September 30, 2004

UH-OH...:

POLITICS: DEBATE PANEL NIXES KERRY CAMPAIGN REQUEST (kfmb.com, 09-30-2004)

Democratic candidate John Kerry's campaign demanded Thursday that the lights signaling when a speaker's time has expired during debates with President Bush be removed from the lecterns because they are distracting, but the commission hosting the debates refused.

An angry exchange between representatives of the Kerry campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates took place just hours before the candidates were to meet at the University of Miami for the first of three debates, The Associated Press learned. Kerry's team threatened to remove the lights when they visit the debate site with Kerry later in the day.

"We'll bring a screwdriver," said a Kerry aide familiar with what several people called an angry exchange. The commission did not return a call seeking comment.


...sounds like the staff of thousands can't get Cicero to shorten his answers.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 30, 2004 3:03 PM
Comments

This is an easy issue to resolve: just have Jim Lehrer announce at the beginning which candidates have objected to what parts of the format, and also state that he will interrupt when one of the candidates violates the agreed-upon rules.

Posted by: jim hamlen at September 30, 2004 3:18 PM

jim:

John Kerry has nothing to lose though in violating rules like addressing or approaching George Bush and then launching into a "with Americans dying these petty rules just don't seem that important, blah, blah, blah..." spiel. Plus, you just know they think W will flinch in such a situation.

Posted by: oj at September 30, 2004 3:23 PM

I expect JKetchupKerry to cross the distance between the lecturns, so as to loom over Bush and get in his face over his "lies" about Iraq.

Posted by: AML at September 30, 2004 3:30 PM

I agree - Kerry may feel he has to do SOMETHING, but it won't be that. He may pull the shrapnel out of his hip on camera, but he won't march towards Bush. He would be laughed out of the race, and more to the point, he doesn't have the guts. Besides, Bush doesn't have to refer to the rules, all he has to do is remind John F. Kerry that he is a US Senator (who voted for the war), and he better start acting like one.

Posted by: jim hamlen at September 30, 2004 4:17 PM

Whoever on Team Bush demanded that the lights be in view of the television cameras is a genius. However, since the networks have all said they would use whatever camera angles they see fit, might we see some judicious close-ups, a la Elvis above the hips?

Posted by: brian at September 30, 2004 4:45 PM

When Kerry breaks the rules, Bush should just say something like, "So much for abiding by negotiated agreements. Just a sample of John Kerry's foreign policy in action."

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at September 30, 2004 6:30 PM
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