Obama And McCain Agree To Free-Flowing Debate Format

New York Times:

The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed to an unusual, free-flowing format for the three televised presidential debates, which begin on Friday, but the McCain camp fought for and won a much more structured approach for the questioning at the vice-presidential debate, advisers to both campaigns said Saturday.

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between Gov. Sarah Palin and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[PrinceHal]

09:57 PM on 09/24/2008

The Rethuglicans are already seeking special debating conditions under which Sarah's ignorance will be less noticeable? And these conditions are being granted? And this is all being done (and reported to the public) with a straight face?

How can this be happening? How can the Rethuglicans get away with this BS at the same moment McCain is allegedly "suspending his campaign"? Who the hell are they kidding, anyway?

[Tropiholic]

06:38 PM on 09/21/2008

tanning bed barbie isn't capable? she needs special attention?

[canobs]

04:32 PM on 09/21/2008

THE NEW YORK TIMES --- "all the news that fits our ideology"

[RobinSeattle]

05:50 PM on 09/21/2008

Tell that to Rupert Murdoch and the NY Post.

[jenweb]

07:02 PM on 09/21/2008

Casnobs, I think you should explain your reasons for backing Palin/Mccain. I know myself and everyone else would love to hear all the glorious details of your love and respect of these two "wonderful" people, I'm sure you're not gutless so lets here it.


And BTW anyone on this blog can easily give you 20 reasons for backing Obama/Biden!

[lboucher]

04:29 PM on 09/21/2008

During the debates, I think you could make a drinking game out of how many times Obama will say uh..uh..uh..
Just make sure no one is driving!

[RobinSeattle]

05:53 PM on 09/21/2008

I was involved in a drinking game during the Republican convention where we had to drink a shot of tequila everytime it was mentioned McCain was a POW and he and Palin were mavericks. My liver is still recovering.

[HadEnoughCrap]

06:59 PM on 09/21/2008

or McScum says "my friends" or gives that rictus grimace.

[JMalone3]

04:15 PM on 09/21/2008

If You were The Boss... which team would you hire?
>
> With America facing historic debt, multiple war fronts,
> stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high
> prison population, skyrocketing Federal spending, mortgage
> crises, bank foreclosures, etc. etc., this is an unusually
> critical election year.
>
> Let's look at the educational background of the
> candidates and see what they bring to the job:
>
> Obama:
> Occidental College - Two years.
> Columbia University - B.A. political science with a
> specialization in international relations.
> Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
>
> Biden:
> University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in
> political science.
> Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
>
> vs.
>
> McCain:
> United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 out of 899
> (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was at the bottom of
> his class)
>
>
> Palin:
> Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
> North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
> University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
> Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
> University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism
>
> Now, which team are you going to hire to lead the most
> influential nation in the world?
>

[RobinSeattle]

05:54 PM on 09/21/2008

Yeah, McCain got his degree at the Naval Academy from his daddy.

[Sparty1]

12:01 PM on 09/22/2008

Heeheehee. Good one.

[seattlefemdem]

07:17 PM on 09/21/2008

MY POINT EXACTLY! I want to know WHY and WHEN did being the smartest person in the room become a bad thing? Is it when most of Americans dropped out of school to have babies and wished their president could come over for a beer? WAKE UP PEOPLE, we are facing a crisis our grandchildren's grandchildren will inherit. I want someone smart to fix it, NOT A HOCKEY MOM

[SMP]

03:19 PM on 09/21/2008

Will the REAL Sarah Palin please STAND UP!!!!! This McCain clone is a slap in the face to us women...she is being led around by a McCain camp nose ring, knowing she is being presented as "delicate"..uggggggggg....If she was a man, there would be no soft-ball format............I say, TREAT HER AS IF SHE WERE A MAN.

Let us see and hear and judge for ourselves what she really does or doesnt know. Sexism has nothing to do with it. Our lives have everything to do with it.


Just vote NO to McCain/Palin this Nov.4th

[BillyT]

02:40 PM on 09/21/2008

If elected, McCain and Palin will tell Putin, Kim-Jung Il and Amadinajad to present crises and danger and challenges in a "more structured format" because Palin can't process things that are not in Cliffs Note format.

[quantumspin]

02:37 PM on 09/21/2008

Why are Democrats handing this debate over to Palin without a fight? She's supposed to be qualified, so why are there special considerations and WHY are Democrats allowing this?

Will Democrats EVER EVER stand up to the GOP? What is it going to take?

