# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/21 "2012-10-04T16:43:48Z")
[Miss Sweetie Poo.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAnVNXaa5oA) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/22 "2012-10-04T16:45:26Z")
Any of the three best political commentators in the business today- Rachel Maddow, Martin Bashir, or Lawrence O’Donnell. Lehrer’s questions sucked. Instead of asking “how do you differ from your opponent on X”, it should have been “what is your position on X”, and then after he gets the answer from both then he can talk about the differences. It just seemed premature to ask how someone’s position differs from his opponent before the opponent says what the hell it is. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/23 "2012-10-04T16:56:02Z")
Who are good interviewers from Ireland and Switzerland? Being cheeky, how about Lord Sugar? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/24 "2012-10-04T16:57:42Z")
The above discussion also mentions some of the tools that the moderator does / doesn’t / should / shouldn’t have – like a cut-off button. How about having the next debate moderated by our very own **SDMB moderator staff** using the very latest vBulletin moderation tools? ---
**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, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/25 "2012-10-04T16:59:47Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Any of the three best political commentators in the business today- Rachel Maddow, Martin Bashir, or Lawrence O’Donnell. > > Lehrer’s questions sucked. Instead of asking “how do you differ from your opponent on X”, it should have been “what is your position on X”, and then after he gets the answer from both then he can talk about the differences. It just seemed premature to ask how someone’s position differs from his opponent before the opponent says what the hell it is. They’ve had the last 2 years to tell us that. What I expect from a moderator is to demand the contestants cut the crap and discuss something substantial. ---
**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, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/26 "2012-10-04T17:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > …by our very own SDMB moderator staff… Well, it _would_ advance their program for world domination. ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/27 "2012-10-04T17:15:11Z")
Blaming the moderator?!? Seriously. Obama lost because he sucks at debates. Period. Only this time, he has a record to explain - so the media can’t protect him as much although they still try. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/28 "2012-10-04T17:24:59Z")
I actually agree with Shodan, timed microphones. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/29 "2012-10-04T17:30:25Z")
They can have the final Jeopardy theme run during the last 15 seconds… ---
**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, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/30 "2012-10-04T17:34:37Z")
> [@Anduril](#): > > Blaming the moderator?!? Seriously. Obama lost because he sucks at debates. Period. Only this time, he has a record to explain - so the media can’t protect him as much although they still try. Blaming the media?!? Seriously. Romney’s going to lose because he sucks at campaigning. Period. The problem with getting decent moderators and questions is that no US politician of any ilk will stand in front of a strong moderator and take straight unvetted questions. If they can’t manage the situation to their best advantage, they’ll go find some other venue which will give them what they want. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/31 "2012-10-04T17:58:59Z")
> [@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_!” It’s like a chuckle hitting the Daily Double. I think Bob Schieffer shows every Sunday he can keep things impartial and moving along. Or heck, let’s go in a different direction entirely… Verne Lundquist or Rich Eisen. ETA: Hell, I know… Roy Firestone! ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/32 "2012-10-04T17:59:24Z")
Jon Stewart. Calling bullshit is pretty much what he does, and he has no problem doing it to people he supports. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/33 "2012-10-04T18:02:49Z")
Simon Cowell. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/34 "2012-10-04T18:03:08Z")
Fareed Zakaria, Christiane Amanpour, or Shepard Smith. Or you can get a competent non-famous person, like a judge, who must wade through bullshit on a regular basis. If nothing else, these debates would do better if they had an on call fact checker that would intervene when someone says something factually inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/35 "2012-10-04T19:03:28Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Or else just attach the microphones to a timer. Two minutes are up - the microphone shuts off. I’d vote for that. In the alternative, I’ll nominate Anderson Cooper for moderator. He’s a liberal, but I think he’d be fair. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/36 "2012-10-04T19:38:52Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > 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. I though Lehrer was just fine. A neutral and calm approach. But a loud buzzer timed to five seconds more than the time limit given for any question, would be a great improvement. “Mr. Obama your time is up . . . **BUZZZZZZ**.” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/37 "2012-10-04T20:04:33Z")
Another vote for Jon Stewart. Athought I might like to see Chris Berman. > [@](#): > > WHAT? ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/38 "2012-10-04T20:28:47Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’d vote for that. > In the alternative, I’ll nominate Anderson Cooper for moderator. He’s a liberal, but I think he’d be fair. I think he’d be good. Another is that Pierce guy with the CNN talk show. ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/39 "2012-10-04T20:45:09Z")
It’s the moderator - that’s why Obama lost. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686/40 "2012-10-04T21:42:14Z")
Jeff Daniels, doing his **Newsroom** character! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-be-the-best-moderator-for-presidential-debates/636686.md?page=3)