Groups Push Candidates To Change Rules For Final Debate

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Debates

The Open Debate Coalition, an umbrella organization that includes the heads of MoveOn, Wikipedia, Craigslist and other groups, sent a letter today pushing Barack Obama and John McCain to change the rules for the final presidential debate, Politico reports.

This week's second presidential debate was widely criticized, with some going so far as to call it the worst ever. Among the Open Debate Coalition's requests is that "that the debate moderator has broad discretion to ask follow-up questions after a candidate's answer, so the public can be fully informed about specific positions," and that debate questions submitted and selected by the public be posed.

"The signers of this letter don't agree on every political issue," writes the group. "But we do agree that in order for Americans to make the best decision for president, we need open debates that are 'of the people' in the ways described above. You have the power to make that happen, and we ask you to do so."

Full letter, via Politico, below.

Dear Senator McCain and Senator Obama,

Thank you for your recent letters affirming our coalition's open debate principles, designed to make this year's presidential debates more "of the people" than ever before. As we approach the final debate on October 15, we ask you to proactively implement such principles right away.

The closed nature of the recent debates has been universally criticized. The editors of Politico wrote, "The presidential debate commission's rules are a scandal" resulting in "a format designed to limit improvisation, intellectual engagement, and truth-telling." 83% of Obama supporters and 75% of McCain supporters agree that tough follow-up questions were lacking. Even Saturday Night Live spoofed the lack of follow-up questions in the debates, and the watered-down "town hall" questions chosen.

Therefore, we ask you to jointly announce the following in advance of the October 15 debate:

1) That the debate moderator has broad discretion to ask follow-up questions after a candidate's answer, so the public can be fully informed about specific positions.

2) That after a "town hall" debate full of questions handpicked by the moderator, none of which were outside-the-box, you will allow Bob Schieffer to ask some Internet questions voted on by the public in the fashion outlined in our previous letter – which you agreed to. Existing technology will make this easy.

3) That, as a stipulation of the next debate, the media pool must release all 2008 debate footage into the public domain – as you agreed would be in the public interest. CNN, ABC, and NBC agreed to release video rights during the primary, and CBS agreed more recently. But Fox threatened Senator McCain for using a debate clip during the primary, and NBC invoked copyright law against Senator Obama to stifle political speech recently. The public deserves to know debate video can be reused without fear of breaking the law.

4) That you agree to work with the Open Debate Coalition after the election to reform or create an alternative to the Commission on Presidential Debates, so that the debate process is transparent and accountable to the public. Despite both of your agreement with the open debate principles, the Commission did nothing to implement them – or even to engage in dialogue about potential implementation. Also, the "31-page memo of understanding" with debate rules is nowhere on the Commission's website, and has not been turned over despite requests.

The signers of this letter don't agree on every political issue. But we do agree that in order for Americans to make the best decision for president, we need open debates that are "of the people" in the ways described above. You have the power to make that happen, and we ask you to do so.

Thank you for your willingness to take these ideas to heart. If you have any questions, please contact: OpenDebateCoalition@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Lawrence Lessig; Professor, Stanford Law School, Founder, Center for Internet and Society

Ellen Miller; Executive Director, Sunlight Foundation

Craig Newmark; Founder, Craigslist

Jimmy Wales; Founder, Wikipedia

Aaron Swartz; Founder, Reddit

Patrick Ruffini; Republican consultant, former Republican National Committee eCampaign Director, and a blogger at TheNextRight.com

Mindy Finn; Republican strategist, former Mitt Romney Online Director, and a blogger at TheNextRight.com

Eli Pariser; Executive Director, MoveOn.org Political Action

Adam Green; Director of Strategic Campaigns, MoveOn.org Political Action

Arianna Huffington; Founder, HuffingtonPost.com

Markos Moulitsas; Founder, DailyKos.com

Roger L. Simon, CEO, Pajamas Media

Eric Burns; President, Media Matters for America

K. Daniel Glover, Executive Producer, Media Research Center's Eyeblast.tv, and of AirCongress

Jon Henke; New media consultant (including for Fred Thompson, George Allen, Senate Republican Caucus) and a blogger at TheNextRight.com

