2008 Presidential Debates

POLITICS
1

As the conventions are over these debates are the next and last big political event until the election. I had postd this in the Election thread but it got lost and there seemed to be interest in knowing when they took place.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), a non-profit organization established in 1987, organized the 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 debates. Previous debates were sponsored by the League of Women Voters (1976, 1980, and 1984) and the networks (1960). The CPD develops candidate selection criteria which are used to evaluate which candidates it will invite to participate. It proposes dates and locations of debates. It lines up corporate sponsors and oversees preparations for these important events.1 In Nov. 2007 the CPD proposed four 90-minute debates in the Fall of 2008. In an Aug. 2, 2008 letter Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accepted the CPD proposal. The two campaigns negotiated, Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) for Obama and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for McCain, and on Aug. 21, 2008 issued a joint statement accepting four debates as outlined in the CPD proposal. Each debate will begin at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

First presidential debate
Friday, September 26
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
[domestic policy]
Moderator: Jim Lehrer - Executive Editor and Anchor, The NewsHour, PBS

Vice presidential debate
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Moderator: Gwen Ifill - Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour, and Moderator and Managing Editor, Washington Week, PBS

Second Presidential debate
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, TN
[town meeting format]
Moderator: Tom Brokaw - Special Correspondent, NBC News

Third presidential debate
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
[foreign policy]
Moderator: Bob Schieffer - CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent, and Host, Face the Nation

The Vice Presidential debate is probably the one that everyone is going to be looking at the closest. It’ll be Palin’s debut to the US in the debate format, as al the other candidates have had experince during this year’s campaign.

2

Very much looking forward to these. Now i need to find a streaming version. I can’t stand the real time translation of the CNN Anchors.

3

I’m glad Gwen Ifill will be in charge of that VP debate. I’ve always liked her.

4

Palin hype is going supernova right now and may be burned out by the time the VP debate rolls around. I suppose it depends on how much they protect her until then.

5

I have no doubt that Obama and Biden are smarter and more articulate than McCain and Palin. What worries me is that people will see them as too smart and articulate and feel like they’re being mean to that poor old man and that nice mommy.

6

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post I have no doubt that Obama and Biden are smarter and more articulate than McCain and Palin. What worries me is that people will see them as too smart and articulate and feel like they’re being mean to that poor old man and that nice mommy.

Really, if anyone ends up thinking like that, they’re either a) probably already neo con Republicans, and b) are so fucking dumb they deserve what they get if McCain and Glick are voted into office.

7

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg Clark View Post Really, if anyone ends up thinking like that, they’re either a) probably already neo con Republicans, and b) are so fucking dumb they deserve what they get if McCain and Glick are voted into office.

Yeah, but what about all the people who don’t deserve it? We get stuck with them too . . .

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Quote:
Originally Posted by JonStrickland View Post Yeah, but what about all the people who don’t deserve it? We get stuck with them too . . .

You beat me to it.

9

And why does it seem that 75% of the debates this year are in the Redneck Belt?

I know that it shouldn’t really factor in to it, but I suspect these play for a certain segment of the populace as “home” games. Much more than they should, at least.

10

Don’t know why. I do know the famous 1988 “If you wife was raped and murdered” debate was held over at UCLA.

11

Hocken’s mention of the '88 debate got me looking around online, and I found these pretty fascinating transcripts of the Jim Lehrer News Hour series Debating Our Destiny. Reading about the '88 and '92 debates, these two parties have been having the same argument for 20 years.

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Although we were certainly more concerned about drugs and Noriega during '88.

13

I’m going to predict that Palin will again perform better than expected at the veep debates. We’re a month away from her debate with Joe Biden. Plenty of time to do some prep work for the job. He will be more knowledgable and more nuanced but she will “win” because instead of nuanced answers, she’ll spit out bumper stickers that are zingy and easy to remember. That’s how it’s going to go down folks.

14

Well that and the bar will be set so low for Palin. Baring massive f-bombs. She’ll appear to be a winner.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post Well that and the bar will be set so low for Palin. Baring massive f-bombs. She’ll appear to be a winner.

I think Joe Biden is doing a good job so far by repeatedly calling her formidable. And since he’s the only one speaking to the press, that impression might stick. Especially with Republicans who think her speech on Wednesday was amazing. I can’t wait until she’s decimated in the debates. It’s going to be fun.

16

Quote:
Originally Posted by dynamotv View Post I’m going to predict that Palin will again perform better than expected at the veep debates. We’re a month away from her debate with Joe Biden. Plenty of time to do some prep work for the job. He will be more knowledgable and more nuanced but she will “win” because instead of nuanced answers, she’ll spit out bumper stickers that are zingy and easy to remember. That’s how it’s going to go down folks.

Biden can come correct with the zingers himself, though. “Noun-verb-9/11” helped get him this gig…

17

I wonder if the dems would bring Tina Fey in so Biden can practice debate against her?

18

If she does the ‘Basic Instinct’ leg cross in front of Biden, the Dems loose!

19

I don’t remember the debates of the Rep. primary in 2000, but this time around, McCain didn’t really do that great. Partly because his opponents were hammering him with all the instances were he didn’t succumb to the basest instincts of the Republican party (anti-immigration, pro-torture, etc). He got lucky that his main opponent was Romney, who has the charisma of a paper bag and a total lack of honest convictions.

As for this round, people should remember that you don’t win debates by being the most intelligent guy in the room, and there’s quite a bit of luck involved in the process. Watch some of the YouTubes of the Gore/Bush debates and that should refresh your memory on this.

I’m mainly hoping these things are moderated decently. That the media demand details, details, details on any proposals and not get distracted by the candidates spouting lots of fluff. Let them talk about nothing during their closing statements, but focus the darned things on quality content.

20

First debate is this Friday.

I’ve gotten invites from both campaigns to these “Debate Watching” parties, anybody been to one of these before?