Hillary Clinton asks Barack Obama, "why won't you debate me?" She wants a debate, and to get one she's even proposing to shake up the format quite a bit. No moderators, just timed statements and rebuttals.

To be honest, I'm sick of these debates. Points aren't scored on substance. They're about faltering, waffling, gotcha moments, and crowbaring in zingers written by comittees of humorless assholes.

I propose a completely new debate format that might actually be interesting to watch. Let's have a debate without the nominees. Let's do this like debate club. Invite two figures skilled in debate to stand in for the candidates and argue for or against. To be fair, halfway through the debate, the debaters can be made to switch which candidate they are arguing for. I suggest Al Franken and Christopher Hitchens. That match up will be fun and entertaining. Al Franken would jump at a chance to get his face on national television to promote his bid for the senate, and Christopher Hitchens would leap at the chance to highlight his personal opposition to the policies of both candidates. Hitchens may be an asshat, but he's a very skilled debater, as is Franken. Franken can be witty and sharp without being a prick.  Hitchens is a walking encyclopedia of facts and historical context, capable of making compelling arguments that cut to the bone.

What do you say? Should we make this happen?