# The Semi-Pro SDMB Pre-Debate Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 16, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776 "2016-10-16T22:17:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/1 "2016-10-16T22:17:53Z")
Well, to try and keep the mess we had here on the second debate in order, I’m starting this thread for Pre-Debate discussions (i.e., this thread is for use up to the moment the debate starts, when I presume someone else will have a thread to discuss the debate as it occurs). The topics have been set, and this will be in the style of the first debate, with the candidates behind podiums, and the moderator being the only one to put questions. From Politico, here are the topics: > [@](#): > > Fox News’ Chris Wallace, the moderator of the third and final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, has announced the topics that will guide the questions at the debate. > > Wallace will ask questions about debt and entitlements, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots and the candidates’ fitness to be president, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Each of the six segments will last 15 minutes. The last topic could make for some…interesting…interaction, don’t you think? Post thoughts and opinions pre-debate here, so we can get a clean thread for the actual debate on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/2 "2016-10-17T00:47:04Z")
We could probably just use this thread on the same topic. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=807453](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=807453) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/3 "2016-10-17T00:50:40Z")
:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/4 "2016-10-17T00:56:31Z")
What is the likelihood that Mr. Wallace will lob softballs at Mr. Trump and throw fastballs at Mrs. Clinton? His being from Fox News doesn’t instill any sense of integrity in me. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/5 "2016-10-17T00:58:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > What is the likelihood that Mr. Wallace will lob softballs at Mr. Trump and fastballs at Mrs. Clinton? His being from Fox News doesn’t instill any sense of integrity in me. About zero. You really think HRC would have agreed to him as a moderator if that were a possibility? Wallace is not a partisan hack. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/6 "2016-10-17T01:15:17Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > We could probably just use this thread on the same topic. > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=807453](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=807453) We probably could…If you had named it the Pre-Debate thread and not focused on one specific item regarding the debate. I posted this thread mainly because of the confusion on the last debate when you started a thread on the debate _ **4 days** _ before the actual debate (see [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=806508](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=806508)), which led to a second thread at the ‘real-time’ debate contrasting to your thread which didn’t start actual debate coverage until 4-5 pages in. I figured a thread with a specific name and goal would be a ‘cleaner’ way to do it this time, and I stand by that conclusion. On topic: Wallace may have the most pressure; with a father famous for standing up to politicians (YMMV, but that is a perception many have) and a job with Fox, which seems to have moved a bit away from the Trump-mania but still sees itself as the conservative media leader, and a candidate of unknown stability (I mean, what will Trump say is probably the biggest question of them all), Wallace is going to be scrutinized nearly as deeply as the candidates, who we have already seen twice in the debates. And with 15 minutes devoted to the Candidates fitness…Oh, there’s going to be fireworks on that on, and how well Wallace handles it may figure in his future career. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/7 "2016-10-17T01:21:23Z")
So now we’ll have two threads again. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/8 "2016-10-17T01:37:15Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > So now we’ll have two threads again. Awesome. PLEASE, let’s just have one thread **at debate time**. Having two running during the debate was nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/9 "2016-10-17T01:37:47Z")
If I see any more sniping at each other about ‘one thread’ or ‘two threads’ or any of that nonsense I’ll lock both threads and bring up in the mod loop that those going back and forth get suspended through November 9th. Is that clear to all? No one has a copyright on starting threads on whatever topics. This may from time to time lead to multiple threads on single topics. If it does, however, I expect to hear no complaining. ---
**Author:** ![aag3981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/10 "2016-10-17T02:04:57Z")
I have some gripe about fitness to serve question. If it goes beyond health then it could be a decent segment, but otherwise it will just be conspiracy theory promotion. You think Trump will avoid Bills sexual stuff? That has really blown up in his face. Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/11 "2016-10-17T02:26:06Z")
> [@aag3981](#): > > I have some gripe about fitness to serve question. If it goes beyond health then it could be a decent segment, but otherwise it will just be conspiracy theory promotion. I very much doubt this will be limited to health. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/12 "2016-10-17T02:30:41Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > If I see any more sniping at each other about ‘one thread’ or ‘two threads’ or any of that nonsense I’ll lock both threads and bring up in the mod loop that those going back and forth get suspended through November 9th. > > Is that clear to all? > > No one has a copyright on starting threads on whatever topics. This may from time to time lead to multiple threads on single topics. If it does, however, I expect to hear no complaining. Understood and I have concluded that conversation. ---
**Author:** ![ganthet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@ganthet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ganthet)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/13 "2016-10-17T05:16:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > About zero. You really think HRC would have agreed to him as a moderator if that were a possibility? Wallace is not a partisan hack. Eh, he’s not as much of a partisan hack as a lot of other Fox News personalities who blur the news/editorial line, but he fully drinks the Fox conspiracy koolaid that the news side of Fox News is a [“balance”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUfugJfsiyc) to the liberal mainstream news. He doesn’t seem to realize that this is admitting that Fox News has a conservative viewpoint/agenda/bias. Shepard Smith, Bert Baier, or Martha MacCallum would be better choices. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2016, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-semi-pro-sdmb-pre-debate-thread/768776/14 "2016-10-17T07:01:37Z")
> [@ganthet](#): > > Eh, he’s not as much of a partisan hack as a lot of other Fox News personalities who blur the news/editorial line, but he fully drinks the Fox conspiracy koolaid that the news side of Fox News is a [“balance”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUfugJfsiyc) to the liberal mainstream news. He doesn’t seem to realize that this is admitting that Fox News has a conservative viewpoint/agenda/bias. Shepard Smith, Bert Baier, or Martha MacCallum would be better choices. I guess you’ll have to take that up with Hillary. She’s the one who agreed to Wallace.