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Below is the format for the Town Hall debate this evening between John McCain and Barack Obama:
Written by Sue–The questions will be culled from a group of 100 to 150 uncommitted likely voters in the audience and another one-third to come via the Internet. Brokaw selects which questions to ask from written queries submitted prior to the debate.
–The Gallup Organization makes sure the questioners reflect the demographic makeup of the nation.
–An audience member isn’t allowed to switch questions and will not be allowed a follow-up either. His or her microphone will be turned off after the question is read and a camera shot will only be shown of the person asking — not reacting.
–The moderator may not ask followups or make comments.
–McCain and Obama will be provided with director’s chairs, but they’re also allowed to stand. They can’t roam past their “designated area” marked on the stage and are not supposed to ask each other direct questions.
David M Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 7:11 amVisit David M
Seems sort of constrained, but it could be the tv needs to keep the candidates within an area and security concerns need to keep the candidates out of the audience. I have a friend whose father had secret service protection and it was quite constraining. However-only Brokaw chooses the questions? That troubles me–one person governs the questions that are asked? It’s awfully early in the Western U.S. so maybe my caffeine hasn’t kicked it, but where’s the control? The discretion seems unfettered.
Sue Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 8:16 amVisit Sue
Your concern about the questions being screened by only Brokaw also raised my eyebrows a bit.
No response time to questions also leaves any answer by either candidate to remain as fact but I suppose in the interest of time that rule was inserted.
We shall see how this all plays out but after reading these “rules” I have my reservations.
David M. Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 9:27 amVisit David M.
Sorry to stray a bit off-topic, but RCP led me to an article in Politico (unfamilar to me) which says Senator McCain is still taking the week-ends off. His rally in Albuquerque was only attended by 1,000 persons. I know the venue; it could hold more–about 2,500 I think. Your report on his remarks was positive. The local report was that some in attendance were disappointed that it was all attack on Obama. People said they wanted more on the economy. In other words, it lacked substance on what he would do on that issue. Obviously, the newspaper article had to be compiled quickly because the paper goes to print at 9 pm. There were plenty of positive comments from McCain supporters, but there were also comments from undecided voters who said his speech did not help them make a decision. One young woman was particularly interesting. She was a 38 year old nursing student and her whole family supports Obama. She wanted to be convinced that McCain was the better choice and she left undecided. She seemed very informed and articulate. I don’t disagree with your comments, but you did not know the whole speech was attack. I think he has to find a more even balance. If voters think he has an anger issue, he cannot devote an entire speech to attack on Senator Obama and apparently he did here.
Sue Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 10:05 amVisit Sue
While I am sure there are those that saw Senator McCain’s speech yesterday as only an attack on Senator Obama I do believe if McCain wants to hold the base he must bring out the negatives of his opponent.
He put himself in this position early on by feeling the independents would be in his corner and it would be enough to put him over the top. Approximately 1,500 empty seats at this stage of the game is not a good sign though. That would scream huge problem…now will anyone listen?
He is right, in my opinion, that Senator Obama has not answered many questions but rather skirts issues by using lofty phrases or generalities. Personally, I am concerned about the relationships which have been exposed in regards to Senator Obama and feel he should be made to explain not only those associations but his past answers on the issue.
Wishing this would happen and seeing it materialize are two very different things though.
You might be very correct about the anger issue. The problem I see there is because of past reputation any fire in the belly he shows may be enough to push a voter to Obama. A real catch twenty-two for the Senator.
I don’t think either candidate has laid out a clear agenda on any issue which reinforces why I believe this will be a lesser of two evils when it comes time to vote on November 5th.
~J~ Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 10:45 amVisit ~J~
How can anyone call this an open debate with all the restrictions on the candidates? I saw the venue today and it’s very small. It appears there is a metal pole like a fence post top to keep the candidates from the audience.
If Gallup goes by demographics you can see about 39% Democrats and 33% Republicans.
Brokaw works for NBC and NBC is in the tank for Obama. Why couldn’t they have just had an open debate with the audience asking random questions and the moderator there to tell them when time is up?
David, McCain has been playing by the Marquis de Queensbury rules compared to Obama and what does he get for it? His vice presidential candidate is bashed for no reason other than she is a Republican. The hatred in this country has to stop because it is ruining us from within.
A nation divided cannot stand long. McCain has to start questioning Obama’s ties to shady characters because if he doesn’t the press certainly won’t. There is a lot of space still empty in Obama’s biography. We go from Hawaii to Harvard to Chicago. What happened in between? Did he drop off the face of the earth? He has had known connections to a homegrown terrorist who got off because of illegal wiretaps, but says he wishes he had been able to do more when he bombed the Pentagon, Capitol and NY police station.
Ayers also said for people to kill all the rich, smash their cars, smash their apartments and kill their parents.
I want to know more about this relationship because it goes to the very core of who Obama is. He was sponsored to go to Harvard by a Saudi who contacted a Palestinian living in this country to get him admitted.
Senator Obama lives within walking distance of Ayers and Farrakhan–both of whom hate America. You can’t convince me you are a famous person living within a half mile of someone else famous and political that you don’t know him. I don’t buy it and if people are gullible enough to swallow that then may God have mercy on us all.
Look at the associates we know about: Rezko, Ayers, Wright, Pfleger, and Farrakhan and see if a picture doesn’t start to develop in your mind. We need to be satisfied about these relationships before we vote. But, sadly, some people don’t care.
I want to know his connections to radicals. I want to know why he got a sweetheart mortgage and was buying his house with Tony Rezko’s money.
He can say he doesn’t know all the rest of his life, but it doesn’t pass the smell test.
He needs to be directly confronted and pressed for an answer before going on to a new topic.
He needs to tell us why raising taxes for anyone with the economy the way it is now is going to help when it is proven when Roosevelt tried it it failed.
The past is prologue and if we haven’t learned from past mistakes we need to sit down and study.
He is a disciple of Saul Alinsky, who gave the rules on how to turn a society into a socialist regime.
My grandmother always told me “You are who you associate with.” It was wisdom then and it is wisdom now. If all I hung around with were people who were radicals and then toss them under the bus when the going gets tough I’d expect people to think I, too, am a radical and want to change the country by forcing socialism on it. Then it’s only a couple of steps to dictatorship.
David M. Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pmVisit David M.
J-my comment was only meant to reflect what was reported in our local newspaper. Sorry if I was inarticulate.
~J~ Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 7:59 pmVisit ~J~
David,
I certainly was not saying anything directly to you. I was just on my soapbox because it seems so plain for me to see.
Why would I get mad at you on my birthday? Now I’m older than you again.
Guss Says:
October 9th, 2008 at 4:31 amVisit Guss
That soap box is getting a little slippery. The more you preach, the more I realise that I don’t know you.