PBS Newshour: on Government Reform

Walter Mondale: Require debates for presidential contenders

A: Absolutely. I’ve been in public life [for decades], and I am sick about the diminished lack of substance in our campaigns. We’re in what I call the era of the marketer, where the skills of avoidance, irrelevance, negatives have taken over from substance. It is only in debates where the candidate stands there alone without notes, toe to toe with his opponent, has to show the ability to range across issues? nothing matches debates for that purpose.

I would like to condition the federal campaign support that goes to these candidates, to a requirement that they debate, say, six times, on a different subject each night. I would be for maybe longer than an hour and a half debates, although that’s a minor point. The main point is to have several debates with specific broad, fundamental issues each night, with three of the toughest news people that can be found.