It’s never been clear to me why people care so much about political “debates” and which pundits think which candidates “won”. They aren't debates; they are collaborative infomercials. In 2019 I decided to attend the Canadian leaders’ debate in Gatineau, Quebec, in hopes of determining whom I might vote for. It turned out to be a surreal waste of my time, more than any prior debate. They seem to just get worse over time.
First it was announced that the moderators were not selected because of their talent, but because they met the Leaders' Debate Commission's gynaecological requirements within 5 days after the announcement of the election (just in case Rex Murphy was considering pulling a Jenner to qualify). Most of them did a competent job, minus several gaffes and at least one major loaded question on Quebec Bill 21.
Next, the answers were forced to be timed short answers with a large digital countdown like it was a perpetual round of final Jeopardy. I appreciate the contemporary Youtube business model aimed at Twittered attention spans, but their scripted short answers didn't come with an option to skip the ads and I didn't have a paid subscription.
Then the only person on stage to lose track of how many times he's worn black face called Maxine Bernier a racist for his suggestions to adjust immigration levels, and thought-policed Andrew Sheer as a racist for ideas he never said out loud, but Trudeau knew he must think privately.
The icing on the cake was Elizabeth May and Jagmeet Singh finger-wagging at Yves-Francois Blanchet for les Québécois having the Gaul to judge people based on what they look like via Bill 21 -- which was a provincial bill, but all Quebec politicians are the apparently the same -- and, oh yes, all of you white people have white privilege, you bastards.
The only things I learned were that Blanchet was a funny guy, that he wasn't one of the ushers, and that I couldn't vote for him as an Ontarian. Not that I wanted to.
I witnessed more obtuse behaviour at that event than could be inscribed in a heptogon.
No thank you this time. Maybe I’ll read their platforms, but what political party every lived up to their pre-election platform? I think this time I'll just vote for the leader who acts the most professionally and least like a schoolyard bully. Sadly, this is not only a concern these days at the PM level, but perhaps one of the biggest concerns of the election. At least I know what to do with bullies, even the ones that are invited by the cool kids to come to the party.
I have to wash my hair that night anyway.