Presidential debate formats announced

Barack Obama and John McCain participate in a presidential debate at Hofstra University on October 15, 2008 in Hempstead, New York.

/ GARY HERSHORN/AFP/Getty Images

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the formats of this fall's presidential and vice presidential debates.

The first presidential debate, on Oct. 3 at the University of Denver, will focus solely on domestic issues. The debate will consist of six 15-minute segments with questions selected by the moderator. Each candidate will get two minutes to respond to each question and the remainder of each segment will be a discussion of a specific issue. The third and final presidential debate will take place Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., and will focus on foreign policy. The format will be identical to the first domestic policy debate.

The second presidential debate on Oct. 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., will be a town meeting-style format in which undecided voters, selected by the Gallup Organization, will ask the candidates questions.

The vice presidential debate, covering both domestic and foreign topics, will take place Oct. 11, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. The debate will consist of nine 10-minute segments and the format will be similar to the first and third presidential debates.

Each debate will be 90 minutes.

Moderators will be announced by the commission in August. In 2008, PBS' Jim Lehrer, CBS News' Bob Schieffer and NBC News' Tom Brokaw moderated the presidential debates, and PBS' Gwen Ifill moderated the vice presidential debate.

[dlefevre23]

Will the debates *dare* to ask questions about such things as corporate personhood, money as speech, and Citizens United? Probably not, and this is precisely why you don't want corporate entities to control debates. Once again we're going to have a meaningless set of debates. What a waste.

[ocman_nguyen]

I want the debates about:
1) economy and job growths:
2) tax and deficit: can't run up $1 trillion a year forever
3) health care: repeal, repeal and replace with what?
4) energy policy:
5) China and its aggression in SE Asia
http://wp.me/p28mLX-cf

[nygurl1]

China? What about N.Korea? The reps want to start a war with Iran & N.Korea! They said so in their debates!

That is the only thing they can think of to produce jobs!.....
Cannon fodder of another generation and giving their keepers the contracts to provide minimum needs to the soldiers, like they did with IRAQ!

[ocman_nguyen]

I want the debates about:
1) economy and job growths:
2) tax and deficit: can't run up $1 trillion a year forever
3) health care: repeal, repeal and replace with what?
4) energy policy:
5) China and its aggression in SE Asia
http://wp.me/p28mLX-cf

[CBSDebbie]

After the 20+ GOP debates I know what Romney's foreign, domestic, and economic policies are. Obama has now been President for 3+ years so we know what his policies are. Really this is just air time for the media to continue the circus.

[OhSure]

Which Romney policies? He has about sixteen different positions on every issue.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Don't bother t hold y Presidential Debates.

We have heard (ad nauseam) for the last 3 1/2 years enough BS to last us for the rest of our lives.

They have to have said it all by now, and I cant tolerate one more lie coming out of their mouths.!!