Matt Stoller; Founder/Editor, OpenLeft.com

James Rucker; Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org

Andrew Rasiej; Personal Democracy Forum and TechPresident.com

Micah Sifry; Personal Democracy Forum and TechPresident.com

Bill Mitchell; Professor, MIT

Josh Silver; Executive Director, Free Press

Carl Malamud; Founder, Public.Resource.Org

Clay Johnson; Director, Sunlight Labs

Robert Greenwald; President, BraveNewFilms

Kim Gandy; President, National Organization for Women

Roger Hickey; Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future

Billy Hallowell, Director of Content, VoterWatch

David Colarusso; Founder, communityCOUNTS.us

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

33 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 33 Comments


by markmn29 October 13, 2008 2:35 AM EDT: I can''t see how the McCain camp could even think of a town hall meeting for a debate. McCain looked like he had 1 leg in the coffin at the last debate. What an old awkward looking man trying to walk around the stage stiff, unstable and hanging his head. He has really aged in the last few months. I have always respected McCain but he has really showed his age both physically and mentally the past several months. For the sake of the McCain campaign they better put him behind a podium.; Reply to this comment


by greenfun October 13, 2008 2:11 AM EDT: It is interesting that any Democrat could support BO after learning that he gave 800 grand to ACORN in the primaries-not a rumor, a fact. Initially he tried to hide it by saying he paid them for lighting and staging ( which would be 10 grand by the way ) so then he finally had to cop to it. After witnessing the fraud and thuggery that transpired in TX firsthand, I knew it had to be BO and ACORN-I had heard of the money he paid them long before MSM bothered to report it. Now, his campaign donations are being investigated. We thought, wow-how can anyone raise more money than any other candidate in history? Illegally, that''s how. I went to the Center for Responsive Politics and within 1/2 an hour I found 3 people who had donated over the max-without refunds. I am one person. That doesn''t even begin to touch his overseas contributions and his relationship with Odinga. He is the dirtiest politician I have seen in a long time. I am a Dem and campaigned for Gore and Kerry.; Reply to this comment


by logansprings October 13, 2008 1:48 AM EDT: Asking for a change to more of a "town hall" type debate is a waste of time. John McCain has been trying to get Obama to debate in that format from the beginning. Doing so would not allow Obama to perform on a scripted basis which is where he does the best. Actually having Obama comment on issues often results in gaffes and misrepresentation of fact concerning his positions.; Reply to this comment


by miles1967-2009 October 13, 2008 12:49 AM EDT: To read about the REAL John McCain, check out the below link:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

To read about the REAL Sarah Palin, check out the below link:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin; Reply to this comment


by babooph October 12, 2008 10:57 PM EDT: The rules already changed -when idiot Quayle was asked a question he was not given the answer to prior to the debate[must have been how he got through school?]; Reply to this comment


by redfromla October 12, 2008 9:37 PM EDT: rw7b

What I see there is whenever Republicans hold the Presidency for more than 4 years a depression follows it. Check the facts out.; Reply to this comment


by rw7b October 12, 2008 7:53 PM EDT: Now to break the last two dozen Presidental elections down for you, half of them are Republicans, the other, Democrats.
2005-2009: Republican
2001-2005: Republican
1997-2001: Democrat
1993-1997: Democrat
1989-1993: Republican
1985-1989: Republican
1981-1985: Republican
1977-1981: Democrat
1973-1974: Republican 1974-1977: Republican
1969-1973: Republican
1965-1969: Democrat
1961-1963: Democrat 1963-1965: Donkey
1957-1961: Republican
1953-1957: Republican
1949-1953: Democrat
1945-1949: Democrat
1941-1945: Democrat
1937-1941: Democrat
1933-1937: Democrat
1929-1933: Republican
1925-1929: Republican
1921-1923: Republican 1923-1925: Republican
1917-1921: Democrat
1913-1917: Democrat
Now, why is a certain group people still stuck on the same two parties, I believe we all need a new party in the White House. Having the same last two parties has just gotten too old -- just by looking at their campaign ads, them two just can''t get along together. All campaigning and all campaign ads should be illegalized.; Reply to this comment


by redfromla October 12, 2008 4:39 AM EDT: Yes, greenfun, they are running the playbook he has prepared for them and they are still SO CLUELESS about it.; Reply to this comment