"A real debate. On the issues. Just you and me."

In addition to starting my own site and weighing in here when inspiration and/or fancy strikes, I've spent much of my recent downtime watching "The West Wing." I didn't get into the show when it was on the air, but after almost three years in DC and countless cocktail party references that flew right over my head, I figured it was worth checking it out.

Thanks to Netflix, I'm now about 1/3 of the way through the final season and have developed a potentially unhealthy intellectual crush on Aaron Sorkin. (I was one of the 12 people who watched "Studio 60", liked it, and wish it were coming back. I also know Sorkin left "The West Wing" after the first four seasons. I'm ok with that.)

Anyway, I just got to the part where Congressman Santos and Senator Vinick are "backstage" at The Al Smith dinner, agreeing to a real debate. Vinick thinks he's going to smush Santos. Santos is confident he's got a shot. The West Coast version of the live debate's next so I don't know what happens yet, but the whole exchange got me thinking about the current race for the Democratic nomination.

What would happen if Obama and Clinton had a real chance to go toe-to-toe on substance? What would be so wrong with that? I know the parallel's a little skewed because "The West Wing" debate pits two opposing parties, and I'm floating the idea of an intraparty match-up, but wouldn't the end result be the same? Wouldn't we - the voting public - get a better sense of what we're considering?

I never thought I'd see the day when a fictional account of our political system was more inspirational and educational than our actual political system. I don't know what's in store this next episode, but I'm guessing the live debate notes didn't mandate the candidates get into who does or doesn't wear a flag pin. I'm thinking anything in the realm of "does you pastor love America as much as you do?" would have been scrapped in the script meeting as unrealistic and downright absurd.

Even though I've been known to watch my fair share of bad reality shows, I've never once pretended they're consequential or even remotely value-add. The problem with Wednesday night's debate was that it was reality - not a reality show - and it did purport to be significant, seeing as how it was a step in the process of choosing the next leader of our country.

If the ABC debate had been an episode of "The West Wing," I would have been disappointed in the writers and producers of the show.

Instead, I'm disappointed in ABC news, and because they're supposed to be a real news organization, that's far more disheartening.