Do the candidates get the questions before the debates?

[napi21]

I heard all about formats, and when the debates were, and who the moderators were going to be, but noone has said anything about whether the questions will be given to the candidates before the debate. Do you know?

[NYCGirl]

1. Traditionally, no. (eom)

NT

[Comicstripper]

2. I sure hope not

[napi21]

5. I hope not too, but I thought I remembered some time in the past

some campaign wanted questions in advance. Maybe I have this confused with shrub saying "I wish you would have given me that question before the press conference".

I hope they don't too, but I question how shrub can possible handle random questions, on national tv, without screwing up.

He does a reasonable job of delivery when he gives a well rehearsed speech, but he falls apart when someone asks him a random unexpected one.

[molly]

3. I hope not - did they last election?

if not, * probably has a hidden microphone with Rove/Hughes on the other end.

[democrat_patriot]

4. * will get them ahead of time.

Rove will make sure of it. 10 + days to prepare.

No debate between candidates.

* will get questions about Barney, play-dough(sp?) and favorite color.

Kerry will get: Flip-flopper, medals...

[necso]

6. !

[Rambis]

7. Yes they did

They all got the questions before some of the debates. My favorite ones were when you saw bush bumbling like a clown trying to fit an answer he memorized into some sort of context that had anything remotely to do with he person's question. Do you support affrimative action, Shrub "I am against quotas" Person: Is affirmative action a quota? shrub I am against quotas" Person: Do you consider affirmative action a quota? Shrub I am against quotas, so if you are calling affirmative action a quota, I am against quotas" That was such stellar debate!

[democrat_patriot]

8. Heres the format info:

Format

The format for the debates, as announced on June 17, 2004, shall be as follows:

Each debate shall have a single moderator and last for 90 minutes.
In the first and third presidential debates and the vice presidential debate the candidates shall be seated with the moderator at a table.
The first presidential debate shall focus primarily on domestic policy and the third presidential debate shall focus primarily on foreign policy. The second presidential debate shall be held as a town meeting in which citizens will pose questions to the candidates. The vice presidential debate shall cover both foreign and domestic policy topics.
There shall be no opening statements; there shall be two-minute closing statements.
The order of questioning and closing statements shall be determined by coin toss.
The moderator's job in the first and third presidential debates and the vice presidential debate will be to introduce and change topics, to ensure that the participants have equal time, and to encourage some direct exchange among the candidates. The moderators will select all topics and questions.
In the second presidential debate, the town meeting participants will pose their questions to the candidates. The town meeting participants will review their questions with the moderator before the debate for the sole purpose of avoiding duplicate questions. The participants in the town meeting, to be chosen by the Gallup Organization, will be undecided voters from the St. Louis, Missouri, standard metropolitan statistical area.
The moderators will have discretion to ask follow-up questions in all debates.
Each debate shall take place before a live audience.

[caffefwee]

9. Not unless it's Brit Hume moderating

Anyone from FOX asking the questions should be suspect.