Idea: Let the debaters … debate

Now that the debates are over, has everyone made up his or her mind?

Probably not.

In spite of three closely watched sessions between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, are the ranks of the critical undecided voters narrowed?

Americans got an interesting side-by-side look at the president and the challenger, but the substance of the debates may not have given everybody a better idea of the best person to lead this country for the next four years.

There were a few sparks, some slight missteps and occasionally a new insight or two.

But depth and originality seemed to be missing.

This situation wasn't helped by some of the media analysis - Who smirked? Who stood taller? Who used better hand gestures? Who had better hair? Whose lips quivered? Who won? - that reflected the superficial nature of the debates.

While there were some informative moments in the three debates, the Kerry-Bush encounters still fell short of really giving us the measure of these men.

Perhaps it was the tightly controlled logistics of the debates - they were ruled by a 32-page agreement mandated by campaign handlers.

Perhaps it was the tendency of both candidates to ignore the real questions and instead lapse into long, memorized policy passages from their stump speeches. It was sort of a "We dissemble, you decide" routine.

And perhaps it was because they were not really debates but rather extended campaign infomercials. Did the candidates ever get to question each other? Did they really interact directly other than through sly smiles and head-shaking and some finger-pointing?

In this campaign where everything is packaged carefully, the debates were packaged so tightly that spontaneity suffered - when it didn't vanish entirely.

What we really need to get past the suffocating control of the debates by the ruling parties is something vastly more impromptu.

We realize it would probably never happen, but imagine this scenario:

Establish a secret location for the debate. Give the candidates short notice to get there and no idea of the format or theme. Let them really debate each other. Make them actually speak off the cuff and think on their feet.

The situations the president will confront in office don't always allow for days of preparation and memorization of talking points or coaching in correct posture.

The debates shouldn't, either.