"Regardless of how the current Republican presidential nomination process ends, I hope that they will never again have these televised "debates" among a crowd of candidates, which just turn into a circular firing squad — damaging whoever ends up with the nomination, and leaving the voters knowing only who is quickest with glib answers."
The 2007 Republican debates were a joke. Immigration hawk Tom Tancredo had to plead for attention. His views were in very much in concert with the nation, yet he got short shrift from the moderators, while the cameras would pan Governor Romney then his wife — and McCain became the GOP nominee.
Honestly, can we assess the seriousness of a candidate's political views with a showing of hands? How many times do we have to witness the second-tier candidates sniping at one front-runner, who will probably finish third in the Iowa caucuses, anyway?
The mass-debates are indeed a massive waste of time. It would be better for each presidential candidate to run a front-porch campaign, or at least have the gumption to shake it up with supporters and unsure voters in key battleground states.