I think we can all agree that interrupting is unbecoming in a debate, whether it’s Biden interrupting Ryan in 2012 or Trump interrupting Biden in 2020. What is an effective meaningful way for a moderator to clamp down on this?
Some sports like system that deducts 5 seconds from subsequent allotted speaking time per interruption?
No problem. Soundproof booths and give the moderator a button to control the mics. Only one of the three (including moderator) has a live mic at any time.
There’s a lot of chatter about having a mic that automatically cuts itself off when the participant is outside of their time, with a visible “shot clock” to let everyone know it’s on the up-and-up.
I don’t think that would work. Trump would complain that math discriminates against Republicans, and the rest of them would repeat it as fact.
Real talk, there’s no way Republicans get on board with this. Their entire schtick depends on working the refs, so there’s no chance in hell they’re going to get on board with a robo-moderator that they can’t walk all over.
Yeah if there was a format where two candidates could have a genuine conversation about healthcare policy and have enough time to fully flesh out their plans and their legislative strategies to put those in place the Republicans would run screaming from the room.
There are two formats that Biden could agree to: One is a controlled debate, in which the moderators have control over the microphones and can cut them off when someone goes over time. The other is a town hall format, potentially with the same safeguards. The image of Trump getting irritated over having his mic cut off would be a sight to see. Watching Trump pout and grieve over getting muzzled would make him look weak.
One of the strongest moments for Biden, I thought, came toward the end, when Biden told voters that it’s in their hands. He was speaking directly to voters - he should do more of that. He was appealing to voters to act - he should do more of that as well.
Above all else, he was reminding voters that election results are about action, not inevitability. I think Biden was at his best when he told voters, it doesn’t matter what Trump threatens to do; if you go out and vote against him by the millions, he can’t do shit except watch and weep, and there’s a lot of truth and power in that statement. That is what Trump and the GOP are really afraid of. They’re afraid that on election night, networks are going to call one state after another for Biden. They’re afraid of one domino falling right after another. Even if Biden wins by 1-3%, if he can win by 1-3% in Pennsylvania, 1-3% in Florida, 1-3% in Ohio, 1-3% in Michigan, in Wisconsin, in Minnesota, in Arizona…there is no way to spin that. It’s a reckoning for the Republican party if Biden can make that happen.
I’d like to see Biden agree to a debate format in which he can make that case clearer, in which he can spell that out, and simultaneously watch Trump yap like a dog that’s tied to a tree, but instead of interrupting Biden, viewers just hear some noise in the background, and see his lips moving and arms waiving and folding. If we were to see that, in my mind, that would be like watching the shit swirl around the commode before it gets flushed down for good.
Trump has no self-control. He would continue to interrupt whether his mic was on or off. Cut him off and see what happens; it might be entertaining. Good debate has to with actual listening skills and response to ideas presented. Since Trump has no capacity for this, I say let him continue to shoot his mouth off at will and let the people decide what they’re impressed by. His core followers will continue to support even if he takes a giant dump on stage, which is sort of what he did Tuesday night. Discerning viewers will see through Trump’s bullying tactics and vote for Biden if only because he is sane and has some manners. “Shut up, man,” is something a lot of people have been wanting to say to Trump for a long time.
The problem with shutting off the mike is that it does nothing to stop the other person from interrupting the moderator and/or the other debater. Trump is more than loud enough to disrupt, and continuing over the top of a loud noise is much easier said than done.
Just have a bunch of kindergarteners watching the clock and yelling “Donny boy, time to shut up!” over and over until he gets the idea. He can learn from their maturity.
In your scenario Trump will end up with most of the airtime. Why should the networks give free airtime to Trump to hold live rallies?
He’s already doing it and he made himself out to be a boor. I think that alone would sway a lot of fence sitters. Sure, turn Trump’s mic off when it’s not his turn to speak, but that won’t make him a better listener or provide for a more balanced debate. Trump is an asshole and always will be. It would be nice to hear more of what Biden has to say, however.
Even worse, if the other debater is off-mike and off-camera doing this, viewers at home won’t see it and won’t understand why the guy on camera looks fumbling and distracted.
Why not hold a virtual debate? The moderator and debaters would all be in separate locations. Easy to mute the input when one of the debaters goes over time or interupts.
Right, but there’s a difference between interrupting and having your mic cut and talking over someone when the mic is on. It’s still a distraction, but Trump himself is the distraction, and he looks dumber for trying to interrupt. His voice is also weaker, which is something that reinforces the weakness of his insecurities. What I’m talking about is being processed subconsciously by viewers at home.
That’s another idea, and not a bad one, actually.
Yep. It needs to be a socially distanced virtual debate, so the moderator can mute the unruly participant, and Biden won’t be disturbed. I was thinking they could cut his video, too, but it’s better to let people see his expressions probably.
The small problem with that is that Biden can’t call out Trump’s lies as he’s talking. Which granted, is rude, but not as bad as being a president who constantly lies to the American people.
You wouldn’t want to cut the video…Trump’s expressions would be too entertaining…
It’s not like they won’t hear or see what’s going on; the moderators and Biden will ask him to stop. Everyone will know it’s Trump being pathetic and acting out. In effect, it’ll be like whenever the hecklers from the audience shouts something from the back of a debate hall, only the heckler will be the president himself. He’ll look a lot less alpha if he’s off-mic and all you hear is the feint voice of Trump whining in the background. I also think that now that Biden has been through the experience of dealing with Trump, he’ll probably have a few responses ready to rattle off.
Instead of deducting, how about adding? So time would be put on the clock for every interruption; and, if one debater is more sinned against than sinning, he then gets the stage to himself for a closing speech.
The moderator announces that due to numerous violations of the agreed upon rules the debate is over. There’s no point in continuing if one or more participants behave in that way.
That might lend more decorum, certainly, but I think people really want to see how these people play off each other right there in the same room. Seeing Biden get annoyed was not a bad thing, and restrained as he was, he still managed to convey the feelings of a majority of people in the US who have had enough of Trump. I still say let Trump dig his own grave.