There’s probably some deep-seated psychological reason for it (“Mommy and Daddy are fighting again!”), but I can’t stand watching televised election debates. I’m on edge the whole time, fidgeting, finding excuses to be elsewhere and just generally miserable and anxious.

Weird, huh? Former political speechwriter, high school and university debater… but I hate debates.

Set aside whatever emotional baggage may be involved for a moment. (Ka-THUMP! Geez, sorry about the floor – man, laminate cracks easily, huh?) The thing that bothers me the most about these things is that they nearly never are genuine debates. So often, what you hear clashing aren’t ideas or arguments, but talking points. And the people in them are driven as much by the fear of a misstep (and the hope their opponent will make one) as they are by the desire to communicate.

Three more of these things to go in the U.S., and two in Canada. Eugh.