Mysterious inturuption during 1976 Pres. Debates?

Factual Questions
1

Why did the audio go out at the first presidential debate in 1976 when Jimmy Carter started talking about National Security and the public’s unease?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/debatingourdestiny/76debates/1_d.html

Here’s the text from the transcript…

[…]
MR. FORD: You are familiar, of course, with the fact that I am the first president in thirty years who has reorganized the intelligence agencies in the federal government: the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and the others. We’ve done that by executive order and I think - we’ve tightened it up; we’ve - straightened out their problems that developed over the last few years. It doesn’t seem to me that it’s needed or necessary to have legislation in this particular regard. I have recommended to the Congress, however - I’m sure you’re familiar with this - legislation that would make it very proper in - in the right way, that the attorney general could go in and get the right for wiretapping under security cases. This was an effort that was made by the attorney general and myself, working with the Congress. But even in this area, where I think new legislation would be justified, the Congress has not responded. So, I feel in that case, as well as in the reorganization of the intelligence agencies, as I’ve done, we have to do it by executive order. And I’m glad that we have a good director in George Bush. We have good executive orders, and the CIA and the DIA and NASA - - NSA are now doing a good job under proper supervision.

MR. NEWMAN: Governor Carter.

MR. CARTER: Well, one of the very serious things that’s happened in our government in recent years, and has continued up until now, is a breakdown in the trust among our people in the –

[twenty-seven-minute delay]

MR. NEWMAN: failure in the broadcasting of the debate, it occurred twenty-seven minutes ago. The fault has been dealt with and - we want to thank President Ford and Governor Carter for being so patient and understanding while this delay went on. We very much regret the technical failure that lost the sound as it - as it was leaving this theater. It occurred during Governor Carter’s response to what would have been and what was the last question put to the candidates. That question went to President Ford. It dealt with the control of government intelligence agencies. Governor Carter was making that response and had very nearly finished it. He will conclude his response now after which - President Ford and Governor Carter will make their closing statements. Governor.

MR. CARTER: There has been too much government secrecy and not - not enough respect for the personal privacy of American citizens.

[…]

2

Just now catching up on the videotapes, Everbody? :wink: Don’t worry. I won’t spoil the ending of Three’s Company for you. (Hint though, Jack and an AK-47)

3

<cue ominous music>

and to this day, the Tape Snipper Vandal has never been found
seriously,I have no idea.

4

Just something that’s been bugging me for what, 26 years?

Strange that George Herbert Walker Bush was mentioned by Ford just before that. Was he listening in the van and woke up when he heard his name? Reached over to the big knife switch and yanked it when the Southern Democrat started ratting him out?

-Everbody

5

By George, you caught them! The Trilateral Commission sabotaged the debates to make sure Jimmy Carter couldn’t beat their hand-picked stooge, Gerald Ford.

That’s why Ford went on to win the elections by a landslide!

Umm… or not.

6

YOU FOOLS!!!

That’s when the Trilateral Commission controlled clone of Jimmy Carter replaced the real one.!!!

7

That’s when he changed the part in his hair.

8

Before the current President, Ford was the only unelected President, being appointed by Nixon.

Since you’re all looking for something cute to say on serious subjects, let me start a mini-thread…

Your Mama!

9

I just don’t see that it’s all that serious. I mean, granted it’s an odd thing to have happened, but it just doesn’t seem that mysterious. Granted, it’s possible Jimmy was about to say something that made somebody nervous, or, somebody at the network might have been really anti-Carter and felt he was talking about something he shouldn’t, so they cut the sound, or it could have just been a technical glitch. The beginning of Carter’s comment doesn’t sound particularly threatening though, so I’d just go with mechanical failure.

10

Two quick things.

  1. Bush was elected by the electoral college.

  2. If you don’t consider that electing, then he still wouldn’t be the only one, since Rutherford B. Hayes also lost the popular vote and won the electoral.

  3. Hi Opal!

11

Wasn’t a clone, actually. It was Little Ricky Weishaupt, the great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of Adam, who had previously replaced George Washington.

12

Christ, don’t these people ever get tired of this?

Listen:

If Carter was about to say something explosive like reveal the existence of some huge government conspriacy don’t you think SOMEONE of the moderators, the technician, the handlers, SOMEONE would have leaked it?

This was just post-Watergate, for God’s sake! The press corps would have sacrificed their children to mount another presidential head on their collective wall.

Get me?

God, this really pisses me off. Another tip: The american people can’t keep secrets. Someone would rat all this conspiracy crap out for love, ideology, money or power.

