More female moderators, please
by David Atkins
After last night's debate, it wouldn't be surprising if Mitt Romney wanted to stuff Candy Crowley in a binder. In many ways the consummate Villager, Ms. Crowley nonetheless reined in both candidates, committing wanton acts of journalism and fact-checking in the middle of the debate. It was quite something to behold:
But it wasn't simply that Ms. Crowley refused to be bowled over. It was also that by being a woman, the bully tactic favored by Romney came off more as insecure and asinine than as strong and commanding, even in Romney's fact-free environment of postmodern campaigning. With a more passive, male moderator a debate can become nothing but a preening show of alpha male dominance. As I said last week:
When debaters can't even argue from a single set of facts, the argument ceases to be a debate and becomes a pissing contest instead, with each interlocutor interrupting and shouting the other down. Respect is impossible to maintain. With a female politician the negative effects of this are mitigated somewhat thanks to sexist cultural expectations. But especially in a debate between two men, when factual ground rules disappear the contest goes almost entirely to the alpha dog with the bigger bite, louder bark and broader grin.
More female politicians on the biggest stage would be extremely welcome. But even in a debate between two men, a female moderator can help make a lot of difference in turning an empty show of dominance into a weighty show of substance.
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