Get excited, everybody! The Commission on Presidential Debates (voted sexiest nonpartisan commission in 2007 by People magazine) came out with its list of what they’re doing this year to keep the televised sparring matches fresh and exciting for, let’s face it, easily bored viewers at home. Anything to hold our interest, right?
Gone is the traditional question/answer/rebuttal format. Now Obama and McCain will get two minutes to pander before they launch into a free-wheeling back-and-forth in which they can argue and address each other directly. This raises the truly awesome possibility of Obama whipping out a “Ladies, back me up here” when discussing women’s issues. Awesomeness.
By contrast, the McCain campaign requested a much more structured format for the debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Yes, but why? According to the New York Times, “McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.”
In response, the McCain campaign was aghast at the level of sexism the McCain campaign has displayed in suggesting that Gov. Palin cannot hold her own against Sen. Biden in the same open format the presidential nominees will be using. Just because she’s a lady? For shame. The McCain campaign also condemned the McCain’s campaign’s attack on Palin’s amount of experience.
Biden’s camp was totally all “Fine, whatever” about the new rules, once again displaying the unparalleled level of nonchalant indifference that really gets voters fired up.
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