For many voters, political debates are the only opportunity to hear candidates speak directly to them. During these events, presidential candidates rely on well-crafted messages to enliven their platforms and to mobilize their base, often in the form of sound bites or rhetorical devices that can linger long after the debate ends.
In addition to the audienc, political candidates and their surrogates spend considerable time preparing for debates by identifying key themes that they want to emphasize in their responses. They also seek to avoid negative statements that could derail their efforts to advance their agendas or damage their chances of winning.
Nevertheless, debates are not without controversy. The way that the CPD selects moderators and the questions to be asked is one such source of conflict. The CPD requires that moderators have extensive experience in live TV news and sets criteria for their selection that the campaigns cannot influence. The CPD also decides to limit the topics that will be addressed in the debate and the length of each topic, preventing candidates from spending too much time on their rivals’ positions.
The cost and complexity of hosting a debate are another point of contention. Debate sites require special buildings or retrofitted spaces that support not only the debate hall itself but spin alleys, candidate holding rooms, surrogate viewing areas, staff work centers and ticket distribution. Streets must be closed and transportation systems developed to bring Secret Service motorcades, thousands of audience members and campaigns’ staffs to the site.
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