It sad but it goes on in every debate. It makes them all look phony.

Even though presidential primary debates draw a lot of attention, can be informative and sometimes even are fun, they are a poor way to measure what kind of president a candidate will make.

Debates tell us how well a candidate can deliver an instant response, without notes, without staff and sometimes without thinking.

Presidents, we hope, don’t behave like that. We don’t want them to make big decisions in an instant and in isolation.

We would rather they take their time, gather their staff and consider all the pros and cons before they screw up.

But debates are like a game show: Hit the buzzer and answer fast.

You will never hear a candidate say, “That’s such an important question, George, that I would like to think about it and get back to you.”

The moderator would be shocked, the audience would laugh and the media would tear the candidate apart.

But this year, we are beginning to see a new problem emerge: Candidates are being forced to take positions just to please the crowd.

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