Debate Over Debates: Part 1

Left And Right!
The first debate is officially over, and the punditry has begun. The EdWonk observed the debate via Fox News while simultaneously monitoring the excellent play-by-play account furnished by Kevin Aylward's Wizbang! blog.

If it can be accepted that a challenger must win "hands down" over an incumbent leading in the polls, then it could be argued that, in the words of CNNs Mark Whitaker, "Kerry did not close the sale." The Education Wonks Team concurs in Whitaker's assessment.

The Team believes that President Bush wins by simply not losing. In the eyes of the American people, Bush continues to be a credible and experienced Commander in Chief. The reluctance of Americans to replace an incumbent is well known. Therefore, we believe that the margin of victory belongs to George Bush.

CNN is announcing that the first "snap poll" by the Gallop Organization has Kerry winning the debate with 53% over Bush's 37%. However, the statistical sampling is only 1600 adults. Predictably, CNN is trumpeting these results as a Kerry victory.

The Education Wonks are saddened that neither candidate mentioned the importance of education in any plan for the successful reconstruction of both Afghanistan and Iraq. One of the reasons why vanquished Nazi Germany and Militarist Japan became such stalwarts of democracy is because the principles of democratic government were instilled in the educational systems of both countries as reconstructed by the American Occupation following the Second World War.

The importance in educating a people for democracy is a lesson well-worth remembering.