According to their website, the mission of the Commission on Presidential Debates "... was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners."
Under traditional debate circumstances, each opponent has a period of time during which to make and defend a statement. The other opponent has the same time and opportunity to do the same. Then each has a shorter rebuttal opportunity before the debate ends.
Anybody watching the 1st 2016 presidential debate, with any exposure to the concept of a debate, must be crying out in unison with me right now, asking "WTH was THAT?"
The moderation of our political debates has long been a languishing art, progressively worsening every 4 years. Microphones should be off for the person not speaking, the time should be prominently visible to the participants, a 30 second warning should proceed the end of their time, and the microphone should shut off when that time limit is reached. Digressing from the question or topic should be aggressively cut short by the moderator.
The debates are increasing becoming battle grounds with name calling and interruptions. Let's not allow the civility of public discourse to further descend into sensationalism.
Join me in my effort to petition the Commission and press for the adoption and enforcement of traditional debate guidelines and ethics.
