Political debates
“IWILL not be watching the debate among the senatorial candidates this election season.” That was the Facebook post I saw recently made by a fellow Antipoleño. He explained that, to him, these debates “merely show who are the better debaters, not who will be the better senators.”
My fellow Antipoleño further shared his view on what makes for a good senator. He said in his social media post:
“These are the qualities of a good legislator:
1. A great listener.
2. Can speak well and be understood.
3. Good at building consensus and winning allies to a worthy legislative cause.”
He concluded by saying that “debates have little or no value in business, in politics, or in life.”
I noticed that his post was well-received, garnering close to a thousand “likes” and “shares.” I presumed that the public must really be tired of “political debates.” The many comments in his post affirming his view about the uselessness of debates tend to bolster my suspicion that the airing of debates among senatorial contenders may not get as much viewership and listenership as the debates among candidates for president in 2016.
I will take a maverick view. I will differ from the position taken by my fellow Antipoleño.
While I agree that a good legislator has great listening and speaking skills, as well as the ability to win allies to his or her legislative cause, above-average debating skills are necessary.
Debates are an important feature of legislative work. Debates are a permanent fixture in a healthy democracy.
Our understanding of the art of debating is that it is a form of platform speech where one takes a position on an issue. At the platform, that person uses the power of words and the power of proof to drive home a point. Debating allows that person to showcase his or her ability to champion a position and to convince others to take his or her side.
When candidates debate during the campaign season, the public benefits.
These debates help them discern three things – the candidate’s capability, character, and conviction.
They give us a glimpse of the candidate’s capability – to dissect an issue; to present the pros and cons; to examine merits and demerits of an option and of an action. They help us understand the candidate’s character – the quality of the heart and the mind based on the position he or she takes on a given issue. These debates also give us an understanding of the candidate’s ability to commit to his or her cause, and to infect us with the power of their conviction to the ideals they stand and fight for.
By watching candidates debate, we can expand our bases for making wise choices.
Our elders used to tell us that our Congress was once the Parthenon of great intellectual debaters. To name a few: The late senators Ambrosio Padilla, Arturo Tolentino, Raul Manglapus, Emmanuel Pelaez, and Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo. They said that the debates on the floor of the Upper House were enriching, educating, and at times even entertaining. The Senate was filled with intellectual heavyweights who inspired the nation with their rhetoric and the quality of their legislative work.
We were told that people used to flock to the Senate to watch these debates – students, government employees, civic groups, and ordinary citizens. Watching the fiery, intellectual exchange helped them understand the burning issues of the day and how these issues affected their lives.
Debates may be noisy, as many might say. That noise, however, is key to helping us all see the various points of view and to appreciate the stand that the champions of these varying viewpoints take.
We believe that debates continue to be an effective way of introducing candidates to the electorate. We encourage our countrymen to watch these debates.
It will also help to find out which candidates will refuse to face their fellow candidates in debates that are organized by various groups. It will be very interesting to know the reason why they would refuse to be part of this exercise.
The worst excuse they could offer is that they find debates useless. They will then have to offer voters other ways of helping the latter discover their capability, their character, and their conviction.
* For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or send it to #4 Horse Shoe Drive, Beverly Hills Subdivision, Brgy. Beverly Hills, Antipolo City, Rizal.