The actual campaigns.
• There will be four campaign debates for each elected office. The first will be held before the primaries; all candidates will participate.
• Although some of the rules will be negotiable, some will not: the questions will not be provided in advance to the candidates. They will be culled from public correspondence, solicited for the purpose, and will focus on matters of concern to citizens.
• Each question will be asked of each candidate who will be given a set but ample time to respond. Follow-up questions will come from the candidates themselves.
• Each gathering will be an actual spontaneous debate – we’ll get to hear the candidates argue, present ideas, face opposition, look smart or stupid.
• These debates will be broadcast. Just as stations donate time for pro bono advertisements, they will donate time to democracy. If that’s a difficult concept within our current free, i.e., anarchic and cutthroat telecommunications industry, then we’ll call the debates “Democracy: The Reality Show.” I’m sure the networks can sell advertising time. Moisturizer, anyone?
• The candidates will be encouraged to make joint campaign appearances as part of the continuous debate. Any candidate that sets a staged and scripted presentation will be noticed by the media, as will the candidate whose appearances are spontaneous.
• Candidates are discouraged from blessing us by invoking a Supernatural Personality, such as in “God bless America.”