# Debates this year(presidential) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 12, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660 "2004-07-12T04:17:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/1 "2004-07-12T04:17:10Z")
Do you think there will be presidential debates this year? I know they don’t HAVE to, but who would be better served by debating, Kerry or Bush? Or by refusing to debate? Also, what about vice debates? Who would have the advantage there? ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/2 "2004-07-12T04:24:59Z")
Even if their campaign is completely on the ropes, neither candidate would ever refuse to debate. That just makes them look scared, and the other candidate would be quick to emphasize this. So, from a political standpoint, they do HAVE to debate. Same goes for the veep candidates. There will, however, be wrangling about moderators, venues and rules. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/3 "2004-07-12T04:54:18Z")
Yes, there will be debates. I have a hard time imagining John Edwards being bested by Dick Cheney, but the VP debate doesn’t count for much. As for Bush vs. Kerry, I have no idea. I thought Gore would wipe the floor with him, but I was wrong. Presidential debates are all about perception, and the better argument doesn’t always win. I am very nervous about Kerry going up against Bush. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/4 "2004-07-12T06:16:18Z")
My prediction: There will be 2 presidential debates and 1 VP debate. The only way this would change is if one candidate were so far ahead in the polls that he had nothing to lose by skipping the debates. That’s an \*\*extremely \*\* remote possibility. There will be 2 presidential debates. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/5 "2004-07-12T06:28:44Z")
If the 2000 campaign is any indication, expect the Bush Administration to try to throw out as many conditions and clauses they can to derail the debates. [A reminder, courtesy of Tom Tomorrow.](http://archive.salon.com/comics/tomo/2000/09/11/tomo/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/6 "2004-07-12T10:04:38Z")
There will be debates. I bet the Bush team pushes hard for Nader to be included. Nader will probably be harder on Kerry than Bush. My opinion is that Nader has no business in the debates. He received a tiny fraction of the vote and his campaign is nothing but a vanity show. Perot didn’t get invited in 1996 and Nader should not be invited this year. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/7 "2004-07-12T12:38:03Z")
Here’s the [schedule;](http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elect_2004/debates.html) three Presidential, one VP. Should be fun. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/8 "2004-07-12T13:56:26Z")
In 1992, there was a schedule too, and IIRC they just ignored it at first because Bush wouldn’t agree to the terms of the debate. For good reason, since Clinton does know how to work a crowd. So the schedules doesn’t mean much until they actually get started. (I was watching _The War Room_ this weekend.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/9 "2004-07-12T14:24:05Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > If the 2000 campaign is any indication, expect the Bush Administration to try to throw out as many conditions and clauses they can to derail the debates. [A reminder, courtesy of Tom Tomorrow.](http://archive.salon.com/comics/tomo/2000/09/11/tomo/index.html) Do you think the Kerry camp won’t have terms and conditions of their own, that need to be negotiated? But it’s only a bad thing if the Bush side does it, right? You need to grow up. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/10 "2004-07-12T14:52:22Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I bet the Bush team pushes hard for Nader to be included. Nader will probably be harder on Kerry than Bush. > > . You have got to be kidding. The Bush team wants Nader to debtae Bush like Carrot Topp wants to be in a beauty contest with Brad Pitt. But was there ever a race where therre were Not any debates? Which debate had the most obvious winner? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/11 "2004-07-12T15:09:10Z")
> [@vanilla](#): > > But > was there ever a race where therre were Not any debates? I don’t think LBJ ever debated Goldwater. Prior to Kennedy-Nixon I don’t think presidential debates were all that common. I’m sure someone will come along shortly to set me straight. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/12 "2004-07-12T15:14:53Z")
They’re actually a pretty recent phenomenon, not even as old as the television age. Kennedy and Nixon had one (1) famous one in 1960, in which TV viewers thought the young, dashing Kennedy was the winner, and radio listeners thought the more-substantive Nixon won. Then that was it until 1976, when Ford issued a challenge to Carter during his acceptance speech, and they’ve been part of the campaign landscape ever since - which is a very good thing. Yes, candidates now \*have \* to do it, or risk getting the empty-chair-on-stage, what-is-he-afraid-of? ridicule treatment. Neither Bush nor Kerry will want Nader onstage, sure, and his lack of a party nomination provides all the basis needed to deny him. The wrangling will be over the format, as usual - Bush will insist on scripted questions so he can read his answers off a teleprompter, while Kerry will want a town-hall forum like the one where stiff ol’ Poppy Bush was seen looking at his watch. