Most political “debates” are not worthy of the name, particularly those involving more than two opponents.

The participants come with pre-digested talking points that they attempt to make without truly engaging with others who are trying to do the same thing. The typical format, with questions from a panel of journalists, muddies the waters even more.

A real political debate is one-on-one, with at most a moderator to keep matters under minimal control, allowing the protagonists to pretty much decide what they want to say on the topic at hand.

Fox News commentator Sean Hannity says he wants California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to have a real debate Thursday night over their very different approaches to governance in two of the nation’s most diverse and populous states.

About the Author

Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times. CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

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