EDITORIAL: Tonight's debate(s): Must-see TV?

It’s hard to get fired up about a stage full of politicians, but when one of the politicians is Donald Trump, you have to wonder how many times tonight we will hear the catchphrase “You’re fired!”

The first GOP debate is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. MDT in Cleveland, but even before it began, seven candidates were effectively “fired” as top-tier contenders by Fox News, which is moderating the session.

Because there are 17 major candidates, Fox relegated seven of them to the preliminary bout in the fight card. If you want to see Govs. Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki and Jim Gilmore; Sens. Rick Santorum and Lindsey Graham, or businesswoman Carly Fiorina, you will need to tune in at 3 p.m. Because all of those candidates are fighting for airtime, it might actually get interesting. Don’t assume all the outrageous things will happen when billionaire Trump is on stage.

However, Trump’s interactions with the media moderators and his fellow candidates (some are calling them “the nine dwarves” because of Trump’s commanding lead in the polls) is bound to be must-see TV.

Watching how Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich decide to approach Trump will keep the night entertaining, even though substance is likely to be in short supply with 60-second answers and 30-second rebuttals.

The only thing likely to be better than this for rock’em sock’em action is when Bernie Sanders gets on stage with Hillary Clinton in the first Democratic debate. Stay tuned.

Boats and hucks: Bring it on

And if politics isn’t your thing, just wait for the weekend and you’ll have your fill of fun and festivity from one end of the valley to the other.

On the south end, the Big Sky Antique and Classic Boat Society is staging its annual classic boat show Saturday and Sunday in Lakeside. A highlight of this year’s event will thrill the kids. A replica of an iconic 17th century frigate — a pirate ship — will be available for onboard tours. And there will be foam sword duels, too. How cool is that?

In the North Valley, the 26th annual Huckleberry Days Arts Festival runs Friday through Sunday, with a huckleberry dessert bake-off, live entertainment and a climbing wall.

Outside the Flathead there’s more huckleberry frivolity as Swan Lake hosts its annual huckleberry festival.

Summer in the Flathead is brimming with things to do; don’t let it pass you by.