PRESS
RELEASE
from
the
Commission
on Presidential Debates
August 13, 2012 Contact: Janet H. Brown
For immediate release
COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES ANNOUNCES MODERATORS
WASHINGTON, D.C. ‐ Frank J.
Fahrenkopf, Jr. and Michael D. McCurry, co‐chairmen of the non‐partisan
Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), today announced the
moderators for the 2012 general election presidential and vice
presidential debates. The moderators, and the schedule and locations
for the debates (as announced on October 31, 2011), are as follows:
First presidential debate:
Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor of
the PBS NewsHour Wednesday, October 3, University of Denver, Denver, CO
Vice presidential debate:
Martha Raddatz, Senior Foreign
Affairs Correspondent, ABC News Thursday, October 11, Centre College,
Danville, KY
Second presidential debate
(town meeting):
Candy Crowley, Chief Political
Correspondent, CNN and Anchor, CNN’s State of the Union Tuesday,
October 16, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Third presidential debate:
Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington
Correspondent, CBS News and Moderator, Face the Nation Monday, October
22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL
Fahrenkopf and McCurry said that, “The new formats chosen for this
year’s debates are designed to focus big time blocks on major domestic
and foreign topics. These journalists bring extensive experience to the
job of moderating, and understand the importance of using the expanded
time periods to maximum benefit. We are grateful for their willingness
to moderate, and confident that the public will learn more about the
candidates and the issues as a result.”
Format
The format for the debates, announced on July 25, 2012, will be:
First presidential debate
The debate will focus on domestic policy and be divided into six time
segments of approximately 15 minutes each on topics to be selected by
the moderator and announced several weeks before the debate.
The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each
candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the
balance of the time in the segment for a discussion of the topic.
Vice presidential debate
The debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics and be divided
into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator
will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two
minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in
the segment for a discussion of the question.
Second presidential debate
The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in
which citizens will ask questions of the candidates on foreign and
domestic issues. Candidates each will have two minutes to respond, and
an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate a discussion. The
town meeting participants will be undecided voters selected by the
Gallup Organization.
Third presidential debate
The format for the debate will be identical to the first presidential
debate and will focus on foreign policy.
All debates will take place from 9:00‐10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. There
will be no opening statements and two‐minute closing statements in all
the debates. In all the debates except town meeting,
the CPD recommends that the candidates be seated at a table with the
moderator.
The CPD is undertaking an innovative internet‐based voter education
program that will encourage citizens to become familiar with the issues
to be discussed in the debates, and to share their input with the
debate moderators in advance of the debates. The program, which will be
announced later this month, will be led by a coalition of internet
leaders.
The CPD has sponsored and produced all the presidential and vice
presidential debates since 1987, the year it was established. For more
information, please visit
www.debates.org.
Co-chairmen
Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. Michael D. McCurry
Executive Director
Janet H. Brown |
Honorary
Co-chairmen
Gerald R. Ford†
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan†
William J. Clinton †Deceased |
Co-Chairman
Emeritus
Paul G. Kirk, Jr. |
Directors
Howard G. Buffett
John C. Danforth
John Griffen
Antonia Hernandez
Reverend John I. Jenkins |
Newton N. Minow
Richard D. Parsons
Dorothy Ridings
Alan K. Simpson |