Friday night, amid the aftermath of the Iowa caucuses chaos, seven of the top presidential candidates will again take the stage for a debate in New Hampshire. During and immediately following the debate, media outlets and pundits will no doubt offer their hot takes and instant analysis of the “winners.” In the days following, much will be made of interactions between Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Two more debates are scheduled this month, but as they devolve further and further into a circus, the usefulness of debates is questionable at best.
Unsurprisingly, many viewers walk away from these debates with no idea who the best candidate is or what their individual beliefs or strengths are. Even Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vented her frustration. In an Instagram story, she said she prefers “to engage ideas more deeply and at length.” She continued, “I personally haven’t found these TV debates super informative or helpful, aside from giving people clips to post on social the week after.”
