Naw, heck, no.

Yes, well, the Republic is certainly stronger for that.

Arguments favoring the debate have circled around the notion that this techie-feely approach would attract The Young 'n' Restless -- that hallowed demographic of 18-to-34-year-olds so coveted by advertisers, newspaper publishers and politicians.

Turnout, alas, was less than spectacular. A total of 2.6 million watched the debates -- 6 percent fewer than watched a more traditional debate from New Hampshire in June. Of those, 407,000 were ages 18-34, only slightly more than the 368,000 among the June audience.

Some critics have noted that the debate wasn't sufficiently democratic because CNN editors selected the final questions. Given that the questions aired apparently were considered the best of the lot, insufficient democracy would seem to be one of the few achievements of the evening. What genius, one wonders, lies undiscovered on the cutting room floor?

Otherwise, the only conclusion to draw from this exercise is that Republicans, scheduled for a similar trivializing gantlet in September, should decline. Let's give the Democratic candidates applause for gamesmanship, but concede that playing buffoon to the masses is not a requirement for the presidency.

If it is necessary to submit to anything demanded by anyone, then no one worthy will run for public office. To wit: At a recent off-the-record dinner party, a congressman was asked who he thought would make a good president. His response was telling:

"Do you mean among those running or those qualified people who won't run because they're unwilling to submit to the humiliation of our political process?"

Commenting on that process recently, Newt Gingrich doubtless spoke for many when he called the debates "auditions" and ridiculed "the idea of 10 or 11 people standing passively at microphones." He said he refused to "shrink to the level of 40-second answers, standing like a trained seal, waiting for someone to throw me a fish."

If America deserves a better candidate, it would seem that candidates real and hoped-for also deserve a better America.