Here's the problem with muting the microphones

[renate]

From r/adrenaline_X on Reddit:

If you are 10 feet from someone, them having a live mic or not doesn't change how disrupting it is for you.. We wont hear him, but biden will, making him look like he cant keep a thought.

Whether by design or because he simply cannot keep his damn mouth shut, Trump will still just rant and rave from across the stage. I only saw clips of the debate, but I saw Biden trying to ignore Trump and just keep talking when it was his turn, but that's like trying to ignore a shrieking gibbon flinging shit at your head--it's simply not possible. Trump is a malign force of nature, like a plague of frogs. I'm sure Joe was 100% prepared but the reality was just overwhelming.

I don't know what the alternative is, and I was totally pro-muting until I read this point, but it seems like a huge potential problem if the assumption is that muting Trump's microphone will keep him from being disruptive and immature. It might even make things worse if it makes Biden look distracted and the audience can't see why.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Separate them so they can't hear each other at all

unless the other's mic is on. Put a big, thick sheet of plexiglass between them, use the excuse of covid.

[Mike 03]

11. Soundproof booths?

A live wire up Trump's butt to deliver an astonishing electrical shock if he breaks the rules?

[spinbaby]

34. Cone of silence

Like Maxwell Smart.

[gristy]

12. It's even simpler than that. Put them in separate rooms.

[jmowreader]

37. Plywood would be better

[sfstaxprep]

2. We'll Be Able To Hear Drumpf Talking.....

Even if his mike is off, if he starts yapping, we'll all hear it, and know that he's breaking the rules and being a Jerk.

Short of Tasering him each time he opens his trap, I'm not sure there's any other solution.

[MyOwnPeace]

20. You know what?

I kinda' LIKE that TASER idea!

[Le Roi de Pot]

3. conference call ...safe and sane

[LakeArenal]

4. I think Joe can handle it. Whatever shit show trump provides.

[leftofthestorm]

10. I betcha tRump refuses any further debates. nt

[MyOwnPeace]

26. I'm with you on that one............

He's already shown that he can handle it - lord knows he had a bunch of abuse from IQ45 last night and he still kept his cool and showed what "Presidential" should look like.

[BainsBane]

5. Put them in sound booths

And why do they need to be so close. They aren't wearing masks. They should be further than 10 ft.

[chriscan64]

15. I get what you are saying.

But to have Biden suffer the indignity of being put in a box because Trump needs one and they have to be "fair" is not an attractive situation either. Having them in remote locations online with muting for the one not speaking is the only way to have one without the interruptions, and would not be as strange as it sounds compared to the rest of 2020.

[SharonClark]

6. Hadn't thought of that. Excellent point.

Now I’m back to the suggestion his head be held under water while Biden speaks.

[renate]

8. your solution seems to address every conceivable problem

I hope the commission takes it up!

[gristy]

13. Yes, that would work too.

[MyOwnPeace]

27. Only if Biden was to be

given THREE minutes instead of two.

[Binkie The Clown]

7. When they cut the mic they just have to tell Trump...

The live feed is also cut, so nobody out there in the viewing audience can hear him, so he might just as well shut the fuck up.

[TheBlackAdder]

25. That's the best. If the mic gets cut, so does the camera feed to the viewers at home.

[Ohiya]

9. Noise cancelling headphones... nt

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Then RWers will say Biden is getting fed answers.

[CentralMass]

14. I like the shock collar idea.

[renate]

16. that would really increase viewership!

Love it!

[empedocles]

19. Oooooh!

[MustLoveBeagles]

28. Shock Therapy

[SharonClark]

38. Never on dogs but appropriate for trump.

[CentralMass]

42. Yes, thank you for that clarification.

[Amaryllis]

17. Duct tape when it's not his turn.

[MineralMan]

18. Put Trump and Biden in Separate Rooms with Cameras,

and then pop windows onto people's TV screens. We're used to that these days. Say it's for "Covid-19 reasons."

Then, when you shut of the mic on the asshole of the pair, the other candidate won't hear the insults.

[chriscan64]

22. Not a serious idea...

but it would be fun to suggest to Trump that the next debate will be by mail. Hand written in cursive.

[renate]

23. I like Mark Hamill's suggestion too

Link to tweet

I hope the new tools include a mute button & a trapdoor over a pit of alligators that Mexico will pay for.

[crickets]

33. With lasers! Don't forget the lasers!

[tblue37]

24. Biden could bring earplugs & have them inspected by the moderator. Then, whenever

Trump started ranting as Biden spoke, Biden could just put in the earplugs until his turn was over.

[no_hypocrisy]

29. Remedy: Joe and Trump both have earpieces and that's the only thing they'll hear.

So when Trump's mike is turned off, all Joe can hear is the moderator and his own voice.

[Liberal In Texas]

30. Shutting off the mic won't keep him from being heard.

After working with TV and video audio for like 40 some years, I can tell you when they are that close together his voice would still be picked up by Joe's mic and the moderators. It would be what we call off-mic but you would still hear him bloviating. And as mentioned above, his voice would still be heard at the same level to the participants mic on or off.

The only way to do this is to put them in separate studios and strictly control when the microphones are on and off. It would require the use of IFBs but that's easily done.

I also think this town hall thing is a bad idea after what happened last night.

[renate]

39. Hmm. I was thinking that a town hall format would be great--albeit a repeat of last night's fail

It would be a shitshow, but in a good way, maybe?

If we think he looked bad talking over Joe Biden and insulting him (AND HIS DEAD SON), can you imagine how he'd look talking over a regular citizen who dared to confront him about Covid-19 or Russian bounties or any of the thousand scandals that took place last week? He tore a strip off Johnathan Karl who served him up with a soft question about how to reassure the American people--he'd lose his mind if he were actually criticized by a regular everyday person.

He'd look even more monstrous. And Joe Q. Citizen could relate to that person even more than they could relate to Joe Biden.

I couldn't bear to watch last night but I might actually tune into the town hall.

[WA-03 Democrat]

31. Make it a Zoom Call

Safe and effective. The mute feature works great 👍

[Hamer555]

32. The real problem is that why does Trump get off the hook for his poor behavior?

Just give him one last chance, and if he breaks the rules at the next debate, cut his mic, kill his camera, explain that he has been disqualified for refusing the rules that he previously agreed upon, and give the remaining time to Joe alone.

Its really that simple.

The rules are established and greed upon ahead of time.

[moonscape]

40. Seriously? Rules were agreed on, he

broke them, necessitating change. That's the simple part. Trying to make him abide by rules (the law, conduct, any rule) is the impossible part. If he didn't have a chauffeur he'd probably drive on the wrong side of the road.

[tinymontgomery]

36. Go back to times like the Lincoln/Douglas Debates

Go back to times like the Lincoln/Douglas Debates. Only 1 candidate on stage at a
time, 45 minutes each if it is 90 minutes. They get a certain amount of time to answer each
question then they have to move on to the next question. The other candidate has to wait in a room
and cannot hear what the questions are or the response of the candidate on stage. The candidate in the
room has a independent monitor, no staff allowed, so the candidate can not hear the question or answer.

Answers must be about policy matters nothing about the other candidates policy. This idea forces the
candidate to really put their policy’s out there with no interruptions. Monitor has the authority to
shut down any candidate that goes against the rules by shutting off mike and turning it back on during the next
question.

[northoftheborder]

41. The whole "debate" idea needs to be revamped, anyway.

I've been ranting about this for years. Even if everybody follows the "rules", one minute, 30 second, 2 minutes, alternating, etc. etc. etc. we are NOT getting enough information from the candidates.