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An embarrassing ‘debate’

The vast majority of parents, were they to observe their children taking part in a discussion in which they lied (or greatly stretched the truth), insulted, interrupted and generally behaved badly to the degree that was on display Tuesday evening during the first presidential debate, would discipline their kids. They would make clear that such behavior is unacceptable, and use it as a teaching moment.

Decent people simply do not talk to each other that way. They might also drag out the old adage about not getting into a … urinating competition with a skunk.

Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden appears to have remembered that adage during the debate. In fact, there were times during which it was hard to tell which one was the skunk — though I’m guessing most of you already know which you THINK was the skunk and which was the poor sap who tried to engage at that level.

I commented to a relative that it sounded like two of our younger family members (second- and third-graders) arguing — except that the two kids come across as more intelligent and having better manners.

There’s plenty of room for humor, in looking back at what took place Tuesday. But there is much more room to be embarrassed for our nation. Please understand those two men talked to each other the way they did because they believe that is what we want to see in a leader.

We have rewarded those who behave similarly; and they believe we will do the same for one of them if they just take the low enough road.

I would not have been surprised to have heard, at some point, “neener neener!” or “I know you are, but what am I?!”

Actually, now that I think about it, what we heard was not far from that.

Given an opportunity to have an intelligent discussion about policy, leadership and how best to serve the American people, advisers on both sides of the aisle coached their candidates to engage in a nauseating exchange of schoolyard taunts as the best way to persuade voters to support them.

We have led the politicians to believe that what we value is chest-thumping declarations of what we want to hear (rather than the truth), instead of intelligence, educated assessments, calm … a reasoned unflappability. We have showed them we want someone who wins his or her battles the way they might be won in the parking lot of a bar, rather than by truly having a superior grasp on the question at hand.

It is an incredibly self-absorbed and immature way to think about policy and government … it is the way a child would think about it.

And so, we have earned the performance we were given Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean we have to continue to encourage such absurdity.

Folks, our time to set this right is NOW. Let your elected officials and the candidates who cross your path know you expect better of them. You expect leaders who are smart, well-informed, poised, in control of their emotions and care about ALL of their constituents (or potential constituents).

Show them you want them to be the compassionate but tough adult in the room, not the troublemakers at the kids’ table. Here’s hoping the advisers of BOTH candidates (and their running mates) realize how appalling Tuesday evening was, and steer Trump and Biden in a different direction for the next debate. (I really can’t imagine Kamala Harris and Mike Pence talking to each other that way.)

I know I’m not the only person whose nerves can’t handle more of the same.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com

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