George Bush should accept the Iranian President's oft-repeated request for a debate. As citizens we should encourage him to do so. Other Western leaders should offer to participate: maybe help him prepare. What better chance would the United States have to call the world's attention to its great values and ideals?
I say this only partially tongue-in-cheek. To be fair, George Bush would probably make a fool of himself in a debate with Ahmadinejad, and that wouldn't help matters. However, the administration and its allies often come back to notions like the "war of ideas" and "hearts and minds" of the Arab/Muslim/Third/Whatever World. I really believe that the White House should seriously consider debating Ahmadinejad. On TV. Broadcast around the world. Two world leaders with two different visions who've been dancing circles around each other in Iraq.
If the US has nothing to fear, if our ideals are superior to those of the Iranian regime, George Bush should accept this debate. As a liberal, I'd like to see him win it. My heart sinks at the thought that my President might not win. However, what possible reason is there not to have the debate of ideas? I, for one, think that the world deserves to see these men challenge each other on their policies, their ideologies and their rhetoric. With any luck, they'll both come out looking crazy. What could go wrong?