Presidential Debates to be Prescripted for the First Time

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Open Debates Criticizes Presidential Debate Commission For Informing Candidates Of Debate Topics

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2012 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Election watchdog group Open Debates criticized the Commission on Presidential Debates for revealing the subject matters to be covered during the first presidential debate on October 3.

Yesterday, for the first time in history, the Commission on Presidential Debates informed the candidates ahead of time of what topics will be covered by the moderator during the first presidential debate. The Commission announced that three questions will be devoted to the economy, one to health care, one to the "role of government" and one to "governing." Never before have the candidates been notified of the subject matters of the questions prior to the presidential debates.

"The candidates shouldn't be told what the questions are before the exam," said George Farah, Executive Director of Open Debates. "Obama and Romney are running for the highest office in the country and, like their predecessors, should be compelled to think on their feet during the debates, rather than recite a series of memorized sound-bites. This radical departure from previous debate formats stems from the willingness of the Commission on Presidential Debates to submit to the antidemocratic demands of the major party candidates."

In July 2012, lawyers of the Obama and Romney campaign negotiated a detailed contract that dictates many of the terms of the 2012 presidential debates, including how the format will be structured. The Commission on Presidential Debates, a private corporation created by and for the Republican and Democratic parties, agreed to implement the debate contract. In order to shield the major party candidates from criticism, the Commission on Presidential Debates is concealing the contract from the public and the press. As a result, voters have been kept in the dark about anti-democratic provisions contained in the contract.

The previous debate sponsor, the League of Women Voters, refused to implement debate contracts negotiated by the candidates. When the Republican and Democratic campaigns presented the League of Women Voters with a contract in 1988, the League rejected the contract, made the document public and accused the campaigns of "perpetrating a fraud on the American voter." The Commission on Presidential Debates, which had been formed a year earlier by the two major parties, readily implemented the 1988 contract and has sponsored every presidential debate since. The Commission exercises a monopoly over the presidential debates and has implemented every contract drafted by the Republican and Democratic campaigns. Each contract contained provisions that sanitized the debate formats, excluded third-party challengers and prohibited candidates from participating in other debates.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/20/4838766/open-debates-criticizes-presidential.html

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I hate this ####### too. Both candidates have been 'practicing' for the 'debate'

Granted, we haven't had a real debate in this country for the past several elections. Anytime you have a moderator and a 60-120 second time limit, it's not a "debate." - It's a Q&A session with the most simple of answers to appease an ignorant base.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Lame.

[Pooky 3,830]

Lame.

Why bother watching, if the candidates don't have to do any thinking?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Why bother watching, if the candidates don't have to do any thinking?

Sums up the last 12 years of US politics quite nicely.

[TBoneTX 46,139]

It gives one of them time to preload the Teleprompter.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It gives one of them time to preload the Teleprompter.

That would be Romney, yes? Because the other candidate has successfully demonstrated that he can handle debates that are not pre-scripted 4 years ago. Whether Romney has that capacity, we will never know.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

That would be Romney, yes? Because the other candidate has successfully demonstrated that he can handle debates that are not pre-scripted 4 years ago. Whether Romney has that capacity, we will never know.

Yup, you're right. Obama proved that he was definitely an idiot at the debates 4 years ago. Handled himself stellar in proving that there.

Anyone who remembers the Capital gains fiasco knows that... He gets shot down and HARD on that issue and still manages to raise the capital gains tax while in office here.... The guy is truly special.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

We've all seen what happens when Romney goes off-script, so this is probably for the best in his case.

[Pooky 3,830]

That would be Romney, yes? Because the other candidate has successfully demonstrated that he can handle debates that are not pre-scripted 4 years ago. Whether Romney has that capacity, we will never know.

That depends on whether he's "blocking out noise", such as other world leaders attending the U.N., or describing the deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and 3 other US citizens as "bumps in the road."

