However, due to the self-financing exception, it’s plausible to me that people think that Mitt Romney has widespread support that he does not, in fact, have. I doubt that very many people are deceived by this, but it is possible. I would therefore put questions about his use of personal funds in the top, oh, two hundred questions that I would like to see discussed. Not in the top hundred, or probably in the top hundred and fifty, but fairly close. Of course, as Mr. Romney pointed out, we could just wait until the reports are due at the end of the month.

It is surprising to me that the debates are so lousy at so many things. I wouldn’t be altogether surprised by debates that were good television but bad education, or vice versa, or debates that were good at revealing character but bad at comparing policy, or vice versa, but this year the debates seem to be bad at everything and good at nothing.

Also, does it seem odd that the last time that a President really needs to face that kind of gotcha let’s-see-if-we-can-break-the-conditioning confrontation is during the election? It’s almost as if, when a President is governing, what matters is what he (or she) intends to say, prepares to say, and then says, not on what “genuine moments” are revealed by inadvertant improvisation.

Thanks,
-V.