Viewing the debates as theater

Dominic Papatola
MPR Photo/Jim Bickal
Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama says he is planning to participate in Friday night's scheduled debate despite a call by Republican nominee John McCain to postpone the meeting because of the nation's financial crisis.
The debate over when the candidates should debate adds more drama to an event that is already a blend of policy discussion and theater.
MPR's Perry Finelli spoke with Morning Edition arts commentator and St. Paul Pioneer Press theater critic Dominic Papatola, who has a few tips on how to find the substance amid all the drama in the upcoming debates.
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