The Salvation of Genuine Political Debate, Missing in Action in Political America
We need debates, substantive debates, not monologues including personal attacks, after principals ignore their opponents’ arguments.
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Richard E. Vatz https://wp.towson.edu/vatz/ is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of political rhetoric at Towson University and author of The Only Authentic of Persuasion: the Agenda-Spin Model (Bookwrights House, 2024) and over 200 other works, essays, lectures, and op-eds. He is the benefactor of the Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award at Towson. The Van Bokkelen Auditorium at Towson University has been named after him.
Author: Richard E. Vatz, Ph.D
Self-Cancel Culture and Ruth Marcus
Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washinton Post, wrote recently and famously, “We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets…We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”
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Eliminating mandatory psychiatric coverage: toughening up America and saving millions of people billions of dollars
If Elon Musk and President Donald Trump are serious and fearless – and one thinks that they manifestly are — about the dual goals of saving the American people money and increasing their independence and control of their lives, they should start by terminating the mandatory health insurance that Americans pay for mental health.
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The Singularly Ignored and Banned Discussion of the Number One Cause of Violence, Educational Deficits, Bullying and Poverty: Single Parent Families
In the relationship between single parenting and the high rate of crime, the cause of having only one parent is due to several obvious articulable connections. A single parent cannot usually control a single male, let alone multiple males, their study habits, friendship choices, living in poverty, and group identification. Gangs are always willing to substitute for absent parents.
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For Election Outcomes, Listen to Those in Political Rhetoric
As I have stated repeatedly and written, Donald Trump is a repellent personality, but Americans will support a candidate – I did — when the alternative and her party are so bereft of good judgment.
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Fie on Newspaper Endorsements
There has been little short of a metaphorical nuclear explosion pursuant to The Washington Post’s owner’s, Jeff Bezos’, decision not to have his newspaper endorse a presidential candidate in 2024 or going forward
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First Periodic Local and National Ravem (sic) Awards
In my very long career of over a half-century, I have commented for a wide range of media regarding matters
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For Whom a Marylander Should Vote: Harris is politically repellent, and Trump is personally offensive; Tim Walz is not ready for Primetime, and J.D. Vance is Great on a Mic (Apologies to Irving Berlin)
It is presumptuous for anyone to tell others how to vote, but herein I am just suggesting that the readers follow their values, just as I have in the last several days in changing my opinion.
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Walz-Vance Civil Debate: Vance wins by a TKO; CBS Moderators Embarrass Themselves
Vice Presidential Debate between Minnesota Governor and former House Member Tim Walz and first-term Ohio Senator J.D. Vance on Tuesday evening was a very surprising – in a positive way – return to the civility and substance of high-level political debates we haven’t seen since Vice Presidential aspirants Joe Lieberman and Dick Cheney debated in 2000.
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Kamala/Donald Debate: Kamala Wins on Exceeding Expectations Plus Style; Donald Wins in a Close Call on Substance; My Guess is that Kamala Gains Temporarily in the Polls
Vice President Kamala Harris was so much clearer than I expected her to be that I was just incredulous. Former President Donald (Trump was stylistically off his game, and why? Not enough self-discipline.
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