Tonight's Debate Will Be A Joke

CuteOldGuy's Avatar
Headline: Leaked Debate Agreement Shows Both Obama and Romney are Sniveling Cowards

Article:

Time's Mark Halperin has made himself useful for once by obtaining, and publishing, a copy of the 21-page memorandum of understanding that the Obama and Romney campaigns negotiated with the Commission on Presidential Debates establishing the rules governing this month's presidential and vice presidential face-offs. The upshot: Both campaigns are terrified at anything even remotely spontaneous happening.
They aren't permitted to ask each other questions, propose pledges to each other, or walk outside a "predesignated area." And for the town-hall-style debate tomorrow night, the audience members posing questions aren't allowed to ask follow-ups (their mics will be cut off as soon as they get their questions out). Nor will moderator Candy Crowley.

Most bizarrely, given the way the debates have played out, the rules actually appear to forbid television coverage from showing reaction shots of the candidates: "To the best of the Commission's abilities, there will be no TV cut-aways to any candidate who is not responding to a question while another candidate is answering a question or to a candidate who is not giving a closing statement while another candidate is doing so." The "best of the Commission's abilities" must be rather feeble, seeing as how almost every moment of the two debates so far was televised in split-screen, clearly showing shots of a "candidate who is not responding to a question while another candidate is answering a question."

Which means some of the rules below that both campaigns stipulated to in a desperate attempt to wring any serendipity out of the events may be honored in the breach:

"The candidates may not ask each other direct questions during any of the four debates."
"The candidates shall not address each other with proposed pledges."
"At no time during the October 3 First Presidential debate shall either candidate move from his designated area behing the respective podium."
For the October 16 town-hall-style debate, "the moderator will not ask follow-up questions or comment on either the questions asked by the audience or the answers of the candidates during the debate...."
"The audience members shall not ask follow-up questions or otherwise participate in the extended discussion, and the audience member's microphone shall be turned off after he or she completes asking the questions."
"[T]he Commission shall take appropriate steps to cut-off the microphone of any...audience member who attempts to pose any question or statement different than that previously posed to the moderator for review."
"No candidate may reference or cite any specific individual sitting in a debate audience (other than family members) at any time during a debate."
For the town-hall debate: "Each candidate may move about in a pre-designated area, as proposed by the Commission and approved by each campaign, and may not leave that area while the debate is underway."


Are you kidding me? These rules are ridiculous. Why not just run a series of campaign ads for each candidate? All we're going to get is rehearsed lines. This will be worse than the first two.

http://gawker.com/5951977/leaked-deb...veling-cowards
CJ7's Avatar
  • CJ7
  • 10-16-2012, 01:01 PM
what, this wasnt another Obama lied thread?

the Geritol must have kicked in ...............
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
I don't have time to post all of Obama's lies. This one is about the debate, if you can stay on topic for once. I understand that with your comprehension disability, that may be difficult, but do try, for once.
CJ7's Avatar
  • CJ7
  • 10-16-2012, 01:07 PM
what debate?
wellendowed1911's Avatar
COG the town hall debates is needed because it will catch the "gotcha" moment from each candidate because they will have to speak directly to the audience and will not have pre-pared information written down. During the first debate, I am pretty sure Romney had a list of things he was going to throw at Obama and he did a good job. I think Obama was ill-prepared because Mitt moved to the center. In this debate we will see the real characters of both characters and Obama has done well in the past at Town hall meeting debates.
markroxny's Avatar
what debate? Originally Posted by CJ7


Gotyour6's Avatar
You know, the debates with no teleprompters.

You can tell there isnt because someone has no fucking clue what they are talking about and the other isnt the president yet.
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
I think CBJ7 finally got one right. What debate? It doesn't matter what the questions are, the candidates will have their rehearsed talking points. No follow ups are allowed, so no one can say, "But Mr. Candidate, what about this?" or "Mr. Candidate, you didn't answer the question."

Nobody will screw up. No one will be challenged. Just the way the candidates want it. Both will win the debate, and we will lose.
markroxny's Avatar
Some of you might need a little refresher course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f4xWorprhM
You mean the pre-arranged meeting between two puppets who probably already know who'll be inaugurated next year as their masters have already designated who wins and what they will do. I think I'd rather do something productive with my time, like perhaps watching paint dry.
I wouldn't rather watch paint dry.....but, I would rather watch the ALCS. Go Tigers!
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
Tigers! You're even on the wrong side in the ALCS, Timmy! The Yankees are coming back!
Guest123018-4's Avatar
If the dude from the Rent Is Too Damn High party isn't in it then it aint worth watching.
Tigers! You're even on the wrong side in the ALCS, Timmy! The Yankees are coming back! Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy
Sorry, but whatever chance the Yankees had this year was helped off the field in game 1 with a broken ankle.

Tune in and watch Verlander mow the Yankees down tonight. After that, it's a sweep or a 4-1 series win for Detroit.
If the dude from the Rent Is Too Damn High party isn't in it then it aint worth watching. Originally Posted by The2Dogs
LOL...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4o-TeMHys0