I don't rate either candidate as good debaters, when they have no forewarning of the questions or topics. I want to see a debate, not a pre-planned sequence of practiced responses. We won't get that, and that's disappointing.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

That depends on whether he's "blocking out noise", such as other world leaders attending the U.N., or describing the deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and 3 other US citizens as "bumps in the road."

I don't rate either candidate as good debaters, when they have no forewarning of the questions or topics. I want to see a debate, not a pre-planned sequence of practiced responses. We won't get that, and that's disappointing.

Kroft: You don't feel any pressure from Prime Minister Netanyahu in the middle of a campaign to try and get you to change your policy and draw a line in the sand? You don't feel any pressure?

Obama: When it comes to our national security decisions, any pressure that I feel is simply to do what's right for the American people. And I am going to block out any noise that's out there. Now I feel an obligation, not pressure but obligation, to make sure that we're in close consultation with the Israelis on these issues because it affects them deeply. They're one of our closest allies in the region. And we've got an Iranian regime that has said horrible things that directly threaten Israel's existence.

KROFT: “Have the events that took place in the Middle East, the recent events in the Middle East given you any pause about your support for the governments that have come to power following the Arab Spring?”

OBAMA: “Well, I'd said even at the time that this is going to be a rocky path. … But I was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road because-- you know, in a lot of these places-- the one organizing principle-- has been Islam. The one part of society that hasn't been controlled completely by the government.”

To make the conclusions that the UN is noise, or that the bumps in the road are the deaths at the embassy is extreme. Now I know you are generally a fairly bipartisan poster, so I doubt you actually believe these conclusions and are only posting them as a counter balance to some of the leftest quotes about Romney.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

To make the conclusions that the UN is noise, or that the bumps in the road are the deaths at the embassy is extreme. Now I know you are generally a fairly bipartisan poster, so I doubt you actually believe these conclusions and are only posting them as a counter balance to some of the leftest quotes about Romney.

So, what do you think Obama was referring to, by background "noise" and "bumps in the road"? The rest of his response was meaningless rhetoric, meaning it was no response.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

So, what do you think Obama was referring to, by background "noise" and "bumps in the road"? The rest of his response was meaningless rhetoric, meaning it was no response.

He was clearly referring to the entire Arab Spring event as a whole and not the Libya incident specifically by the bumps in the road, and its important to note he was back referencing to a previous quote about the rocky road ahead. Now if he has specifically said - hey the attack on the Embassy? thats just a bump in the road...then that conclusion is logical.

Regarding the noise issue, well Iran and Israel have been very heavy handed with rhetoric. I think I would consider the majority of what is stated publicly between both countries to be noise.

[^_^ 5,021]

Back on topic for a bit -

This is the actual press release

Moderator Announces Topics for the First Presidential Debate

Sep 19, 2012

TOPICS FOR FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ANNOUNCED BY MODERATOR

Jim Lehrer, moderator of the first 2012 presidential debate, has selected the topics for that debate, which is on domestic policy. Mr. Lehrer stated:

Subject to possible changes because of news developments, here are the topics for the October 3 debate, not necessarily to be brought up in this order:

The Economy - I

The Economy - II

The Economy - III

Health Care

The Role of Government

Governing

How is this telling the candidates the questions? Did anyone think the economy and health care and the role of government (post tea party 2010 wave) wouldn't come up? Does anyone think those categories are specific enough to tell any candidate what the 'right answers' are?

This is like my boss telling me to come to a meeting next week to discuss Servers and Network.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Back on topic for a bit -

This is the actual press release

How is this telling the candidates the questions? Did anyone think the economy and health care and the role of government (post tea party 2010 wave) wouldn't come up? Does anyone think those categories are specific enough to tell any candidate what the 'right answers' are?

This is like my boss telling me to come to a meeting next week to discuss Servers and Network.

If the candidates give the canned responses, which I wholly expect, then we will read the next day, "How wonderful (Obama,Romney) was staying on point, and not being distracted by the question."