# Who would you choose as a moderator for the next debate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 1, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302 "2015-11-01T00:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/21 "2015-11-02T14:35:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How about we hook polygraphs to them and get live results as they speak? Or do a split screen with Pinocchio? I agree with you 100%, as long we hook it up to Hillary also. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/22 "2015-11-02T23:55:40Z")
I would hand everything over to the League of Women Voters. They handled the first Presidential debate in 1976. They were fired by the two parties, because they feared tough questioning. > **[How Presidential Debates Work](https://people.howstuffworks.com/debate.htm#pt3)** > > This American institution began with Abraham Lincoln following Stephen Douglas on the campaign trail. Today, the presidential debate is one of the most anticipated markers of candidates' campaigns. > **[How Presidential Debates Work](https://people.howstuffworks.com/debate.htm#pt4)** > > This American institution began with Abraham Lincoln following Stephen Douglas on the campaign trail. Today, the presidential debate is one of the most anticipated markers of candidates' campaigns. > [@](#): > > The campaigns of George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis met without the knowledge of the League of Women Voters (LWV) and drafted a memorandum of understanding. This secret document specified who would be allowed sit in the audience during the '88 debates and who would serve as panelists, as well as abolished follow-up questions. Under these terms, the LWV would be left to merely host and would have no say in how the debates were held. > > In disgust, the League of Women Voters exposed the memorandum and resigned as hosts of presidential debates, citing the “fraud on the American voter” being carried out by the two major parties [source: PBS]. To fill the void left by the LWV, the Democrats and Republicans formed the joint nonprofit bipartisan organization the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/23 "2015-11-03T01:15:31Z")
The League of Women Voters? Gotta be kidding, after they conspired with ACORN to commit massive voter fraud? ---
**Author:** ![NVME702-redux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@NVME702-redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NVME702-redux)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/24 "2015-11-03T03:02:16Z")
For the GOP: David Sedaris, Diane Reems (SP) and Ira Glass For the Dems: Anne Coulter, Dennis Miller and Glenn Beck ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/25 "2015-11-03T03:55:13Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > It’s strange to consider that the Democrats has gone so far left that these are considered equivalent, but on opposite sides. No, what’s strange is that you think that. The Republicans have gone much further to the right than the Democrats have gone to the left. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/26 "2015-11-03T16:36:32Z")
As an off the wall choice I’d love to see Bill Nye host the republican debates. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/27 "2015-11-03T16:59:55Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > As an off the wall choice I’d love to see Bill Nye host the republican debates. Even better: Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson host and they’ve got the ability to deliver electric shocks when a candidate utters scientific BS. With the right debate topics, you could get some serious winnowing of the field by the time its over. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302/28 "2015-11-03T17:16:17Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > Even better: Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson host and they’ve got the ability to deliver electric shocks when a candidate utters scientific BS. With the right debate topics, you could get some serious winnowing of the field by the time its over. What they should do is have Tyson tell one of his Science jokes (like the one below) and if the candidate cannot explain why it is funny, they get dumped into a tank of Sharks (altought I am willing to compromise on Nile crocodiles…) The example joke: “Higgs boson walks into a church, and the priest says, ‘I’m sorry we don’t allow Higgs bosons to come to churches.’ And [the Higgs] says, ‘But without me, you can’t have mass.’” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-choose-as-a-moderator-for-the-next-debate/736302.md?page=1)