LAT: You Can Rule Out Spontaneity in Debates (nitpicky rules)

[DeepModem Mom]

THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
You Can Rule Out Spontaneity in the Debates
The candidates' 32-page agreement of do's and don'ts includes no give and take, among other things. Analysts say the exchange will suffer.

By Matea Gold, Times Staff Writer


Voters tuning in to the first 2004 presidential debate Thursday may be expecting a freewheeling give-and-take between the candidates, but the occasion will actually be one of the most carefully structured events of the campaign.

The rules for the three presidential debates were negotiated between representatives of Sen. John F. Kerry and President Bush in a 32-page memorandum of understanding, and they leave little room for spontaneity.

They specify, among other things, that the candidates cannot pose questions directly to each other and that the moderators must use specific language when cutting off long-winded answers.

The two campaigns haggled over the temperature of the room, how far the men could wander from their lecterns and how a colored light would alert them if they went over their allotted time. The candidates can bring paper and pens or pencils, but all of the items must be submitted ahead of time so they can be placed on the lecterns, each of which will be constructed and placed to Kerry-Bush specifications.

Though past campaigns have made similar agreements, the 2004 debate rules between Kerry and Bush are the most detailed and far-reaching of any election, and have rankled political observers who say the candidates are attempting to control media coverage....


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-na-rules29sep29,1,2641090.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[dArKeR]

1. Is it Rocket Science?

1. aWol can do nothing but read from a teleprompter or a prepared speech.
2. aWol is unable to answer questions at a news conference.

Kerry should point this out.

A. Kerry directly says, "I doubt these words and ideas you read are your own. I will no longer read speeches. I will just speak at campaign events and I challenge aWol to do so too."

B. Kerry should makes some jokes too. "The first President who must be given the questions before the "test" (news conference). Is that an example for our children to follow?" (Even if this only happened once, it doesn't matter we just want to get the facts out."

C. Kerry should point out that aWol is nothing without reading what others have told him to read.

D. Kerry should attack the Press in some manner. Make a first strike against the Press so that they are not able to smear him. I'm not sure how to do this.

E. When asked or it comes up about Kerry's "eliteness" or "family history" Kerry should say, "At least my family wasn't censured for Trading with the Enemy." Or "No one in my family was involved in a criminal case."

F. Kerry, "At least I could take the boat out by myself." Refering to aWol never able/qualified to fly solo!

[natrat]

2. i heard cnn

will pick the questions which means idiot will surely "somehow" know what they are beforehand