By Susan Duclos
Debates.org has released the formats, dates and named the moderators for the three scheduled presidential debates and the one vice presidential debate.
Via Debates.org:
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. and
Michael D. McCurry, co-chairmen of the non-partisan Commission on
Presidential Debates (CPD), today announced the moderators for the 2012
general election presidential and vice presidential debates. The
moderators, and the schedule and locations for the debates (as announced
on October 31, 2011), are as follows:
First presidential debate:
Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor of the PBS NewsHour
Wednesday, October 3, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Vice presidential debate:
Martha Raddatz, Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
Thursday, October 11, Centre College, Danville, KY
Second presidential debate (town meeting):
Candy Crowley, Chief Political Correspondent, CNN and Anchor, CNN's State of the Union
Tuesday, October 16, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Third presidential debate:
Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News and Moderator, Face the Nation
Monday, October 22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL
[...]
Format
The format for the debates, announced on July 25, 2012, will be:
First presidential debate
The debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time
segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by
the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate.
The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which
each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use
the balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.
Vice presidential debate
The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided
into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The
moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will
have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the
time in the segment for a discussion of the question.
Second presidential debate
The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting,
in which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and
domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and
an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The
town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the
Gallup Organization.
Third presidential debate
The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential debate and will focus on foreign policy.
All debates will take place from 9:00-10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There
will be no opening statements and two-minute closing statements in all
the debates. In all the debates except town meeting, the CPD
recommends that the candidates be seated at a table with the moderator.
The CPD is undertaking an innovative internet-based voter education
program that will encourage citizens to become familiar with the issues
to be discussed in the debates, and to share their input with the debate
moderators in advance of the debates. The program, which will be
announced later this month, will be led by a coalition of internet
leaders.
The CPD has sponsored and produced all the presidential and vice
presidential debates since 1987, the year it was established. For more
information, please visit www.debates.org.
H/T IOwnTheWorld
