“Who Won the Debate” is a Truly Dumb Question to Ask

But that doesn’t seem to stop everyone from asking.

Photo by Diane Picchiottino on Unsplash

This concept of “winning the debate” will be googled by many people, beat to death by pundits on every channel, and “measured” by polls galore.

Everyone wants to know if “their candidate” won. It’s staggering how obvious the manipulative polarization of the electorate has become.

Because debates… don’t actually have winners or losers. That’s not how they’re designed. They’re not cage matches, for crying out loud.

Debates have no objective scorecard

There is no ref, no judges, no points, no call to say who “won” or who “lost.”

Opinions of the debaters performance are entirely subjective

The performance, or spectacle, is going to be interpreted differently by every single user. You can’t declare an objective winner in a subjectively judged contest.

The value of a debate lies in the exchange and sharing of ideas

This isn’t a fucking Marvel movie. It’s an exchange of ideas, poise, character, and charisma. There’s no ultimate villain to defeat unless the media frames it…