The West is screwed again. U.S. commission schedules 2008 presidential debates

[stevedeshazer]

Reuters
Monday, November 19, 2007; 5:01 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top candidates for the White House should meet in three debates beginning on September 26, 2008, which would feature extended discussions and the chance to directly address each other, the panel sponsoring the debates recommended on Monday.

The first debate would be at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, with the second on October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and the third on October 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.

A debate between vice presidential contenders is scheduled for October 2, 2008, at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the Commission on Presidential Debates, which administers the general election encounters.

The schedule leading up to November 4 general election is similar to the debates in 2004 between Republican President George W. Bush and Democrat John Kerry. The final schedule and formats must be agreed to by the eventual nominees of each party and any participating third-party candidates.

Third-party candidates who average 15 percent support in polls will be invited to take part, the commission said.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111900943.html

---

Rigged again.

Westerners don't count.

The Louisiana Purchase happened in 1803. Helloooo, Pacific Northwest, California and the Southwest? Rocky Mountain states? Alaska, Hawaii, anyone?

I'm pissed.

:grr:

[msongs]

1. more importantly, WHO gets to decide the questions and subject matter... nt

[stevedeshazer]

2. Bingo.

This thing is so rigged, it dances in the air on corporate fairy wings.

[ruggerson]

3. Why the helll does the SOUTH get two out of the three debates?

Who put this together, the RNC?

[guidod]

4. Better yet....

...... Why doesn't the WEST get any?? It's like we don't even exist. Even on television, everything is advertised in EST.

[stevedeshazer]

5. It's these guys. Don't bother trying to get any actual information from their site, though.

http://www.debates.org/

[guidod]

8. Here's something interesting about the CPG.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4052162

[stevedeshazer]

9. Thanks

I knew most of that, couldn't find a link.

Much appreciated.

BTW, is the Connie Rice referenced there Condi's cousin?

[guidod]

12. Or.....

.... Her secret partner. :rofl:

[stevedeshazer]

13. I was serious, but hey...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_L._Rice

[guidod]

22. Thanks...

..I didn't know that. Sorry for clowning around. :-)

[nealmhughes]

20. Who is moderating? Larry the Cable Guy? Afraid that a rabid possum might attack a candidate?

I have no earthly idea why the SOUTH "gets" 2:3 debates. I didn't get the memeo.
Seems they would have split it up a bit more geographically since some yankees get tetchy when they get slighted.
Do you want traffic tied up in your town when they are there? As a longtime former New Yorker, my worst fear was always the "Head of States" conference at the UN and I was trying to get across from Fort Tryon to the Midtown Tunnel. Traffic across town was worse than the Turkish Day parade meeting the Greek Day Parade.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. I've been watching presidential debates

for over 30 years, and I can honestly say the location of the debate has never made one whit of difference to me.

[stevedeshazer]

7. You make a good point

It's always some beltway insider asking preapproved questions.

They may just as well be in a CNN or Fox studio.

My point is, each region has something to offer. There should be a bit of attention to regional issues.

[MonkeyFunk]

11. I wish there were a dozen presidential debates

not just three.

but given that there's so few, they are, of necessity, national debates.

[THUNDER HANDS]

10. NO WAY, HOFSTRA!!!!

that's awesome, that's my old school!!!

That's going to be so cool watching that.

[tritsofme]

14. Who cares?

What difference does the location make to the format or the line of questioning?

[stevedeshazer]

15. None.

You win.

I bow to your magnificence and charm and hope to be as wise and gracious some day.

[guidod]

23. People in the West....

:spank:

[LWolf]

16. "The Commission on Presidential Debates."

Is there some kind of law that says nobody can host a debate that isn't sanctioned by this group?

[ozone_man]

17. Third-party candidates who average 15 percent support

Well, that sounds democratic. That's one reason why we're a two party system. No others need apply. :eyes:

[tritsofme]

18. So where do you draw the line?

If you are not pulling in 15% by September of election year you are not a viable candidate, period.

All such candidates would do is waste time, which the campaigns ensure is in very short order to begin with.

[ozone_man]

19. I agree, there has to be a limit.

But I'm not sure if 15% is where it should be. Maybe 5% or 10%. Ross Perot got about 19% in 1992, which was probably the most for an independent that I know of. But without him, Clinton wouldn't have been elected and we would never have gotten to hear that "giant sucking sound" that is NAFTA. :)

My gripe is more toward the failure of our two corporate part system. We have a choice between Tweedle dee and tweedle dum. It's designed to stay that way. We need a parliamentary democracy. Something like that.

[depakid]

21. What we need is preferential voting

Similar to what Australia has- but the corporate kleptocracy would never allow that.

Thus, the US is condemned to a corrupt, dysfunctional system that cannot respond to the challenges of the 21st Century.

[Blue_In_AK]

24. Imagine if you were Alaska

where presidential contenders don't even bother to campaign. We don't even see ads up here for president after the primaries and before the general, that's the truth. In some ways it's nice not to be bothered with all that, but it would be refreshing if one of them acted like they gave a care about the 49th state.

ed. I guess I should give props to Mike Gravel for campaigning here this year, but he is an Alaskan so it's not surprising.