[Mekarri]

04:55 PM on 09/21/2008

I have to agree. That is the problem with the democrates. They are better than the repug at almost everything but they are sooooo spineless. I will vote for Obama, without hesitation but I wish they would STOP giving in to everything the repug wants. I am glad that Obama didn't go for all those stupid town hall debates that old fool mcbush wanted. But it the democrates lose it will be because they are so weak when it come to fighting for what they want.

[Sparty1]

12:04 PM on 09/22/2008

I agree with you on that we should fight harder. I've never understood why it seems as if the Repubs can just say and do what they want. The Dems have to be stronger and quit being so willing to say that the American people are smart enough to see who's correct on issues. Obviously, some of us are not.

[Mag44]

04:57 PM on 09/21/2008

I wondered that myself. You know if they fight the repubs on this they will scream sexism. And the O campaign likes to take the high road. Why make her look any more like an ass than she already is? She does a good job of that on her own.

[Vote For America]

02:28 PM on 09/21/2008

Sept 21 Polling Update
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=63&ArticleName=Poll+Update+

Obama 289, McCain 249
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

Does Bush Support McCain?
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=64&ArticleName=Does+Bush+Support+McCain%3f

Their Possible Pasts
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=60&ArticleName=Their+Possible+Pasts

The Red November: An analysis on campaign marketing
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=50&ArticleName=The+Red+November

Cindy McCain's Fallacious Rebuttal
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=54&ArticleName=Cindy+McCain%27s+Fallacious+Rebuttal

Their Possible Pasts
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=60&ArticleName=Their+Possible+Pasts

[gintheb]

02:25 PM on 09/21/2008

So Sarah Palin expects to add to the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling by agreeing ton only the most deferential of interviews and by requiring a handicap advantage in the v.p. debate? Is this really what women want?

[HadEnoughCrap]

07:01 PM on 09/21/2008

sounds mighty sexist to me.

[Gipper44]

01:26 PM on 09/21/2008

As always, if one believes the opposite of what the NYT tells you, you will be closer to the truth.

littlejoey's 30 year record is one of ineptitude, failure & cronyism; the Dems are doing everything they can to keep this "off the table."

[Tropiholic]

06:39 PM on 09/21/2008

all of your stories about 0bama don't make either mc*gaffe or tanning bed barbie any more competent

[lobear00]

01:18 PM on 09/21/2008

All Offices of Obama and Biden should be called and "Denounce" the debates, until they agree to "No Conditions.

[seattlefemdem]

01:24 PM on 09/21/2008

Well IF they were elected, and IF the administration ever let her talk to anyone, it would be for lunches and teas, really important stuff like that. And Mr Palin would be there too and he could talk about snowmobiles and hunting, again really important stuff like that. Because it's not like we're in the biggest crisis in modern history and would need our VP to be smart, educated, informed. No let her to do the lunches and teas

[Harpseal60]

12:28 PM on 09/21/2008

Of course they want a structured debate! Palin has to be able to give her same "canned answers" becasue she really doesn't know the full extent of the issues and if the debate was free formed, she may just have to answer someting off the cuff and understand why she is saying it. This just shows even the McCain camp knows that she is limited when it comes to any knowledge of the issues.
What happens, if God forbid she ever becomes president? Life is rarely structured. Sometimes, you have to be able to think on your feet and know what you are talking about. The fact that she is not capable of doing this should scare the he!! out of you. We've already had "stupid" running this country for the last 8 years...look were it has gotten us. We all know that no matter what you do, you can't fix stupid.
Lets try something new for a change. Let's start off with someone who not only knows the issues and has a plan to fix them, but they also graduated at the top of their class instead of almost last in his class (McCain). Let's see what someone who isn't a lying cheat (Keating 5) and an ignorant hockey mom can do with this country for a change.
Obama/Biden 08

[Citizen54]

11:48 AM on 09/21/2008

"At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said."

At the insistence of the McCain campaign??? WTF? And the Democrats go along with this? This is one of the reasons McCain/Palin will win. American voters don't like wussies.

[ShakeYourComplacency]

11:47 AM on 09/21/2008

It's all BS. By all reports, Palin is a screwd politician and a good debtor. See this for what it is....a media ploy. The media reports what the GOP want us to know, that Sara is somehow inexperienced. FOLKS.....we have seen this before with Bush. THEY ARE LOWING THE BAR. That's all they want to accomplish at this point. They wanted Sara to walk into the room with an advantage, and that has nothing to do with the format. Get it now?