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/13 "2004-07-12T18:45:44Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > Do you think the Kerry camp won’t have terms and conditions of their own, that need to be negotiated? Probably, but I doubt the Kerry camp will want to avoid the Presidential Commission Debates outright, like Bush did in 2000. Or did you forget about Bush’s months-long dodge already? > [@](#): > > O’BRIEN: All right, let’s go to the e-mail, shall we? This one comes from – I can’t remember who it comes from, but let;s go to it, and his name will be at the bottom there: > > “ **Don’t you think that George Bush is really hurting himself by seemingly avoiding these debates?** I get the impression that he is simply afraid of facing Gore either because he is not a good debater or he does not have a full grasp of the material or issues involved.” > > That’s from Jim Hoffman in Banning, California. > > SCHNEIDER: Well, yes. And it turns out that view is shared by a great many Americans, because we polled people just these last few days and asked people, if there are no debates, who do you think would be most to blame? And they blamed George Bush more than they would blame Al Gore, even though Governor Bush said that, you know, he would debate Mr. Gore on “LARRY KING LIVE” here on CNN or on a special edition of NBC “Meet the Press.” Nevertheless, the view was **the commission has set up these debates and that Mr. Bush ought to participate.** So he is not doing well in the debate on debates. > > ([Saturday Morning News,](http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0009/09/smn.06.html) CNN, 9-9-2000) ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/14 "2004-07-13T14:26:24Z")
**ElvisL1ves** , debate can be done in a Presidential election by presubmitted questions and teleprompter? That isn’t even debate!! Anyone could read someone elses work from a teleprompter and sound like they know their stuff… oh… That explains a lot. ok. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/15 "2004-07-13T15:49:45Z")
Well, the formats (town meeting, moderator questions only, questions to each other, etc.) are set in advance, as is the general topic (the economy, foreign policy). But I’ve never seen an actual Teleprompter up there and I strongly doubt it would be allowed. If Dubya doesn’t make any big mistakes, he’s the all-American straight-talker vs. the fancy-schmancy liberal Yankee; if he does, he was flummoxed like B’rer Bear against the B’rer Rabbit of the fancy-schmancy liberal Yankee. The press may be disgusted but most people don’t read the analysts. So we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/16 "2004-07-14T14:18:32Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > **ElvisL1ves** , debate can be done in a Presidential election by presubmitted questions and teleprompter? Not realistically - I was suggesting that that’s what Bush would request. Formats are set by agreement between the campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debates-this-year-presidential/254660/17 "2004-07-15T02:50:22Z")
In the July/August 2004 issue of _The Atlantic Monthly,_ there was a cover article, “When George Meets John,” by James Fallows, speculating about how Bush and Kerry will stack up in the debates. From the story: > [@](#): > > These things are known about the 2004 debates. > > There will be at most four of them – three presidential, one vice-presidential. Often incumbents insist on even fewer, and four years ago the Bush team waited until Labor Day for accepting terms for any at all. A bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates sets the ground rules, but it has no enforcement power and must negotiate with parties and candidates in each election cycle. This time the commission tried to outflank everyone by announcing dates and sites last fall, and putting the sites in swing states: Florida, Ohio, Missouri, and Arizona. Neither campaign wants to be the one blamed by the people of, say, St. Louis for canceling a debate they had been counting on. > > The campaigns will wrangle over rules nearly until the first debate, which is scheduled for September 30 in Miami. **In the negotiations for past debates some candidate has always vetoed the idea of a “Lincoln-Douglas” exchange, in which candidates directly question each other.** The commission has several times persuaded candidates to accept a single-moderator format, rather than a panel of questioners – a vast improvement from the public’s point of view, because the moderator doesn’t have to worry about competing against his colleagues for airtime and can concentrate more fully on what the candidates are saying. A moderator with the right touch can back away and let the candidates address each other directly as the discussion evolves. The Bush team will ask for debates limited to specific topics – foreign policy, the economy. The Kerry team will ask for, but not get, open-ended sessions in which any subject can be raised. The Bush team will look for staging to conceal the fact that the President is so much shorter than Kerry: they may ask for a seated debate, or they may build a small “pitcher’s mound” behind the President’s podium, like the one built for Michael Dukakis in 1988, to put his head on a level with his opponent’s. If I were on Kerry’s team, I think I would publicly insist on a Lincoln-Douglas style direct exchange, and make a big issue of it if Bush didn’t agree. No way to lose there – if Bush agrees, Kerry will make him look like the fool he is, and if he doesn’t he looks like a chicken.