Presidential Debate Schedule: Please return to your regularly scheduled program

What the hell was the Commission on Presidential debates thinking when it created the Presidential and Vice Presidential debate schedule?

Did they not consult the TV Guide as to what is more important to the American viewer because these debates are messing with DVR scheduled recordings?

These debates are going to interfere with my regularly scheduled programming. Its worse enough that CBS makes me have to wait 30 minutes later on a Sunday night to watch the Amazing Race, but this is inexcusable.

Quick, call Alex Jones over at Infowars.com; I smell a conspiracy of political indoctrination by both Republicans and Democrats alike. But now they are going to make me choose between watching the VP debate Biden vs. Ryan or the Steelers vs. Titans this Thursday. Have they no shame? Don’t they know my fantasy football team depends on this game?

As my 6 year old half-pint bodyguard, ConJay, likes to say “Geez Louise!”

This Presidential Debate schedule is a boondoggle for the politico and sports fan like me, because sports will win 85% of the time, especially when it comes to football, any rank of football.

As we look at the only VP debate, the punditry and their minions are near orgasmic blindness waiting for this debate. I’m positive the debate will garner high ratings, as Con-talk radio has been promoting it as “the Biden Gaffe hour.” It’s more likely to be compared to watching an episode of the Munsters; Eddie vs. Grandpa, minus Cousin It.



But the VP debate is not a ratings juggernaut by any means, it’s more like Olympic Handball, very little viewership. Ratings history shows that during the time slot for such debate, Networks average 15% of viewers; only Bush vs. Ferraro and Biden vs. Palin have racked up 23% of the viewers.

Not only does Biden/Ryan have to contend with NFL’s Steelers/Titans game, it also has ESPN Arizona State/Colorado and of course the season finale of Project Runway.

Hell even the rerun of Jersey Shore scheduled in this time slot will receive higher ratings.

Many Americans get pretty uptight when their regular scheduled program is pre-empted by some “special” or news program. It’s not like students at WVU are burning couches in the streets at the end of a political debate. But then again, it’s WVU and they’d burn a couch if they won a game of checkers.

But the rest of debate schedule has larger issues coming up.

The next Pres debate is scheduled for Oct 16. To me, the Town Hall forum is the best of the three as the candidates get to walk around the stage and receive questions from the audience. This is the style of debate that helped Clinton in ’92 win the presidency because it showed his “true” likability factor.

But on this day, the debate will have to contend with Major League Baseball’s ALCS Game #3. Well not the game itself, but the ratings as more people will be betting on the game then betting on whether or not O’Barry will stage a comeback.

And by skipping down the TV Guide to the final debate on Monday, October 22, the debate will have to fight over the NFL’s Bears/Lions on ESPN, a possible MLB NLCS Game #7 on WTBS and WWE Raw on USA!

However, thank the Network gods that the Oct 22 debate is scheduled for 9pm, because we don’t want to interrupt the brain numbing shows of Dancing with the Stars, The Voice and X Factor, all major money makers for the networks, but part of the reason of social decay as we know it.

Could you imagine the outcry from the masses if they miss an episode of one of the above shows, it would be equal to that of the Granny brigade when Young and the Restless is preempted for some odd reason. Never piss off grammas!

Just look at the conspiracy back in May 2011 when Navy SEALS captured and killed America's enemy #1, Osama bin Laden, and NBC interrupted the last 15 minutes of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice.

Viewers were livid and cried outrageous conspiratorial expletives at their flat screens all because they believed Pres Obama held a grudge against America’s favorite promotional whore Trump in the release of Obama’s birth certificate.

Yes, let’s hold off on capturing America's enemy #1 till 945pm eastern standard time so we can interrupt a two bit hack giving 3rd rate celebrities some relevance to their has been careers. Kudos to you Pres Obama, checkmate.

But that’s how we are these days, short sighted and narrow minded in a “me me” generation.

In 1980, when Cable was still in its infancy and roof top antennae stretched across the suburban sky, roughly 80 million Americans watched the only debate between Pres Jimmy Carter and GOP candidate Ronald Reagan. No one complained that they were missing an episode of the Love Boat!

Fast forward to today and see how our lives have been manipulated by Cable TV and modern technology. Just look around, wherever you may be and you’ll see Android and I Phones being pecked at or an I Pad or two being flicked or a laptop being plugged in to keep up with Social Media and their favorite websites.

And Lord forbid anyone at anytime try to make actual conversation with another with actual eye contact, let alone have a respectful conversation about politics.

Contrary to my ramblings during the debates on my Twitter and Facebook pages, I actually enjoy watching the debates, alone. And out there, somewhere some geeky pimply face kid has just become the latest millionaire by creating a politicalmatchmaker.com website for the masses, because no one wants to see what happens when a Liberal and Conservative get together for a one night stand.

Wait that sounds like an awesome premise for a new Reality TV Show, quick get me Trump’s number.

That’s it, Slap the Tap on another Guinness and return to your regularly scheduled programming

Cheers!

Twitter: #bigpopapolitics
Facebook: todd Kelly (bigpoppapolitics)