# Who would be the best moderator for Presidential debates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686 "2012-10-04T13:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/1 "2012-10-04T13:48:06Z")
Who would be the best moderator to keep Presidential candidates in line as well as holding them to keep the specifics. We need confrontational but not…Bill O’Reilly… I’m thinking Tony Reali from Around the Horn with a mute button at his disposal. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/2 "2012-10-04T14:09:40Z")
I think last night established that “anybody but Jim Lehrer” is a viable choice. Or else just attach the microphones to a timer. Two minutes are up - the microphone shuts off. I don’t think anyone can force a politician to be specific - that’s not what they do. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/3 "2012-10-04T14:32:49Z")
Not graphite – far to flammable. Maybe heavy water. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/4 "2012-10-04T14:35:59Z")
Samuel L. Jackson, he’s definitely a liberal but I think he could be impartial as a moderator. “Time called motherfucker!” “Are you finished? Oh, well, then allow me to retort, you do remember your business partners at Bain Capital?” “I don’t remember asking you _a god damn thing_!” ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/5 "2012-10-04T14:38:14Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Samuel L. Jackson, he’s definitely a liberal but I think he could be impartial as a moderator. > > “Time called motherfucker!” > “Are you finished? Oh, well, then allow me to retort, you do remember your business partners at Bain Capital?” > “I don’t remember asking you _a god damn thing_!” That is so beautiful, I just shed a tear. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/6 "2012-10-04T14:44:12Z")
“Does America look like a bitch to you?” I vote for Jeremy Paxman. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/7 "2012-10-04T14:51:12Z")
Steven Colbert would likely do an excellent job. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/8 "2012-10-04T14:51:55Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Samuel L. Jackson, he’s definitely a liberal but I think he could be impartial as a moderator. > > “Time called motherfucker!” What? ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/9 "2012-10-04T14:59:51Z")
Dwight Schrute. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/10 "2012-10-04T15:03:00Z")
Jesse Ventura ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/11 "2012-10-04T15:07:18Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Jesse Ventura I like this suggestion. Ventura has some political chops and can certainly be intimidating enough to keep them in line. ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/12 "2012-10-04T15:13:15Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > I like this suggestion. Ventura has some political chops and can certainly be intimidating enough to keep them in line. Until he starts asking questions about Tower 7 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/13 "2012-10-04T15:40:14Z")
Jesse Ventura is a lout. He has his moments, but they are moments. But a man who wears a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt and an electric pink feather boa to his inaugural ball? A lot can be forgiven. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/14 "2012-10-04T15:53:40Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > What? “Say ‘what’ again. I dare you. I double dog dare you, motherfucker.” ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/15 "2012-10-04T16:20:20Z")
i think the position is real problematic. an incumbent president likely would not act a jerk though the challenger could, especially if an underdog. if the underdog challenger skews far right and the moderator calls the rules then the moderator gets painted as liberal media, not good if the moderator is a news analyst/presenter and not an editorialist. what can the moderator do to the guy who won’t shut up, go and kick him in the shins? the Secret Service would be all over them. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/16 "2012-10-04T16:35:09Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > i think the position is real problematic. > > an incumbent president likely would not act a jerk though the challenger could, especially if an underdog. if the underdog challenger skews far right and the moderator calls the rules then the moderator gets painted as liberal media, not good if the moderator is a news analyst/presenter and not an editorialist. > > what can the moderator do to the guy who won’t shut up, go and kick him in the shins? the Secret Service would be all over them. Embarrass him. The moderator’s job is to control the conversation, if he can’t do that he is a spectator like the rest of us. If a candidate continues to talk after being warned the moderator can turn dudes mic off and address the other candidate. If that results in the moderator being painted as a liberal media hack, it’ll only be in the minds of voters who already believe that’s the case. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/17 "2012-10-04T16:38:49Z")
I very much doubt that Leher had a “mike cut” button available to him. The only power he had was the polite agreement of the principals to respect his moderative function. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/18 "2012-10-04T16:40:01Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > what can the moderator do to the guy who won’t shut up, go and kick him in the shins? the Secret Service would be all over them. Who wouldn’t shut up? Obama or Romney? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/19 "2012-10-04T16:40:46Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I very much doubt that Leher had a “mike cut” button available to him. The only power he had was the polite agreement of the principals to respect his moderative function. The moderator isn’t applying for a job, he can shout if he has too to enforce the rules both sides agreed to before this started. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/20 "2012-10-04T16:40:53Z")
I do recall at one point Romney tried squeezing in one last point by saying “Can I say one more thing?” and Leher said “No, you may not.” Or something to that effect. He just should’ve done more of that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686.md?page=2)