Voices
tion, and Reagan’s strong performance gave Carter insufficient
time to regain his footing.
Presidential debaters ever since
have allowed themselves a generous window of opportunity in
which to overcome an unfavorable
showing. It is worth noting that
this year’s final debate on October
22 falls later than normal—one
week closer to Election Day than
the last debate of 2008.
A potential wrinkle on the
scheduling front: at least some
of the debates appear to conflict
with big-ticket sporting events.
The first debate on October 3
happens the same evening as Major League Baseball’s last day of
regular season play. The concluding debate on the 22nd coincides
with Monday night football—a
game in which Obama’s hometown Chicago Bears will take on
Romney’s hometown Detroit Lions. How many viewers are apt
to choose athletics over politics?
And might this help or hurt a
particular candidate?
And will the proposed debate
schedule actually go forward as
proposed, or can we expect the
campaigns to press for changes?
The sponsoring Commission on
Presidential Debates sets dates
ALAN
SCHROEDER
HUFFINGTON
08.12.12
and venues months in advance,
and so far neither the Obama nor
the Romney campaigns have officially signed on. But tampering
with the debate schedule carries
risks, because it suggests to voters that a candidate is balking, as
with George H.W. Bush in 1992
and George W. Bush eight years
later. With Obama and Romney
evenly matched in the polls, neither side stands to gain from a
protracted debateover-debates. After
all, these six hours of
These
television might just
six hours of
determine who wins
television
the 2012 presidential
might just
election.
determine
In 2008, just days
who wins
before his first debate the 2012
with Barack Obama,
presidential
John McCain called
election.”
for the event to be
postponed, dramatically citing the nation’s economic
crisis. When Obama responded
that he would attend the debate
as planned, with or without his
opponent, McCain got outfoxed.
Ultimately the Republican candidate showed up as originally
scheduled, but his ill-advised maneuver arguably lost the debate
for McCain before it even began.