Steve's barking at what we jokingly refer to as presidential debates?

I've been around for a lot of these so called presidential debates.
In all of them from Kennedy, Nixon on they seemed to me more like those insidious televised question and answer news programs. (Face the nation, 60 minutes , Fox and friends ect, ect). Some dufus ask an inane question that's been asked  a hundred times before ( at least the candidate hopes so he can answer the same question the way it's been rehearsed). For some unknown reason the candidate is called a cheater if he or she happens to have notes, kind of like an athlete taking performance enhancers.
This year it particularly annoying when the debate should be what role should government play in the economy. A mix of government help, free enterprise system that kept us with steady growth until the eighties or the laissez faire approach which is what the unfretted free market system is. ( notice I didn't give an opinion).
Unfortunately talking heads and rich political consultants live on fantasy island and give the voters ideas, at least different ideas.