CNN/YouTube Democratic presidential debate
Re: “‘Whassup?’ Dems quizzed via YouTube,” July 24 news story.
The CNN/YouTube debate last Monday night showed that many young people are using the Internet to tune into politics. In addition to getting online, this election’s youth are also paying attention to politics in other ways. Instead of waiting for the candidates to come to us, for example, we are going directly to the presidential candidates to ask them about the issues we care about most.
Launched this spring, young leaders in CoPIRG’s “What’s Your Plan?” campaign are going directly to the presidential candidates at campaign events around the country to ask them, “What’s your plan?” regarding global warming; making college education affordable; providing effective, affordable health care; and addressing financial security for Americans.
Already we’ve asked the presidential candidates these questions 35 times at their fundraisers, photo-ops and town hall meetings. By bringing the voice of young people directly to the presidential candidates, we will help to ensure that our leaders address some of our most pressing issues and work to make change for the better of all Americans.
Dan Omasta, Centennial
The writer is a chapter chair for the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.
…
Long before it became a political boondoggle, debate was a well-respected, formal method of interactive and position representational argument. Participants were questioned and required to explain their stances on issues or questions.
Our presidential debate format does rely on meaningful questions intended to determine specific positions, but these questions seem to serve only as an invitation for candidates to change the subject and to expound in the form of a campaign speech rather than answer the question.
With modern electronic technology, there are two techniques that could improve the honesty and accuracy of the these candidates’ claims.
First, start by asking only yes-or-no questions, and require timed, “push button” responses. If either a “yes” or “no” is not registered within five seconds, an electrical shock is administered until the answer is obtained.
Second, a simple “why” would follow the answer, and then a polygraph would record the candidate’s physiological responses as each explained the reason for their position.
OK, I admit that there is a flaw in my program. It is highly conceivable that most of our candidates are such good liars, they could probably beat the system!
Richard Doran, Parachute
Colorado prison population
Re: “Get tough on addressing state’s prison population,” July 27 editorial.
The Post is right to call on the General Assembly to get busy and fix our prison overpopulation crisis. By engaging in tough-on-crime political pandering – each and every year adding new crimes to the law books, boosting mandatory penalties, and instituting a corrections system that sets people up for failure – our legislature has dug itself a huge hole.
Unfortunately, if it is true to its usual form, it’s likely that our General Assembly will be long on talk and short on action in addressing this serious problem.
Anthony J. Fabian, Aurora
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