Keller @ Large: Republican Debate Gives Debates A Bad Name

BOSTON (CBS) - I will be analyzing Thursday night's first formal GOP presidential candidates' "debate" for WBZ-TV and WBZ NewsRadio 1030, but I won't feel good about it.

The thing is a farce, and serves no useful civic purpose.

Normally, I love debates, and consider them one of the most meaningful parts of a political campaign. But this year, debate organizers have a problem.

In 2012, there was never a debate with more than nine participants, and those were bad enough. This time around there are at least 15 reasonably creditable candidates in the race, far too many to have on stage at the same time and have any semblance of an actual debate.

So the sponsors are using polls to narrow the field to ten, still an unwieldy number. Thus, two current governors and a longtime US Senator will be excluded from the prime time event.

They are unhappy about it, and I don't blame them. And it makes you wonder – why do we even need a debate this early?

Let the candidates find their own ways to introduce themselves to the relatively small number of voters who will decide the early primaries. Then let those results shape the debate lineups.

The polls right now mean little. So does Thursday's debate.

Including some and not others creates an artificial triage that isn't based on merit, and therefore does a huge disservice to voters who aren't paying attention right now and the candidates who might appeal to them if they had the chance.

This debate is about media self-hype, not democracy. And it gives debates – and democracy itself – a bad name.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.