[9YearLurker]

It would have been against the debate rules for Trump to have a copy of anything with him.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

It would have been against the debate rules for Trump to have a copy of anything with him.

. . . which is one more thing, IMHO, that is wrong with the format of the “debates.”

1. There should be no moderator.

2. Air time should be equalized between the two candidate by the simple expedient of letting the candidates control their microphones via a chess timer.

3. Not only should the candidates be allowed to have notes, they should have each have a laptop, both wired into a common web site - and each capable of putting Power Point graphics on the TV screen (provided that the chess timer is set to allow it).

4. The web site - perhaps two web sites, one constructed by each candidate - would be negotiated in advance, so that each had a fair chance to put up rebuttal graphics for the web site of the other.

5. Each candidate could, perhaps, have a second who could control the computer for him/her.

6. I am ambivalent about earpieces; exactly why would you not want the candidate to have access to such? The objective ought to be to have the clearest articulation of the platform on which the candidate is running. Most of the specified limitations of debates as we know them are designed to promote the possibility of a "gaffe.” Not to put a fine point on it, they are designed to promote the possibility of a gaffe by the Republican.