Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Format for 2016 General Election Debates

For those following the election here are the upcoming debate times, locations, formats and moderators. The 1st and 3rd debates are actual debates. The 2nd debate will be in a town hall style format where half the questions will be coming from the moderators and the other half of the questions coming from the audience. (Since Clinton has been caught planting people in audiences to asked pre-canned questions I really hope the people at the town hall format will be vetted.)


Debate Formats - CPD

First presidential debate - (September 26, 2016, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY)
The debate will be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics to be selected by the moderator and announced at least one week before the debate.

The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. Candidates will then have an opportunity to respond to each other. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic.


The second presidential debate - (October 9, 2016, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO)
Will take the form of a town meeting, in which half of the questions will be posed directly by citizen participants and the other half will be based on topics of broad public interest as reflected in social media and other sources. There will be two moderators. The candidates will have two minutes to respond to each question and there will be an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate further discussion. The town meeting participants will be uncommitted voters selected by the Gallup Organization.


Third presidential debate - (October 19, 2016, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV)
The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate.

Moderators - CPD

ASHINGTON, D.C. - Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co-chairs of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), today announced the moderators for the 2016 general election presidential and vice presidential debates. The moderators, and the schedule and locations for the debates (as announced on September 23, 2015), are as follows:

First presidential debate:
Lester Holt, Anchor, NBC Nightly News
Monday, September 26, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Second presidential debate (town meeting):
Martha Raddatz, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent and Co-Anchor of "This Week," ABC
Anderson Cooper, Anchor, CNN
Sunday, October 9, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Third presidential debate:
Chris Wallace, Anchor, Fox News Sunday
Wednesday, October 19, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

The CPD also announced that Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer, White House and Political Editor for C-SPAN Networks, will serve as backup moderator for all the debates.

Guidelines

With the exception of town meeting, all debates will be moderated by a single individual and will run from 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time without commercial breaks. As always, the moderators alone will select the questions to be asked, which are not known to the CPD or to the candidates. The moderators will have the ability both to extend the segments and to ensure that the candidates have equal speaking time. While the focus will properly be on the candidates, the moderator will regulate the conversation so that thoughtful and substantive exchanges occur. The CPD is in discussion with technology and civic groups that will provide data to the moderators to assist them in identifying the subjects that are most important to the public.

This year's debates will build on the successful 2012 debate formats which introduced longer segments, allowing the candidates to focus on critical issues. "The CPD has a simple mission, to ensure that presidential debates help the public learn about the positions of the leading candidates for president and vice president," CPD co-chairs Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry said. "These formats will allow an in-depth exploration of the major topics in this year's election."

The CPD has sponsored and produced all the presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987, the year it was established. For more information, please visit www.debates.org.

As always, the moderators alone will select the questions to be asked, which are not known to the CPD or to the candidates. The moderators will have the ability both to extend the segments and to ensure that the candidates have equal speaking time.

How do they guarantee that?

Do these debates differ in any way to previous debates? Ive never really paid close attention to an election before, just wondering if they have worked it so hillary can hide her coughing fits offstage...

a reply to: intrptr

I don't see how they could come close to guaranteeing it, especially after Clinton was caught planting questions with Senator Menendez during the Benghazi hearings.

originally posted by: ColaTesla
Do these debates differ in any way to previous debates? Ive never really paid close attention to an election before, just wondering if they have worked it so hillary can hide her coughing fits offstage...

No, not really.

It's going to be 2.5 of hours of two people the entire country hates, calling each other liars and frauds.

Two kettles calling each other the pot, it's quite funny.

I expect a sh.t show this year however, as there's no way you're going to get any substantiated policy from either of them.

Just attacks and sound bites.

~Tenth

originally posted by: ColaTesla
Do these debates differ in any way to previous debates? Ive never really paid close attention to an election before, just wondering if they have worked it so hillary can hide her coughing fits offstage...

The difference will be the candidates for president going one on one (unless they let the 3rd party candidates into the debates). The primaries were for deciding who in the party would be the candidate for President.

In these debates Clinton and Trump will try to destroy each other. Should be some decent dinner theater.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I expect a sh.t show this year however, as there's no way you're going to get any substantiated policy from either of them.

Just attacks and sound bites.

~Tenth

In the new age of reality TV smackdown that ought to be sufficient to win. Who needs policy or promises, just Trump your opponents insults. We already know who's better at that.

