Speech and Debate

What I would like to see in the next Presidential election cycle at the debates is a new set of rules put in place. And appoint moderators that will expressly follow those rules. I'd also like to see rules like this applied to politic ads, as well.

Rule 1: No talking about the other party

When asked a question of any type or style, all answers must be from YOUR perspective. You cannot talk about "well, according to my opponent ..." or "the philosophy of the [other party] is to ...". None of that. All questions must be answered based on your own position, your own desires, your own reasoning.

Rule 2: No pejorative words toward or attacks aimed at the other party

You are not allowed to use ANY negative words toward the other party. Your ads and your words cannot be deemed to attack the other candidate(s) position or perceived faults. This seems like it should be covered in #1, but I want it stated outright and for the record. No use of "snowflake" or "childish" or anything harsher. No fear-monger ads that misrepresent or make something seem more dire or dangerous than it is. Nada.

Rule 3: No false statements

If you are saying something and the fact-checking crew catches you in an outright lie, you get one warning. If they catch you in another lie, you pay a penalty. Lies will be determined by factual content within your statement, not normative statements.

Punishments

If you break any of the rules, the punishment for that infraction is that your microphone is cut off immediately and you do not get to finish your statement (or, in the case of Rule 3, it is cut off on the second lie within the same answer).

Once your mic is cut off, the moderator will immediately respond to the audience why the microphone was cut off and move to the next question for the next candidate.

I think that these simple rules can keep the debate lively, focused on what the candidate will do once in office, and give the audience a reason to watch. Too often the debates (and especially in the last election cycle) turned into diatribes about what "the other party" wanted to do or what "the other candidate" wanted to do... that isn't helpful. Also, it often is not true. You cannot speak for someone else. You don't know where they are coming from, what they plan to do, or how their mind may have changed.

In addition, by focusing on the candidate's position, it is easier for the audience/voter to hold that candidate accountable once they get into office. You must answer questions directly, responsibly, and on-record in front of both a live crowd and the millions watching the debate. It gives you a chance to talk about you -- and only you.

If these same rules are applied to political ads, then the punishment for those would be slightly different. The company/group providing the ad will be asked to re-edit the ad to remove the offending piece. If they are caught airing an ad that infringes on one of those rules a second time, that company/group cannot provide any more ads for that campaign season at all, for any candidate.

The rule will be doubly-applied to both the company/group name (The X Group to Elect Candidate Y, or whatever Super PAC, PAC, Candidate Committee, or grass-routes group) AND to the people who make up that group. So, for example, if Jim Walsh is the founder of a Super PAC that releases two ads that are deemed to violate one or more of the rules above, that Super PAC cannot release any more ads at all AND Jim Walsh (and all his coworkers at that Super PAC) also cannot be involved in any more ads during that election cycle, for any candidate.

These rules, and others like them, can keep the political climate open, fair, and more positive. If the audience can only hear what a candidate will do for them, they have a better chance of picking a viable candidate and hold that candidate accountable. No more attacking. No more fearmongering. No more divisiveness in the election cycle.

Petty By Nature

People are petty and vindictive by nature. This is doubly true when those people are in politics. Why is it that Trump thinks that anything he does will last more than a year after another person takes the office? Hell, even Republicans are starting to listen to their constituents and hear that they want universal healthcare, don't want a wall, want stronger EPA regulations, etc.

The only way I see what he's done/doing working long-term is if the next person in the office (regardless of party) does what he did and puts the least qualified people into place again. Anyone who actually is qualified to lead the various gov't departments will reverse everything their predecessors did, too.

I imagine that we'll also see the next president put into the appropriate policing agencies (FBI, Homeland Security, et al) people with a decidedly anti-Trump bent. Even if he avoids impeachment and manages to keep his job until the next election after he is gone from the office he will have to constantly look over his shoulder.

Remember what he did the first few weeks of taking the office: he sat down and signed a record number of Executive Orders that, while many of them wound up being unConstitutional and/or unneeded, those that were left basically were designed to undo what the Democrats and Obama had managed to accomplish for 8 years. After those EOs went into effect, we started to see flaws in the economy, funding issues in various areas, and the general populace getting angry.

Now, when a new person takes office, especially if he/she is a Democrat, the petty nature of politics will decree that the person will sit at his/her desk and write out a shit-ton of EOs that will... yes, you guessed it... undermine and/or undo everything that Trump ever signed.

And, frankly, this is why compromise is the key to politics. If all parties agree, then the next power shift won't bring about a slew of reversals. But, when you have an idiot like Trump take office, who based all decisions on his own lack of education as well as a petty and vindictive nature, you will see the next party that takes office reciprocate in kind.

So, keep talking, Trump. Keep bringing forth your conspiracies, lies, and idiocy. Keep proving how important education is in our leadership. Keep being petty and vindictive. You won't be more than an obscene and unqualified footnote in history after you are pushed out of office.

Addendum

Others are coming to that same conclusion. Link