A Decades-Long History Of Candidates Trying To ‘Rig’ Debates - Vocativ
Editorial Pick of the Day: Steve Horn
"A Decades-Long History Of Candidates Trying To ‘Rig’ Debates"
Candidates have always gamed the debate system to benefit themselves.
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Notable excerpts:
"Neuman described the agreement as a “closed-door masterpiece.” The
“Memorandum of Understanding” demanded control over the selection of
panelists and moderators. It banned follow-up and candidate-to-candidate
questions, mandated control over audience selection and even required
approval of the moderator’s script, to prevent a repeat of Walters’
scolding of the candidates. To avoid the controversy that had erupted
four years earlier, the panel selection process would also remain
completely secret. The candidates also compelled the sponsor to set up a
direct phone line from the candidates’ dressing rooms to the producer,
who was able to speak to the moderator through an earpiece."
The
debates were meant to educate voters on issues rather than images, but
they have always been a matter of appearances. Over the years, various
solutions have been proposed to return them to matters of substance,
usually by tackling public campaign financing. Rep. Timothy Penny tried
to have the Democracy in Presidential Debates Act passed in 1991, which
would have created a non-partisan entity to sponsor the debates with
fairer criteria for including third party candidates, and required all
candidates who receive primary matching funds to take part in at least
two debates. The bill went nowhere.
In today’s era, when
campaigns are bankrolled by hundreds of millions of private dollars,
it’s a toss-up as to whether such a law would even be effective."
