ORLY?

So I was on The Economist's website reading their article about the 2nd presidential debate. One of the comments on the article ended this way"I'm terribly weary of snark. To candidates: calm down, agree to disagree, discuss details. In short, debate just as high school students learn to do in debate classes."

This tells me one of two things. Either this person is 87 years old, or they learned everything they know about debate from The Great Debaters. Now at first I disputed his point, saying that running a presidential debate would be terrible. Now... now I think it is the best thing ever and I am dying to see it.

Imagine. Obama/Biden (code D1) vs. McCain/Palin (code R3). They flip for sides before the round. The affirmative must defend their policy platform, while the negative attacks. Since they can't exactly defend status quo, but no fair offering counterplans. At the second debate, they swap sides.

Joe's the 1A. He's got crazy gravitas and he'll give a mean 1AR. Joe Biden has never dropped an argument.

Besides, Barack has to give the 2AR. With that kind of speaking ability, he'd have lay judges eating out of his hand. Obama'd have the theory down pat.

John's got the 1N. They figure he's gotta open for the team, plus, honestly, I bet Sarah'd give a really terrific 2NR: "Now, Tom, don't let him stand up here and say we didn't talk about spending, 'cause it just i'n't so!" Oh, she'd be a slimy debater for sure. "If we can save just one unborn baby... it's significant!"

Of course, one of them would probably insist on going maverick...

I want to see them pull off a Politics DA... "My opponent wants to do this, which will make me win, which leads to nucl-- oh shit ... hold on..."=

Other great moments from this debate:
"According to me in October 2007...."
"...could cause a loss of biodiversity, which leads to extinction (Miller 06)"
"Yes, Tom, the order will be the Spending DA, Medicare DA, topicality, then a flowed underview if I have time."

On the other side?
John has to be the 1A. Sarah couldn't handle the 1AR. Frankly, I don't think either of them could. John would waste a minute of his time saying "My friends" at the beginning of every sentence, and Sarah's flow would be nothing but a squiggly picture of a moose.

Barack and Joe would tear them apart in the neg block. Joe Biden has never once dropped an argument.

What would the resolution be?
Resolved: The citizens of the United States shall elect a president and vice-president, under whose leadership the United States Federal Government shall establish policies to form a more perfect union, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

The more I think about this, the more I want to see it... presidential debate? 90 minutes. high school debate? oh -- 90 minutes. The only problem?

Debate is elitist.