4. It ignores how people connect now. The traditional debate format is largely outdated for how people consume and engage with politics today.

3. No depth or follow-up. When candidates evade or distort facts, moderators rarely press them. There’s no space for accountability or complexity in a rapid-fire, timed format.

2. Moderators act as gatekeepers. They tend to frame questions through a media lens (what’s “newsworthy”) rather than a voter lens (what’s impactful). So the issues and tone often reflect newsroom priorities, not community realities.

1. It rewards performance, not ideas. Candidates are coached to deliver polished one-liners that “land” on social media instead of engaging in real dialogue. It’s theater, not civic education.

They refuse to make more! I've been to locations where they admit they could make more, but it's too close to closing time or they just don't feel like it. But yea, your point stands!