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Being able to give an account of what you stand for and defend it against contrary positions is a necessary qualification for politics. But it is not all that matters in a politician and being able to do it in the particular arrangements of a televised debate is no test at all of a politician’s worth.

The consortium claims that 14 million people watched the leaders debates in 2011. Don’t believe it. That’s almost as many people as voted

We should all by now have the measure of the party leaders. And we should have some interest in and understanding of the issues and be taking a look at our local candidates. To allow the performances of the leaders in debates to influence our votes would be irresponsible. The media will have their earnestly undecided to comment on the debates but anyone who can pretend to watch the debates earnestly and still be undecided must have been goofing off in the last few years.

The consortium claims that 14 million people watched the leaders debates in 2011. Don’t believe it. That’s almost as many people as voted. I didn’t watch a second of them. Perhaps that many passed by the debates looking for a hockey game. Or was it that millions who didn’t vote tuned in and were turned off or just thought it was some weird reality show.

Despite the prospect of more debates on more channels, with various Web options for whole damn debates or snippets, we now have so many media options that most voters won’t be watching the debates and most who do will be committed voters watching to see how their party’s leader does.

So fixated have we become on the leaders debates that it is seriously suggested that Elections Canada should regulate them and the courts have been asked to intervene in them. It’s a free country. Anyone can debate anyone under whatever arrangements they like. Or not. That it should be suggested that a government body require politicians to debate under such arrangements — camera angles, make up and all? — as it might decree shows how far we are being distracted. The next step would be to make us watch them and deny us our votes if we don’t.

Read the papers. Watch the news. Go to a rally. Go to all candidates meetings in your riding. Don’t be distracted by the UFC of politics.

National Post

John Pepall’s Against Reform was published in 2010.