Let’s get to the one of the meaty parts of politics… debates.  What is a debate?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines debate: to discuss a question by considering opposed arguments. That is the verb form of the word, which is good enough for us.  Good enough.  People have debates about all sorts of things.  For us, we are only interested in political debates.  If you want to debate the merits of chocolate versus vanilla, send us an email.  Barley will be all over that.  All over it.

Presidential debates are the most familiar types of political debates.  Presidential candidates debate everything from taxes to foreign policy in these debates.  Their goal is to inform voters of their views so they can win voters.  One candidate is asked a question, they respond, and then their opponent can offer a rebuttal.  Rebuttals can go longer if needed, back and forth.  Back and forth.  Debates today are very different from the debates that Lincoln and Douglas took part in during 1858.  Today debates are usually ninety minutes long.  Each candidate will get two minutes to respond and their opponents ninety seconds to offer a rebuttal.  The debates in 1858 lasted three hours.  Three hours.  The first candidate spoke for an hour, his opponent spoke for an hour and a half, and then back to the first candidate for a half hour.  Whoa.  That half hour must have seemed like a breeze.  A breeze.  You have to really know your stuff to talk for an hour and a half.