Televised

In Yessica Martinez's article Perry Ignites Discussion Over Debates He May Skip, she expressed the both that it would be okay for Perry to miss a couple of debates. She stated that there are a lot of televised debates scheduled in the coming months and that presidential candidates concentrate on the communities that will be voting as opposed to engaging in and endless string of public debates that interrupts campaigning. Martinez went on to say that Perry should not miss too many debates lest he be deemed weak by voting Americans.

I agree with almost all of Martinez's statements. Perry and the other candidates need to work hard to communicate more directly to American voters. In a televised debate there is little opportunity to give an in depth explanation of one's opinion and statements can easily be misinterpreted, either on purpose or accidentally. However, these debates are free advertising and shouldn't be passed up without serious forethought. The more face time a candidate can get, the better they will be remembered at the polls. Televised debates also give a snapshot of the candidates' personalities, both strong points and failings.

As an extension to her post, I think that it would be a good idea for candidates to create a well publisized blog of sorts to express their in depth reasoning for opinions. This way, voters could see into the thought processes of the candidates, to see what candidates base their opinions on and how they think. The Internet doesn't have a time limit and the candidates can expand as much as they want without constant attack from opposition. Though active debate is still essential to the election process, I think a blog would be a good supplement.