There was a moment in last night’s Republican presidential primary debate that has stuck with me more than any of the crosstalk or inter-candidate squabbling. It came near the very end. Co-moderator Dana Perino astutely noted that, if none of the candidates on the stage dropped out, Donald Trump — who skipped the debate, as he did the last one — would win the primary. But Perino went from this interesting set-up to a bizarre query: “So which one of you on stage tonight should be voted off the island?” She then prompted the candidates to use the paper and pen provided to indicate their choice and hold it up, à la the reality-TV show Survivor.
I have complained before about how the modern presidential debate forces us to believe television performance is the best indicator of presidential prowess. Decades ago, media critic and philosopher Neil Postman explained why this makes no sense:
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