# Proposal for new debate format **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 23, 2016, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679 "2016-09-23T23:06:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679/21 "2016-09-26T19:38:42Z")
My idea for an innovative debate format: a fictional national security scenario which would unfold over different stages and each candidate would have to make decisions and explain their reasoning. A well-designed scenario would really reveal the decision-making skills of the candidates and would also be visually interesting and make for good TV. This type of off-beat format would probably work better in the primaries where any individual debate matters less and candidates may be more willing to take risks and agree to something different. Also, any possible partisan bias in the scenario design will be less of a problem in a primary debate. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679/22 "2016-09-26T20:29:05Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think I would like to see all news organizations and campaigns select two or three mutually agreed upon fact checking organizations and have instant fact checking available somewhere or somehow. Or at least tell voters that after the debates there’s going to be a fact check review or something that’s incorporated into the debate. Maybe each candidate can get a fact score. We can no longer rely on moderators to do their jobs. That would be very nice. I would have it as a time delay broadcast so the fact checkers have time to do their thing. Unfortunately given that facts have a liberal bias, I doubt that you would get any Republican candidate to agree on any set of fact checkers. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679/23 "2016-09-26T20:37:38Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > That would be very nice. I would have it as a time delay broadcast so the fact checkers have time to do their thing. Unfortunately given that facts have a liberal bias, I doubt that you would get any Republican candidate to agree on any set of fact checkers. It’s like they want a safe place. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679/24 "2016-09-26T22:00:37Z")
I would prefer a Deathmatch battle, ala, MTV from the 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679/25 "2016-09-27T13:00:59Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > I’ll ask you this again. Is there any candidate would do poorly on such an exam that would also agree to take it?. Yea, this basically seems like an anti-Trump test. I don’t think there’s any other candidate in recent memory who wouldn’t be capable of cramming enough factoids to do well on the test. Really, memorizing a bunch of factoids and repeating them is basically what they do on the stump, and even Palin, who seems like a likely contender for dumbest recent candidate on a Presidential ticket, seems like she could focus enough to at least swing a B. Making Hillary, whose basically grown up Hermoine Granger, take the test would seem kinda superfluous. I doubt even her detractors think she wouldn’t ace it. Trump supposedly has trouble focusing on anything for a long stretch of time, so he might actually have trouble with such a test. But even there it seems pointless. I can’t imagine any of his supporters are voting him because he seems like a guy whose super well versed in Civics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-for-new-debate-format/766679.md?page=1)