How to moderate the presidential debates, according to a debate coach

Brut America

"I think our country deserves better."  A professional debate coach has these suggestions for improving the presidential debate format…

Transcript

00:00Debates regularly get contentious.

00:01Wrap the left.

00:03Will you shut up, man?

00:04It's a competition.

00:05President, no.

00:07Egos are involved.

00:08It's hard to get any word in with this clown.

00:10It actually takes a very special type of debater

00:12not to become overly contentious.

00:14All right, that's the end of the segment.

00:16We're moving on.

00:18One thing I've learned is that as a moderator,

00:20the way the debate is designed

00:22and the way you enforce the rules

00:23can do a great deal to shape the content of the debate.

00:30If I was designing the presidential debate format

00:47and I was concerned with preventing crosstalk

00:50and interruptions,

00:51I would pursue one of two possible solutions.

00:54The first solution is a structural solution.

00:57I would place the candidates at tables

00:59on either side of the stage without microphones,

01:02and I would have them rise

01:03and come to podium center stage to speak.

01:06In other words, I would use physical spacing

01:09to prevent crosstalk and interruptions by the candidates.

01:17Second, I would implement an objective rules-based approach,

01:21allowing the moderator to inform the audience

01:24when rules are broken and reset the debate

01:27so that one candidate doesn't gain an advantage

01:29from the interruptions.

01:30After a certain number of interruptions,

01:33the moderator would begin pausing the speaking time

01:36of the interrupted candidate.

01:37They would announce that under the rules,

01:39they were required to let the audience know

01:42that that was the 10th interruption

01:43by the interrupting candidate.

01:45They would restate the question,

01:47and then they would allow the interrupted candidate

01:49to continue speaking,

01:50but with an additional 15 seconds

01:52so that they could deal with the interruption

01:54if they so desired.

01:55It would make it very clear to the audience

01:57that the rules are being enforced

01:59in an objective and even-handed manner,

02:02and at the same time,

02:03it wouldn't put pressure on candidates

02:05to feel like they have to fight fire with fire

02:08in order to avoid being steamrolled.

02:10Why don't you observe what your campaign agreed to

02:12as a ground rule, okay, sir?

02:13He never keeps his word.

02:14You can add back, sir.

02:15No, no, no, I'm not asking,

02:16that was a rhetorical question.

02:18One structural solution that's been imposed

02:20by the Commission on Presidential Debates

02:23is implementing a mute button

02:25so that the moderator can cut off the microphones

02:28of an interrupting candidate.

02:30In my opinion, unfortunately,

02:32I believe this may be the worst of both worlds.

02:35Given the proximity

02:37with which the candidates are gonna be seated,

02:39a comment by one candidate is likely to be picked up

02:41on the microphone of the other candidate,

02:44and second, even if it isn't picked up

02:46on the other candidate's microphone,

02:48if the other candidate can still hear it,

02:50it may still disrupt their speech.

02:52Voters at home who don't hear the comment, however,

02:54may not know why that candidate is pausing

02:57or stumbling or reacting,

02:59which takes it out of the hands of the voters

03:02in terms of assessing what it means

03:04that one candidate can't abide by the rules.

03:06If a candidate believes that they're above the rules,

03:09I believe we should trust the voters

03:10to assess what that means.

03:12As a debate educator, I deeply regret

03:15that our country is faced with having to debate

03:18how we can best structure a presidential debate

03:22in order to ensure respectful and productive dialogue.

03:26I think our country deserves better,

03:28but that's for the voters to decide.

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