Sorry, You Can’t Debate

CNN is bringing us another debate tonight with the Democrats answering questions from the regular people at Youtube. Never mind the fact that most of the people on Youtube are not normal. Leaving the wonderful world of Youtube alone, the debate itself brings to mind the debate we should be having about the candidates and sheer number of them. Should we limit who gets to participate in these debates? To be considered a viable candidate as to earn a place up on stage, you have to be or been at one point a Representative, Senator, Governor, or really, really wealthy. 
                                           
Yet we still get numerous “undeclared” candidates even before the swarm of declared candidates crowd the stage. Bill Frist, Russell Feingold, Evan Byah, were all men who bowed out of the fight this time. Al Gore and Fred Thomson are still testing the waters. Then with the declared list it seems anyone is allowed up there. Jim Gilmore recent departure simply highlighted the fact that ego alone seems to be keeping these men alive politically. The parties should allow a pre-nomination nomination that would highlight the top five candidates and allow for a richer, fuller debate. If one were to falter and bow out the process would select another. For the nomination process to work the debates have to stop being full of five-second sound bites and start being solid conversations.