Official 2008 Obama/McCain Presidential Debate Schedule

[Hope And Change]

Official 2008 Obama/McCain Presidential Debate Schedule

August 21st, 2008Posted: 8:06 pm by Nate


Here is a break down of what each debate will consist of:


1. First Presidential Debate:
Date: September 26 – Site: University of Mississippi – Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security – Moderator: Jim Lehrer – Staging: Podium debate – Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment


2. Vice Presidential Debate
Date: October 2nd – Site: Washington University (St. Louis) – Moderator: Gwen Ifill – Staging/Answer Format: Debate will consist of both foreign and domestic policy questions asked by the moderator. Format will be similar to the presidential debates.


3. Second Presidential Debate
Date: October 7 – Site: Belmont University – Moderator: Tom Brokaw – Staging: Town Hall debate – Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.


4. Third Presidential Debate
Date: October 15 – Site: Hofstra University – Topic: Domestic and Economic Issues – Moderator: Bob Schieffer – Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table – Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate – Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, 6pm PT and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD’s participation rules for third-party candidate participation. Third-party candidates will be included if they poll 15% or above in at least 5 national polls.

Each debate will be broadcast on the major broadcast networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX. They will also be aired on cable news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and C-SPAN.


http://www.youdecide2008.com/2008/08/21/official-2008-obama-mccain-presidential-debate-schedule/

[MoJoWorkin]

1. I don't like the Belmont town hall location---a "Christian University "in TN

with Tom Brokenjaw moderating---I see a problem with questions favoring the old man coming out of that one. Wasn't that one reason Obama didn't want to do the McCain town halls----rigged questions? I don't think I like that one, AT ALL.

As Rachel Maddow says, "someone talk me down on this one."

[Hope And Change]

2. I thought Brokaw was a Democrat.

:P

[MoJoWorkin]

3. I sure don't think so---he seems to be a GOP shill every time I see him.

He will do the Corporate bidding, I think.

[jefferson_dem]

4. I'm glad the first debate is on Foreign Policy & National Security...

which is supposedly McLame's bread and butter. Barack will shoot out of the gate, establishing his foreign policy bonifides, and it will snowball from there.

The free wheeling format will benefit the reasonable, thoughful candidate over the one who shoots from the hip with shallow one-liners (i.e. ...blah blah blah..."to the gates of hell"...).

[elkston]

5. I agree, if Barack does better than McCain in this one, it may be curtains

This is the ONE topic that is perceived to be McCain's strength. If Obama demonstrates that 26 years of mediocrity and a Navy uniform do not necessarily equal "Foreign Policy Mastery", it neutralizes McCain's final trump card.

I really hope he knocks this one out of the park because it could so unbalance the McCain side that they never recover. And this first impression will stick in the mind of undecided voters.

[azmouse]

6. kick