Four and half hours without exploring the generation-crushing burden of student debt, or the retirement crisis faced by millions of aging Americans.
Four and a half hours without discussing the kinds of medical and family leave benefits in other developed countries.
And four and a half hours with no questions about climate change -- a crisis that threatens all humanity and the planet itself, a crisis that's already having a devastating effect on everything from the economy to national security.
Instead, Wallace used the debate platform to mislead. He falsely claimed that "the Obama stimulus plan," rather than Republican spending cuts, "has led to the slowest GDP growth since 1949."
Wallace also cited the work of a highly biased organization called the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget -- not once, but twice -- on government debt, Medicare and Social Security. That group is part of a network of front organizations funded by right-wing billionaire Peter G. "Pete" Peterson and other Wall Street and corporate sources.
They claim to be "bipartisan," supporting corporate Democrats as well as corporate Republicans. But they invariably wind up pushing fiscal policies (like Social Security benefit cuts) that hurt the 99 percent, while downplaying or ignoring solutions (like lifting the payroll tax cap on Social Security) that discomfit the extremely wealthy.
These big-money groups got their money's worth on Wednesday night.
The Commission on Presidential Debates, which organizes these events, has no reason to press candidates on challenging issues. Created jointly by the Democratic and Republican parties, it has historically been funded by corporate sponsors and other wealthy donors. The Commission does not represent voters and has no public charter. It's designed to preserve a media monopoly for both parties, not to broaden political discourse or serve the public interest.
It's time for the Commission on Public Debates to go.
A media circus was inevitable once Trump became the Republican nominee, and many people will be glad to see this campaign draw to a close. Donald Trump will probably never grace a national debate stage again, so there's that. But national campaigns, and the media's coverage of them, have been shortchanging voters for a long time. That's not likely to change.
Until the public demands better, the puppet show will go on.
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