Presidential Debates - will have three different moderators

[jean]

Lehrer to Get Help in Moderating Debates

Lehrer had conducted all three presidential debates between Al Gore (news - web sites) and George W. Bush in 2000 and the same series in 1996 between Bill Clinton (news - web sites) and Bob Dole. During the first two debates in 2000, Lehrer was responsible for all the questions, which were criticized for feeding into the candidates' preprogrammed responses and being too philosophical and open-ended.

snip

This year, Lehrer will moderate the first debate between President Bush (news - web sites) and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites), scheduled for Sept. 30.


Gibson, co-anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America," will host the second debate, tentatively set for Oct. 8. Schieffer, CBS's chief Washington correspondent and moderator of "Face the Nation," will lead the third debate, slated for on Oct. 13.

[Terran]

1. interesting--Charlie Gibson

I watched "Good Morning America" a lot in the Am after I started boycotting CNN, and he surprised me once in a while with his blunt confrontational questions directed at right-wingers and admin hacks. Naturall the format of GMA forced him to do a lot of fluff as well, but I think might be a good choice.

Dirk

[ProfessorPlum]

2. At least they didn't get

that horrible whore Russert.

[MidwestTransplant]

3. Why not Brit Hume?

JUST KIDDING!

[nycmjkfan]

6. Brit couldn't make it...

He will be skydiving with Barbara Bush that day!

[flordehinojos]

4. Schieffer is a Texan solidly in Bush's pocket, and so is Lehrer.

They both kiss Bush's derriere. Don't know much about Charles Gibson other than once upon a time many years ago I heard him say that it was okay for a law enforcement official to kick some illegal alien in the stomach, because after all, "pursuing the alien probably pumped up the officer's adrenalin". With a statement like that coming out of Gibson's mouth (and, ALSO, I believe he was on the side of keeping ELIAN GONZALEZ in this country) I CANNOT TRUST THE GIBSON GUY EITHER.

KERRY IS DONE ... ALL THREE MODERATORS WILL TILT THE ENTIRE DEBATE TOWARDS BUSH'S FAVOR.

:cry:

[Benhurst]

5. I'm afraid you are right. Plus the mediawhores will be playing

up Bush*'s surprising "victories" over Kerry in the debates.

[Lefty48197]

8. Gosh, I guess it's over. Four more years. I'll have to get used to it.

.

[flordehinojos]

13. Sounds bleak, doesn't it? but they say one should always hold on to hope!

:)

[Julien Sorel]

9. Scheiffer wrote a book critical of Reagan.

He's an old school journalist (started out in print before selling out to TV), and that strongly suggests he has some integrity -- I seriously doubt he's going to try to throw anything in anyone's direction.

[flordehinojos]

12. I believed in Schieffer's integrity until I heard him bashing Clinton

on Larry King Live one time, over what seemed to me no objective point of view but some puritannical held belief of his. That is why I have little confidence on his objectivity during the upcoming debates.
O8)

[AP]

7. What are the chances that Arundathi Roy or someone like that could

moderate?

Ok, nil.

But how bout someone who isn't part of the mediatocracy.

[flordehinojos]

10. Yes! Arundathi Roy. I toast to that!

Arundathi Roy :toast: Gore Vidal and Maya Angelou or Toni Morrison.

The nation would then get to hear a REAL debate!

IS THERE ANY ONE ORGANIZATION THAT WE THE PEOPLE CAN PETITION FOR SUCH A PANEL!

[AP]

11. National Book Sellers Whatever. And they should hold the even at a public

university.

[flordehinojos]

14. Way to Go!

:)

[volosong]

15. Lehrer & The First Debate

If Clinton was able to survive Lehrer, I imagine Kerry should do as well.

As you know the first debate is usually the most critical. At least in 1960, that is what gave JFK a huge boost.

[jean]

16. Welcome volosong! I've heard Kerry has been an excellent

debater, even from his early teen years. I bet he looks forward to this.

The variables in all of these debates - bush and the moderators - have probably been dissected and examined to their smallest details by our people. If not, they're doing it as we speak.

:hi:

[flordehinojos]

17. I remember in the Gore-Bush debate when Bush turned to Lehrer

and said Gore "is judging my heart" or something very similar to that.
Gore was not judging Bush's heart. Gore was challenging Bush to answer a question. Bush did not want to answer it, or worse yet did not know the answer to it and he turned to Lehrer and said Gore "is judging my heart". LEHRER then admonished Gore and changed the question. If that is not Bush ass kissing I don't what is. I think (I am afraid that) the problem with that is that too many people might get suckered in by such a manneuver if it were to happen a second time. Even if when Kerry were to manage to out manneuver Bush and Lehrer brilliantly. These days this nation is navegating on emotional buttons rather than thinking brains!