Here's my dreamy, puny and never going to happen idea for reducing the country's $15 trillion debt:
Pay-per-view for a series of debates between President Barack Obama and the current leading Republican challenger former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Seriously? And who would watch it? Hopefully, citizens of the United States and the nationals abroad who are even remotely concerned about the future of the USA. It's not hyperbole to say that the political decisions made in 2012 will be a watershed year for our future of this country. There is a helluva lot at stake come November. We better be interested in the candidates.
So, what's the plan? The Congressional Budget Office, CBO, acting as the promoter, signs a deal with HBO in the same manner as Bob Arum with Top Rank Boxing would promote a Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao v Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr., championship fight.
The details of the Obama v Gingrich debate deal are as follows: $55 for each debate or $400 package deal for a number of seven scheduled debates; estimate 3 million people subscribe of which 50% opt for the package while the other 50% watch three debates; HBO sells commercial time (which is a radical departure for HBO) to advertisers of which 50% goes to the CBO budget relief fund; HBO's fee for the debates is 25% of gross pay-per-view proceeds and the remainder goes towards relieving debt balance in the hands of the CBO. Monies collected by the CBO would then be applied to the debtors accounts, namely, China.
The payout for the great debates could contribute about $600million to debt relief. Which is equivalent to about a week of interest payments on Chinese-owned US debt or 4 days of our troops in Afghanistan. Mind you, I said my budget relief idea was puny earlier. A drop in the debt bucket for sure but what great clarity we would be getting in return as citizens, the electorate and as viewers. Obama v. Newt. Nice ring to it, right? Surely, viewers would get their money's worth...for better or for worse.
The idea of a great debate between the two polar opposites has great appeal. Obama, the quintessential liberal tax and spend big government ideologue who has not had one original thought on what to do to fix this broken country in three years, who truly believes that "America has been a bit lazy over the last couple of decades" versus Gingrich, the disputatious conservative anti-tax, anti-big government, anti-union wonk who has ten new ideas per minute, who stated recently that "it is time to get rid of unionized janitors and have one master janitor and pay the local students to take care of the school." Remember, all ideas are not necessarily good. You could not create two more diametrically-opposed politicians from Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory than these two.
The voluble Gingrich relishes the idea of a series of Lincoln-Douglas style debates with the President. The confident Newt smells a massacre against the disengaged sitting President. The unctuous Obama has no comment or interest on any type of debate with the former Speaker until it's time to do so. And when and if that event happens, it will be on his terms.
In any event, the Lincoln-Douglas debate style is fashioned after an old tried and true high school/college debate format on critical issues of the day. Face to face. Mano to mano. No panel questioners. Only a moderator present to police the time element.
Both would open with a 30 minute statement regarding a certain debate topic affirming and/or attacking a certain position. It would follow with a 30 minute "rejoinder" from each party. The incumbent would be first up followed by the challenger.
After two hours including time for commercials breaks, the debate concludes and the viewer is left with solid intelligence on what each man's logical, ethical, philosophical values are and what approaches and solutions would be employed by both parties on real world problems. No spin. No "got you" questions from biased reporters. Just the facts of who you are and what do you believe in.
These are very troubled and highly flammable times, we the American people deserve the truth for once from our President and from those who wish to be President. A debate of this type would flush out the truth and those who are not fit to govern. Talk about transparency. There would be no place to hide in front of the American people. This format would help all of us immeasurably as we look towards November's election.
One small detail in the fine print of the HBO deal which both parties would be signatory to, no teleprompters are allowed. Due to the seriousness of the times, it is duly expected that their firm grasp of the issues should render a teleprompter or any other artificial device unnecessary.
But, if the President did not agree on this detail, Speaker Gingrich said of Obama, "if he wants to use a teleprompter, it would be OK with me. It has to be fair. If you were to defend ObamaCare wouldn't you want a teleprompter."
This type of debate on the issues is just what this country needs amidst all the background noise. Will it happen? 100:1 odds against. It has about as much chance as a Pacquiao v Mayweather fight.
But...sometimes dreams do come true.
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