The core issue with presidential debates today is the role of the moderator. Instead of facilitating discussion, moderators seem determined to become protagonists, to the detriment of voters at home who expect a real clash of ideas.
My proposed solution is simple: scrap the moderator and revive the debate format that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas used during the 1858 Senate race.
While current debates are divided into six 15-minute segments, a Lincoln-Douglas debate would invite the first candidate to speak for 60 minutes, the second for 90, and then finally the first for 30. This ensures each candidate fully articulates their positions and critiques the other’s arguments without interruptions.
My proposed solution is simple: scrap the moderator and revive the debate format that Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas used during the 1858 Senate race.
While current debates are divided into six 15-minute segments, a Lincoln-Douglas debate would invite the first candidate to speak for 60 minutes, the second for 90, and then finally the first for 30. This ensures each candidate fully articulates their positions and critiques the other’s arguments without interruptions.
Make Presidential Debates Great Again
Biden and Trump have committed to two debates. Can we make sure they don’t just yell at each other?
www.thefp.com