Debate moderation is a thankless duty.
There is, nevertheless, value in entrusting human beings with the job of arbitrating conversation on a debate platform. They keep the discourse on track. They stimulate interaction among candidates when necessary but discourage it when not.
They seek clarity when a candidate replies to a direct question with a deluge of seemingly authoritative babble. Most crucially, they make their own decisions about when to intervene in the proceedings. That discretion frequently irritates political supporters of one or more candidates, but it generally makes the audience at home feel that the spectacle they just experienced was a worthwhile exercise.
CNN, the host of tonight’s debate, has limited the moderators’ discretion. The regulations that will govern Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s first meeting delegate control to robots. According to a helpful video with CNN anchors Phil Mattingly and Victor Blackwell explaining the rules for tonight’s debate, all candidates will be given the same amount of time to react to a moderator’s question.
When that time ends, their microphone will be turned off. If a detailed response takes more time, or if the candidates want to engage in a lengthy and enlightening direct debate with one another, that’s plainly difficult. The computer sets the terms.
These two famously outspoken politicians are very certain to have some unhappy brushes with that harsh machine tonight. Their supporters are likely to be dissatisfied with the extent to which their candidate was denied the opportunity to present his case or take the battle to his opponent. CNN will face a lot of criticism from debate viewers who come in tonight just for the entertainment factor; the rules are almost guaranteed to make tonight’s show less exciting than prior rounds. However, CNN will not deserve the criticism it will receive from dissatisfied political hobbyists. These were Joe Biden’s guidelines, which Donald Trump accepted in full.
These two well-known, outspoken politicians are almost guaranteed to have some unpleasant encounters with the harsh machine tonight. Their supporters are likely to be angry with how their candidate was denied the opportunity to convey his argument or confront his opponent.
CNN will face a lot of criticism from debate watchers who come in tonight just for the entertainment component, as the rules are almost certain to make today’s event less entertaining than previous rounds.
CNN, on the other hand, does not deserve the criticism it will face from disappointed political hobbyists. These were Joe Biden’s rules, which Donald Trump adopted wholeheartedly.
The president’s team insisted on holding the debate in a television studio with no crowd and automated microphone cutoffs. If this format is bothersome, blame Biden.
Oddly, Biden is the least likely to gain from his preferred arrangement. One of the president’s best moments in his first meeting with Donald Trump in 2020 came when he urged Trump to stop interrupting him—a demand that, at the time, mirrored the views of viewers at home.
Biden has lost the opportunity to relive that moment. Furthermore, by denying Trump an audience, Biden may have taken away the exhilarating energy of the crowd, on which Trump thrives, but he has also created an environment in which Trump may look less like a performer and more like a leader.
Joe Biden understands that he needs to change things up in the campaign. This is implied in the Biden campaign’s request for the first presidential debate in American election history. As a result, Biden must take the initiative tonight. To succeed tonight, Trump only needs to establish himself as a stable presence and a realistic alternative to Biden’s administration. It’s ironic that the current president’s preferred debate style may eventually help his opponent achieve his primary goal.
That’s why the debate rules are likely to irritate both partisans and persuadable voters. Trump will not have the opportunity to become a full-time president. Biden will be graciously denied the opportunity to be himself.
