debate between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy led to an interesting split. Radio listeners thought Nixon won. TV viewers thought Kennedy was the winner and frequently cited how the candidates looked. The substance of what Nixon and Kennedy said seemed to have changed few, if any, voters.

Kennedy was tanned and handsome. Nixon had heavy stubble and he covered it with drugstore makeup applied by an aide. Richard Daley, the Democratic mayor of Chicago, not known for his humor, spoke for the nation: “Nixon has been prematurely embalmed.”

The first one this year had eight candidates. The latest one, the third, had two adults Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, and two adolescents, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy. This one was less a debate than a spitball fight. Vivek was the participant most full of spit, at one point holding up a sign that read “Haley is Corrupt.” He looked pleased with the gimmick, smug in self-adoration. He has since sent out a newsletter with the picture of that powerful moment of self-adoration. Show business, not policy, took center stage.

He also reminded me again in his newsletter that his father once told him, “If you are going to stand out, you might as well be outstanding.” He then told me that he is a high-ranking tennis player, and finally that he had done admirably well in his college career.

Christie, early in the debate, said that Ramaswamy could be elected “the most obnoxious blowhard in America.” Later, Christie said, "So shut up for a little while." It was wasted advice.

Is the whole process wasted time? I think so. No one who did not intend to vote is suddenly determined to. Does a Democrat change party because of makeup or words? Did a single Republican vote for John Kennedy because Richard Nixon looked embalmed?

Do we learn much, or anything new, from the debates. Not really. When there is a crowd, some people are eliminated, but never by debate performance. The real winner this time may be the candidate who didn’t show up, Donald Trump.

Norman Sherman of Coralville has worked extensively in politics, including as Vice President Hubert Humphrey’s press secretary.