13

Well, it’s odd but if you go back and read all the transcripts, what comes across on paper is that Jimmy Carter is not a man who has a talent for public speaking. He stammers, misspeaks himself, resorts to pre-packaged campaign phrases and political jargon, and just generally sounds like he’d be much happier simply reading a speech. He’s game as all getout, bless him for even trying, but still…he’s obviously not a skilled debater.

Gerry Ford, amazingly, comes across as someone who knows exactly the points he wants to make and doesn’t have any problem doing so.

I was an adult in 1976, and I didn’t remember how badly we must have wanted to get rid of all traces of the Nixon Adminstration, if we elected Stammerin’ Jim as President.

Anyway, the point I’m making here is that it’s extremely unlikely that Stammerin’ Jim would have been on the brink of any great revelations regarding George Herbert Bush and the CIA. It was all he could do to cope with rebutting Ford.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/debatingourdestiny/76debates/1_a.html

And the other point I wanted to make was that during the 27 minutes that the sound went out, both candidates simply stood there on stage, waiting. If Carter had had some great revelation to make to the American People concerning George Herbert Bush and the CIA, all he had to do was spit it out, once the sound came back on.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1976/index.shtml

But look what happens.

So, as soon as the sound comes back on, Edwin Newman instructs, “Finish your thought, Carter”, so Carter finishes his thought (he can hardly do otherwise), and then Edwin Newman instructs, “Now give your closing statement, Carter”, so Carter obediently launches into his closing statement.

If there was a conspiracy to shut Carter up, then Newman must have been in on it, to so instruct Carter to finish up, quick, instead of allowing him an opening to give his Great Revelation concerning George Herbert Bush and the CIA, and I dunno about you, but I remember Edwin Newman from seeing him on the Today Show, plus I bought both of his books, plus I wrote him a fan letter to which he responded with a very rude response, so I just can’t picture Edwin Newman allowing George Herbert Bush to tell him how to run his debate, the cranky bastidge.

14

“this really pisses me off. Another tip: The american people can’t keep secrets. Someone would rat all this conspiracy crap out for love, ideology, money or power.” posted by Jonathan Chance

Sorry, amigo, but you are a bit out of the loop…and the loop is the group that can keep a secret! If they couldn’t keep a secret, they wouldn’t be in the loop. this same weak argument has been used before and it just doesn’t wash. please apply same criteria to jimmy hoffa case. october surprise, etc…

15

Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence. Sure, there could be big secrets being kept. Indeed, the reason for the audio failure could have been CIA machinations or even an extra-terrestrial technology unknown to us; it’s possible the ETs wanted Carter in the White House.

But without any particular evidence for any particular theory, no particular extraordinary explanation can be accepted.

  • Rick
16

“Three may keep a secret…if two are dead.” - Ben Franklin

Look at your history, hh. There’s always someone who stands to benefit from breaking a story. Whether it’s a reporter, a businessman, a politician, or an ordinary citizen who’s sense of right and wrong is offended it’s always something.

I have blown secret after blown secret. All you have is handwaving and shadowy accusations. Try a little harder to convince me. I’ll wait here.

17

Occam’s Razor my friends, Occam’s Razor.

You’d think the post Watergate press would have some huevos, but there were probably bigger fish to fry than just a couple of burglars. The date limitation on Iran-Contra proved that!

Why didn’t the outage happen during the Social Security debate?

Look it up! Occam’s Razor.

18

Duck Duck Goose,

Put yourself in his shoes. You start talking about the national security apparatus and what you know about it’s incursions into citizen’s rights and all of a sudden the national broadcast is completely stopped?

Any huge organization like the CIA/NSA/DIA/FBI is bound to step on a few toes including American citizens. Maybe they even brief presidential candidates in the ways of the black budget?

We’d have to look at the video tape with a lip reader. Did he have immediate feedback that the entire Nation couldn’t hear him? I don’t think they had coaches on ear buds giving the status. You’d think people wouldn’t be tripping over cables during a nationally broadcast presidential debate. Not much of an explanation was it? What’s the phrase from back then? Plausible deniability?

Did he continue with a few more sentances before the stage hands gave the cut-throat signal?

I’m interested, what would be YOUR reaction to a very precise inturruption at that point? Would you fear for your family?

 -Everbody
19

Given that an entire auditorium of spectators, journalists, technicians, etc. walked right out of the room free to say whatever they wanted, I’m going with “no.”

Clearly, you were not asking a General Question or seeking a General Answer, but rather trying to publicize your particularly silly conspiracy theory. That may work in Great Debates – give those folks a try. In GQ, this thread is closed.