CPD: Crowley shouldn't reinterpret questions

politico ^ | 10/15/12 | DYLAN BYERS

[ColdOne]

The Commission on Presidential Debates does not want Candy Crowley, the debate moderator, to reinterpret audience members' questions -- a small but important point in this ongoing debate over what role the moderator is meant to play in the townhall-format debate.

"Our only issue is that the citizen questioners get their chance to pose the question without reinterpretation from the moderator," CPD co-chairman Mike McCurry tells TechPresident's

[pepsi_junkie]

Candy Crowley keeps flapping her gums about how she gets a chance to put her own spin on things. Nobody wants that (except probably Obama because she’s sympathetic to him). Nobody. Now even the debate commission feels compelled to tell her to shut up about making the debate about her.

[Viennacon]

Bitter queen extraordinaire, Shepherd Smith, was just saying how “fair and lovely” Candy Crowley is. I almost spat my Pepsi all over the T.V. He then went on to claim there was no bias in the media at all.

Shep, your punchability factor just went above and beyond even Comrade Commie Crowley.

[GCC Catholic]

Is the CPD willing to pull her before the debate? During the debate if she is unable to restrain herself?

Sounds like they aren't... shame on them.

[ully2]

When your are of a particular bent in the NY/DC bubble its hard to see whats fair and whats not. It’s the same thing as having dozens of parrots in an echo chamber, they all say and hear the same thing so they see nothing wrong.

[jeffc]

I would at least consider this as the CPD putting Crowley on notice that they do not like what she said about injecting herself into the debate by asking followup questions - the “X,Y,X” stuff. I wonder what was said via private email and/or phone calls.......

[Viennacon]

Queen Smith is definitely of a particular bent

[Truth29]

Yeah, or what? Candy Crowley will do what she and Obama want and if the results are pleasing the CPD will shut up.

[rawhide]

The CPD needs to have an alternate moderator available during the debate to immediately replace Crowley if she goes outside the signed aggreement the candidates and the CPD have put in place. Let her know she is under supervision, before and during the debate. Tell her the CPD will not tolerate any disobedient from her!

[jrg]

If Romney would show up with about 5 dozen dough-nuts, she’d be too busy stuffing her fat face to even ask a question.

[Da Bilge Troll]

This entire debate structure needs to be trashed. When a TV network televises an NFL game, do the refs work for the network???

A debate should be a complete package, negotiated by the parties themselves, and presented as a package for the TV networks to bid on with the proceeds split evenly.

[chiefqc]

I,m somewhat surprised that it took so long before the mac daddy administration got caught in another cheating act.

[jessduntno]

“This entire debate structure needs to be trashed. When a TV network televises an NFL game, do the refs work for the network???”

Heh heh heh .. ever hear a Celtics game when Johnny Most was alive? That’s what this is like ... she’s so far in the taknk for BO it’ll be hard to understand her for the echo...

[chriscraft]

Romney can inoculate himself early on by asking Crowley if she still feels his choice of Paul Ryan was a death wish ? .......this will both expose her bias to the viewers and put her on notice for the remaining portion of the debate.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

They should ignore her help and give her a good dressing down (figuratively of course).

[b4its2late]

Agreed

[showme_the_Glory]

Now Candy, you can’t be a participant for Obama, wink wink.

[justlurking]

I agree. It should be a real debate, not a series of rehearsed speeches.

• The candidates submit 5 topics or even questions they would like to discuss.

• During the debate, the moderator alternates with one question from candidate 1, and the next with candidate 2, and alternate. The first candidate is chosen with a coin toss.

• The moderator opens the discussion with the topic or question. The candidate submitting the question gets a 4 minute opening statement. The opposing candidate gets a 4 minute rebuttal. The submitting candidate gets a 2 minute final rebuttal.

• If there is a duplicate topic/question, then it gets 20 minutes -- leading off with one candidate: 4-4-2, then with the other: 4-4-2. If both candidates want to talk about it, then it deserves more discussion.

• The only purpose of the moderator is to open the discussion, and maintain time. A light or card system will be used to notify the speaker when 60 seconds, and 30 seconds are remaining.

• There will be no interruptions by either candidate. Any interruption will result in forfeit of the candidate's next rebuttal, and that time will be awarded to the current speaker for use at their discretion.

• When one speaker is speaking, the other candidate will be OFF SCREEN. No split screens. The other candidate can do whatever he wants, but any attempt to distract the speaking candidate will be deemed an interruption.

• Each candidate will have the opportunity to make a 4-minute closing statement. The first candidate will be the loser of the coin toss.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I wonder what was said via private email and/or phone calls.......

"If you push this too far Romney's liable to pull out and we won't have a show. And if that happens we've lost our shot at starting an Obama Comeback narrative.

[Uncle Miltie]

“With all due respect, Ms. Crowley, I will answer the good gentleman’s question directly.”

That oughta take the b*tch down.