By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — An Emporia State political science professor says civil discourse took a step back Tuesday in Cleveland.
"For years, people that do debate properly in high school and colleges have been saying, those presidential debates aren't really debates," said Michael Smith. "I've never seen such an egregious example of that as last night."
The tough part is, even as dueling stump speeches, neither candidate was allowed to speak freely.
"Trump, his best characteristic is that he's not scripted," Smith said. "He says what he really thinks. His worst characteristic is he's not scripted, he says what he really thinks. Then, Biden was left to respond to that."
Smith notes that some people got what they were looking for.
"Lots of us complained in the old days about how politicians seemed to be reading from scripts and they sounded so stilted," Smith said. "You never heard anything new. I don't think that when we were complaining about that, we thought that it would lead to this."
The next debate between the two campaigns will involve their vice presidential nominees. It is Oct. 7.