TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

Why all those debate rules?

BY Dave Ross  on October 16, 2012 @ 7:59 am (Updated: 3:12 pm - 10/16/12 )

George Bush
President Bush checks his watch during the debate on Oct. 15, 1992. (AP Photo)
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The campaigns are in a tizzy because Candy Crowley, moderator of tonight's Town Hall debate, says she will not be merely a fly on the wall; she plans to focus the questions if necessary. It's in defiance of the carefully negotiated rules, which state:

The audience member "must ask their question as originally submitted" and, if the questioner goes off script, "the moderator will cut off the questioner" and, if necessary, the microphone.

In addition, "The moderator will not ask follow up questions or otherwise intervene..."

Why do you need strict rules like that? Because 20 years ago, almost to the day, at a Town Hall like the one tonight, a young woman asked this question:

"How has the national debate personally affected your lives?"

And she didn't like President George H. W. Bush's initial answer.

"It has a lot to do with interest rates," he said.

"How has it affected you personally?" she asked again.

See? This is why you need to cut off the mic and why you don't want the moderator to get involved, especially since she might mention the "R" word.

"I think she means more the recession, the economic problems the country faces today rather than the deficit."

Whether you're a rich guy who doesn't want to look out of touch or a president who doesn't want to remind people about the economy, there's nothing scarier than an ordinary American insisting on an answer.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (12)


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  • ron prevost wrote...
    vv
    October 16, 2012 8:46 am
    mm
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    If you want to evade an answer, it doesn't matter how many ways a question is asked.
    October 16, 2012 8:58 am
    But, Dave. In any event, these debates ate theater for the CANDIDATES. .. Not for the audience and certainly not for the moderator. .. The American people certainly want honest answers, but I doubt anyone is looking to see which peon can put one over on the pros.

    Could be worse. Watch CSPAN on the Brit House of Commons some time. .

    Do we really want to see another Joe Biden stint of trying to KEEP the other guy from talking? ...... Bad enough for a sitting VP. But ............ ??? ... Well, maybe an ordinary American would NOT be as scary as Smilin' Joe.

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  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    and it would really look bad for this out of touch, rich, narcissistic president
    October 16, 2012 9:11 am
    that the mainstream media has so much invested in. Candy Crowley better be careful and tow the line if she cares about her "journalism" career.
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  • Cash wrote...
    Holy Cow
    October 16, 2012 9:41 am
    God forbid any sitting President or person running for the office be pressed into a corner and have to answer a straight forward question and pressed for an actual response... The white House has become the Micky Mouse Club over the past 20 years...
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  • Publius wrote...
    This travesty brought to you by the CPD
    October 16, 2012 10:32 am
    The Commission on Presidential Debates is a shameful organization dedicated to subverting our democracy so that Democrats and Republicans can maintain power. The candidates that would be happy to have an open and honest debate, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, weren't invited, so the CPD gets to put on its little puppet theatre. Romney and Obama are both cowards and I not be voting for either of them. Gary Johnson 2012!
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  • rational wrote...
    Fire Crowley...
    October 16, 2012 10:54 am
    If she's not willing to adhere to the what she'd previously agreed to. It's pretty simple...if she objected to the format she shouldn't have agreed to the format.

    As for why candidates may have requested this format...well, perhaps the candidates wanted at least one debate where the moderator didn't interject their spin and let the debate remain about the candidates. Of course even with this format Crowley can interject her leftist spin because she gets to choose which questions are used...she just has to use the wording the audience utilizes.

    But even that shouldn't be a problem given the left's history of inserting plants in the audience who lie about their "independent" status. Michelle Malkin details 4 examples here: http://michellemalkin.com/2012/10/15/a-reminder-about-the-last-plant-infested-cnn-run-town-hall-debate/

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Once again this year, the facts are MIA
    October 16, 2012 11:01 am
    Noting is more disgusting than a political campaign. Anybody's campaign. The Democrats, Republicans, or any sort of third, fourth, or fifth parties. Instead of cheering for our respective teams, anybody trying to pay attention with some objectivity should be weeping for the demise of our constitutional republic.

    Let's just stipulate that both Obama and Romney are reasonably decent individuals, and move on to the important stuff. What are their respective visions for America? In what direction will they try to steer the country if elected? Both sides are spending more money trying to make the other side look "evil" and painting abstract pictures of the country coming to total ruin if the "wrong" candidate is elected than anything else.

    For most of the public, it really does boil down to, "We're good, they're a bunch of treasonous hypocrites, so just vote a straight (D or R) ticket!"

    Anybody looking for evidence that the money spent on public education in this country is largely wasted need look only at how easily the public is misled by party labels. Few people do any actual, critical, independent thinking before choosing a candidate. How many people knew before the Republicans even nominated a candidate that "whoever it's going to be" would be getting their vote for sure? How many people knew before the Republican's nominated a candidate that regardless of the Republican challenger, they would be supporting Barack Obama? Far too many, in both cases.

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  • rational wrote...
    Chuck Gould
    October 16, 2012 12:08 pm
    Actually, I don't think Obama is a "decent individual", and I think the nation is likely to come to ruin regardless of which candidate we elect. The difference is just the depth of the crash and how soon it'll happen with Obama bring the worst of both of those ends.

    As for the rest, indeed both candidates are spending money to run down their opponent, although the Obama side has really gone overboard...Romney has been accused of animal abuse, being a tax cheat and guilty of murder in the death of woman and that's the short list. Both candidates have played loose with the truth at a minimum regarding facts.

    We won't have 3rd, 4th or 5th parties because, unless a left and right alternative party of equal size arises simultaneously, anytime a 3rd party arises it just siphons votes from one of the 2 primary parties and hands the victory to the uncontested primary party. A prime example was the campaign of Ross Perot, without whose help Clinton would not have won. (and I voted for Perot as a protest against the 2 primary parties hoping they'd take it as a shot across their bow...no such luck).

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  • kata wrote...
    Debates are just "rah rah" moments for the base
    October 16, 2012 11:09 am
    The best part of today is that it's only 3 days away from ballots being mailed out.
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  • mnpat wrote...
    so....do you suppose
    October 16, 2012 3:38 pm
    We will have a woman fainting in the audiance like last election after O-guy preaches to the American people on TV?
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