Americans expect more from political debates than we often get. This year is quite an exception.

I watched the first Indiana gubernatorial debate with great interest on Oct. 2. The hour-long event featuring Jennifer McCormick (D) and Mike Braun (R) was only a few minutes in when I could tell this was likely going to be a good night for Democrats. Only a few minutes later, I found myself disappointed because I knew this important moment was not going to be seen by as many Hoosier voters as it should have been.

Both presidential debates delivered, at a minimum, a clear contrast between the participants that should drive decision making for voters. President Joe Biden’s awful debate performance in late June led to a rallying cry from many in his own party for him to drop out of the race. The performance illustrated his greatest vulnerability; that he was just too old for the job.

Importantly though, polling data after that bad night didn’t move all that much. One could conclude it didn’t matter as much to voters as it did to the political class. More likely though, it confirmed pessimism about Biden’s ability to inspire movement in his already sagging position.

His eventual and historic withdrawal from the race, and the rallying around Kamala Harris drastically changed everything.

Debates can do that, though they rarely do. Usually, the contests are exercises in bias confirmation. Dr. Conor Dawling, professor of political science at the University of Buffalo wrote, “Debates can help solidify, or reinforce, choices for folks who are already fairly to very certain which candidate they intend to support.” Yes, this is what we normally get out of them.

However, this year’s battles have delivered more than that several times now.

Gubernatorial contest

The McCormick/Braun debate last week is one of them. Any objective viewer should have been able to see several things. McCormick had a better grasp of the details of the job. She was better prepared for the predictable questions, and she was confident in her delivery from start to finish.

Braun gave, at best, a lackluster performance that raised more questions than it answered. I first wrote that the Republicans were running a campaign about nothing in its quest for the governor’s office last October. This is the third time I will remind Hoosiers of that sad truth.

I have seen gubernatorial campaigns, and the governing strategies that followed, which seemed to be designed around a “don’t make any mistakes” sort of game plan. Former Gov. Evan Bayh was committed to the strategy, and it served him well. Former Gov. Mike Pence was also committed to it, though he did make a few large, damaging mistakes during his one term in office.

Braun’s biggest mistake last week, on admittedly a much smaller scale, was comparable to Biden’s June failure. He appeared unprepared for the predictable questions, and his lack of sharpness made him appear old, a critique that he has largely avoided so far. His non-answers to one specific item made it abundantly clear to me that he would not be defending recent comments made by his running mate, Republican lieutenant governor nominee, Micah Beckwith.

Vice presidential contest

Which leads me to the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate between Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz. This battle was mostly weird, to use one of Walz’s favorite descriptors, in that they were incredibly polite to each other. Walz was nervous and misspoke in a few cringe-worthy ways. Vance was slick and comfortable in the delivery of what amounted to a fact-checkers dream. Again, to the objective viewer, I would have to say that Vance appeared to “win,” if truth-telling didn’t matter.

But a funny thing happened in the post-debate polling. While many viewers saw it my way,

Walz’s favorability went up more than Vance’s did. Huh? The conclusion was that his every man persona was enhanced by his lack of comfort in that environment. So, did he win by losing, or was this a true exercise in a contest that had no prize to give?

I have never thought that the best arguer was a designation or talent that always equates to the best leader. If that were the case, I know some litigators who would thump every single person mentioned in this column like that giant bass drum the Purdue marching band drags around.

However, I am a believer that conversations are the best way to get to know a person. This belief drives my teaching philosophy to my speech students. I want them to connect with their audiences and make sure those audiences know them better, not just their topic, when they’re through.

With that goal in mind, the debates this year have been fantastic.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers held their annual FanJam scrimmage yesterday, and while the event is designed to be a treat for fans, it has also grown into an evaluation tool for the Pacers themselves.

In the last two years, the team has shifted toward taking the intrasquad battle more seriously. “It’s not just going to be a FanJam, mess-around scrimmage. It’s going to be a live competitive game with some kind of consequence,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said a week ago. He later shared that he viewed that event as something similar to a fifth preseason game, and it’s a measuring stick for the Pacers.