It'd be interesting to see if any of these universities, networks or moderators have any connections to the candidates financially or other.

a reply to: avgguy

CNN is to Clinton as Foxnews is to Trump.

originally posted by: ColaTesla
Do these debates differ in any way to previous debates? Ive never really paid close attention to an election before, just wondering if they have worked it so hillary can hide her coughing fits offstage...

The precise opposite.

Hillary Clinton's campaign agreed to the debates "Anytime" "Anywhere" and with "Zero Demands"

It was Donald Trump who repeatedly threatened to boycott the debates unless his "Conditions" and "Demands" were met and he only agreed to them recently.

All of this is documented in interviews...Trumps actual mouth repeatedly explaining he was going to negotiate the terms of the debate or not show up.

Reality is the precise opposite of what you are claiming.

Reality matters.

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: intrptr

I don't see how they could come close to guaranteeing it, especially after Clinton was caught planting questions with Senator Menendez during the Benghazi hearings.

Every question in the Benghazi "hearing" was pre-conceived for political purposes. The idea that one of the few democrats on the committee asked Clinton a question that gave her an opportunity to debunk right wing conspiracy claims is somehow "planting" questions reflects a convenient ignorance on how those public hearings are conducted.

Trump is the only one that has demonstrated repeatedly a need for literal scripted Q&A.

Donald Trump's question and answer at black church has already been scripted
www.nydailynews.com...

Leaked document reveals Donald Trump's prepared answers for questions at black church
www.independent.co.uk... 21911.html

originally posted by: tothetenthpower


I expect a sh.t show this year however, as there's no way you're going to get any substantiated policy from either of them.

I don't "like" Hillary Clinton.

The above is "False Equivalency"...and an emotionally comfortable place to retreat to when the candidate representing your party is clearly incompetent.

Hillary Clinton is a highly experienced Policy Wonk with many years of experience. Donald Trump is perhaps the most "squishy" flip-flopper uninformed candidate for POTUS when it comes to Policy I have ever seen.

HRC will look to exploit that massive differential in experience and knowledge.

All politics aside...we will see detailed policy from Clinton if for no other reason than she is capable of it and it is strategically important to highlight that fact in light of Trump's massive and glaring weakness there.

Trump's entire policy strategy has devolved into...I am going to hire some guys and see what happens.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

i really hope Trump resists just that and actually brings further details to his plans for jobs, growth and saving the economy.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: tothetenthpower

i really hope Trump resists just that and actually brings further details to his plans for jobs, growth and saving the economy.

I share that hope, but after a year plus of Trump's policy schizophrenia and Ailes and Bannon (two men known for pandering emotional appeal over substance) now running strategy, I think we should brace for the opposite.

a reply to: Indigo5

Dunno, he's hit the nail on the head recently.. and this is the big show.. be interesting to see what else he's prepared..

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: avgguy

CNN is to Clinton as Foxnews is to Trump.

When Ted Turner is hired by Hillary Clinton to manage her campaign you can make that claim.

Not saying CNN doesn't suck...they certainly do...but by different measures.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: Indigo5

Dunno, he's hit the nail on the head recently.. and this is the big show.. be interesting to see what else he's prepared..

After his Immigration Speech (which followed a couple weeks of flip-flopping)...He finally declared without question that Illegal Immigrants would have to leave (be deported) and then apply through legal channels.

AND then this yesterday..
Trump refuses to rule out legal status for undocumented immigrants
www.cnn.com...

I don't understand what you mean by "hit the nail on the head"

His policy platform is more like a blindfolded game of pin the tail on the donkey...with crowds of conservatives shouting at him and exasperated trying to tell him where the donkey's ass is.

Planting people in the audience?

That's princess.

What's next? Cheat sheets under the chairs.

Pathetic .
Like she would ever have to cheat. At anything.

She's so much smarter than trump it makes him shake with fear.

He will find a way to back out of any debates. I'm saying it now.

Remember to watch the Commander and Chief Forum tonight on NBC & MSNBC
Beginning at 9:00PM
Clinton will go first by coin toss.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
Remember to watch the Commander and Chief Forum tonight on NBC & MSNBC
Beginning at 9:00PM
Clinton will go first by coin toss.

Trump will skip specifics and substance...I am HUUGE with the military!...and skip straight to pander...He just announced he wants to repeal the Sequester on spending and do a "Major Investment" in military spending. In his world giving people money (in this case our money) is the way he wins. Every vote has a price tag. He is the opposite of conservative.