The 'Lacration' Has Killed Debates, and There's No Turning Back | Estadão Analysis

The article critiques the current state of presidential debates in Brazil, describing a phenomenon termed "lacration," where candidates are meticulously crafted marketing products. Behind each presidential hopeful lies a "character" designed to win votes, often diverging from their genuine convictions or projects. Campaigns are built to attract specific voter segments, with ideas integrated only if they serve the overarching narrative.

Candidates are presented through various personas: some employ strident tactics and radical speeches for attention, others aim for a rational, technocratic image, while some focus on appealing to the poor or positioning themselves as moral crusaders. These "masks" are carefully chosen, with some candidates relying on traditional polling and others on the daily fluctuations of social media sentiment.

Debates, according to the piece, are the moment these market-engineered personalities clash. Candidates typically suspend public agendas to intensely prepare with their teams, rehearsing answers to tricky questions and practicing attacks designed to unnerve opponents. The goal is to destabilize the adversary, forcing their "passionality" to expose their "real face" when confronted with uncomfortable issues, leading to significant emotional wear.

Historically, debates centered on policy discussions and their media repercussions. However, the rise of social media has shifted the focus. The article implies that the substance of policy has been overshadowed by the performance and emotional manipulation, turning debates into stages for calculated confrontations rather than genuine exchanges of ideas.