In that way, the game did have some important takeaways for the blue and gold, who kick off preseason play tomorrow in Atlanta against the Hawks.

An important note before looking at takeaways from FanJam — here were the 2024 rosters. White team: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Kendall Brown, James Johnson, Tristen Newton, Enrique Freeman, Johnny Furphy (DNP) Blue team: T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, Obi Toppin, James Wiseman, Cole Swider, Quenton Jackson, Isaiah Jackson (DNP). The coaching and training staffs were divided among the two squads.

Andrew Nembhard rose above the rest

Many players had moments that made them stand out, but third-year guard Andrew Nembhard had perhaps the best outing of anyone who suited up.

The starting two guard finished with 20 points, two rebounds, and one assist. He shot 6/8 from the field and had multiple runs where he was the best scorer for his team. From the mid-range, he was dominant. He got to the rim for passes and canned two outside shots.

At one point, he and teammate Bennedict Mathurin went back-and-forth trading attempts to score. They are both competitive, dating back to the day they were both drafted to the Pacers.

In the 20-minute game, Nembhard was the only player to reach 20 points. His efficiency and competitiveness stood out. He’s fresh off of playing in the Olympics, and his confidence is shining heading into a third season.

“I was just trying to hoop,” Nembhard said of FanJam. “Nice to just get out, play, have fun, get our shape back.”

James Wiseman made his one half count

James Wiseman has been recovering from a groin injury for much of training camp, but he was able to play for one half of the FanJam scrimmage. He started for the blue team with Isaiah Jackson out.

The four-year pro put together a nice outing. He scored eight points in 8:11 of playing time with his size standing out. He pulled in three boards and didn’t turn the ball over once while working through a new system.

Wiseman joined the Pacers to grow. He believes in the team’s development program and hopes that his career can turn around in Indiana. So far, he has fit in well. “He’s a great young prospect,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said.

His first showing in front of fans was solid. His defense will be worth watching once the Pacers take on non-intrasquad opponents, but Wiseman had a strong start.

“James is great. He’s perfect for the team. Athletic, fast,” Toppin said of Wiseman. “He already knows how to play with all of us, the chemistry is already there.”

Veterans did their thing

In a game that takes less than an hour from start to finish, high point totals will pop. Scoring is important when the final score is only 60-55.

Yet two veterans stood out for their stable play in T.J. McConnell and Pascal Siakam. Those two project to be the only players over 30 years old in Indiana’s rotation, and they showed why on Sunday afternoon.

McConnell, who will be the backup floor general, led the second unit with his passing. He had seven assists — 25% of the assist total for the entire game — and kept the ball moving. Last year, McConnell played a major role in the Pacers leading the NBA in bench scoring.

Siakam, meanwhile, pulled in six rebounds and then pushed in transition. If he can take another step in the open floor for the fast-paced Pacers, his role could slightly change in a positive way this season. The recently re-signed forward threw a few impressive cross-court passes, too.

Much of the focus on Indiana’s improvement this season will focus on young guys. The vets shined on Sunday.

Indiana’s bench unit is still being formed

Between Wiseman only playing for one half and Jackson being out, it’s hard to get a feel for the Pacers second unit. That stacks on top of Jarace Walker operating as a backup three in training camp at times and Ben Sheppard impressing his teammates.

McConnell, Mathurin, and Toppin will almost certainly be in the Pacers second unit. Beyond that, not much is known, and FanJam showed different types of units. Wiseman’s injury influenced things, but it’s hard to get a feel for what Indiana hopes their bench will look.

Maybe Walker and Sheppard both play in a smaller group that has Toppin at the five. Perhaps Jackson is the backup center and only one of Sheppard and Walker are involved. Where does Wiseman fit in? It’s hard to pin things down, and preseason performances could play a part in deciding how the bench looks.

You can watch the less serious part of FanJam — the rookie singing and dancing performances — here.