ABC has Candidates Debate Gossip while Pressing Science Issues Languish

Considering the list of embarrassingly stupid questions ABC asked Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton last night (see also here, here, here, here, and here), one has to wonder why the candidates prefer such unproductive distractions to engaging the positive and enlightening Science Debate 2008.

It was infuriating watching Barack Obama be questioned about his relationship to Reverend Wright for the bazillionth time, an issue that is old news, when he could have been explaining his policies to ensure American competitiveness online, to tackle Climate Change, and to improve our Educational system..

It was an outrage to watch Hillary Clinton confronted with the same old silly questions about her Bosnia story gaff, when she could have spent those precious moments talking about her plans to switch America to alternative energy, to mend our Educational system, and keep America a high-tech leader in the world.

In taking their discussion to ABC, the candidates simply fed the already-obese media gossip machine. No one was enlightened. With a science debate, they could have demonstrated the very job skills we are interviewing them for with this whole political process, the purpose of which is finding the right person to lead America into the future.