Hello oomis,
I have been having almost the exact same conversations (with your points above) with my mother all day! She is a wise woman 🙂
I find the facial gestures to be very unseemly, unprofessional and unbecoming.
I also cannot understand why the moderators have been passive when it comes to moderating behavior, interruptions, etc. If a free-for-all was what was supposed to happen, then why have a moderator at all?
Regarding appearances by the president (or any candidates) on late-night television and day-time talk shows, I find this behavior unseemly and inappropriate as well. I feel that our office holders and those running for office should be appearing in forums that reflect the ostensible dignity of the offices in question. I am not enthused by the prospect of our president or candidates doubling as entertainers, even if for a short time. I think that a president is not elected to be appearing in such venues.
In a similar vein, I am flummoxed when elected office holders, such as our legislators, do not appear at the jobs for which they were elected because they are busy campaigning for their next political positions. I think that each time a legislator is not present for a vote on the floor of the House or Senate (or votes something noncommittal such as “present”), this information should be broadcast far and wide by news channels and media, so that at least the flagrant disregard of public duty and legislative nonfeasance is theoretically made known to potential voters.
Sorry to get fired up there in the last paragraph. The flippant disregard of public and governmental duty galls me to no end! I did not mean to rant. 🙁