Ron, if you say public debate will help you decide on the issue, I will take your word for it. However, past experience has shown that such debates rarely change enough minds to give one side a decisive advantage.
Usually what happens is that people listen to the debate with preconceived views. They think that the side they supported won the debate. Indeed, in the presidential election, the debates rarely make any difference. Thus, Gore won all three debates against Bush, yet lost to him Kerry won all three debates against Bush, yet lost to Bush.
Obama won all three debates and won the election. However, there was very little movement in opinion polls as a result of the debates. Obama would very likely have won without the debates. So experience has shown that debates settle very little.
Indeed, I don’t know if you remember the 1988 vice presidential debate between Dan Quayle and Howard Bentsen. Bentsen positively demolished Quayle (remember the zinger’ Senator, you are no Jack’)?. It was almost unanimous that Bentsen won the debate. Yet there was no movement in polls towards Dukakis.
So chances are very high that debate won’t settle anything. Mind you, I am not saying that Gore should not debate, that is up to him. What I am saying is that I understand if Gore decides not to debate. In practice debates rarely settle anything.
Usually what happens is that people listen to the debate with preconceived views. They think that the side they supported won the debate. Indeed, in the presidential election, the debates rarely make any difference. Thus, Gore won all three debates against Bush, yet lost to him Kerry won all three debates against Bush, yet lost to Bush.
Obama won all three debates and won the election. However, there was very little movement in opinion polls as a result of the debates. Obama would very likely have won without the debates. So experience has shown that debates settle very little.
Indeed, I don’t know if you remember the 1988 vice presidential debate between Dan Quayle and Howard Bentsen. Bentsen positively demolished Quayle (remember the zinger’ Senator, you are no Jack’)?. It was almost unanimous that Bentsen won the debate. Yet there was no movement in polls towards Dukakis.
So chances are very high that debate won’t settle anything. Mind you, I am not saying that Gore should not debate, that is up to him. What I am saying is that I understand if Gore decides not to debate. In practice debates rarely settle anything.