Is there any way we could get the presidential debates format changed?

[trotsky]

Yes, Kerry kicked ass in all three debates. He did so despite having one hand tied behind his back by the stupid rules & lights.

I think he would have smacked Junior even harder, AND - more importantly - been able to connect with voters better, had it been more of a loose back-and-forth. Or if the candidates would just sit down for an hour and ask each other questions.

Kerry & Edwards could have both freelanced into the areas that a lot of voters didn't get to see about them - like Kerry's record of fighting corporate crime, or Edwards' record of taking legitimate cases and fighting for the little guy.

The Commission on Presidential Debates is supposed to be a bi-partisan/non-partisan deal. Well OK it's bi-partisan because of their unwillingness to allow third parties to participate. But you would think this is something that would help people on their decision to vote, wouldn't you? Now that the Republicans' dunce can't run again, maybe they would buy into an intelligent and dynamic debate format?

[crispini]

1. We need to somehow get it out from the claws of

the Commission on Presidential Debates. We need to get it back into the LWV sponsorship.

[trotsky]

2. I didn't know it ever was!

How long ago did the CPD take over? LWV does phenomenal things at the local level.

[crispini]

8. I believe that this was the first year under CPD.

Or maybe it was 2000.

I agree, LWV are great. I went to my first local meeting last month and they totally have their heads on straight with regards to BBV.

[Leilani]

4. Agree completely!

League of Women Voters, a neutral group.

This should be part of an election reform package.

[NYCGirl]

3. The rules and format were decided and negotiated by the campaigns. NT

[trotsky]

6. Dang, I forgot about that part.

In retrospect sticking to the "3 debates" point might have cost us some input in the structure of them.

2 debates, even if only in 1 of them Kerry was allowed to directly ask * questions, would have done far more damage to the trained monkey.

[AngryAmish]

5. Once and for all - thumb wrestling

Best of five.

If you want your candidate to have weak thumbs...

[tom_paine]

7. How the Kerry Campaign could have allowed the creepy Orwellian inflation

of Bunnypants* size is beyond me.

That one is right out of Orwell's and Stalin's (not to mention Hitler's, of course, those guys didn\'t have the techology to turn themselves into a 6'8" 280 lb. defensive end) Playbook.

The first debate was lamost humorous, as they didn't seem to) expand Bunnypnats' girth nor make him taller but merely adjusted the podium to make his head reach Kerry's.

The THIRD Debate, now THAT was insane. Bush was made TALLER than Kerry, and some of it was done by digitally exapnding the image so that Bunnypants* looked like a 6'8" 280 lb. monster who dwarfed skinny, short Kerry.

As they have undoubtedly since their Old Nemesis, the Old Republic of America, died in 2000, Hitler and Stalin must be smiling down in hell as Imperial Amerika shows itself as morally bankrupt (but not yet as violent nor murderously oppressive...YET) as their countries.