Presidential Debate Schedule Set for 2004

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Thursday four cities and two alternate sites for the 2004 debates, which are tentatively set for a two-week period beginning in late September.

The three debates between President Bush and his Democratic challenger will be held on college campuses in Miami, St. Louis and Tempe, Arizona, the commission announced.

The debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and the Democratic vice presidential candidate is set for Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, it said. The alternate sites are college campuses in Rochester, New York, and Columbia, South Carolina.

The first presidential debate is tentatively set for Sept. 30, followed by two others on Oct. 8 and Oct. 13. The vice presidential debate would be Oct. 5. ---

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[stevedeshazer]

1. And once again,

No plans for inclusion of other candidates from other parties.

[grasswire]

4. and ....

.....there's no recognition of the possibility that Bush might not be the nominee. That old aura of inevitability again.

[Ediacara]

5. also once again

massive non-representation of Western venues. I am actually shocked they're going to debate in Arizona, as that would break their "we never ever ever ever EVER allow debates west of the Mississippi" rule.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. yep

corporatized lobbyist-ridden republican/dino debate commmission gives us a sham of public discourse once again

give the debates back to the league of women voters!

[denverbill]

2. This is weird.

Since when has there been a commission that decides this? In the past, there was always a big tiff between parties about who/what/when/where and if there would be debates, the format, etc. It's hard to believe Rove would allow the moron-in-chief to be shoved into the unscripted spotlight, so I wonder what the Democrats had to give to get Bush in? Does Bush get to invite the audience and select the questions or what?

[stevedeshazer]

6. Since the eighties

<snip>
The Commission on Presidential Debates was established in 1987 to ensure that debates, as a permanent part of every general election, provide the best possible information to viewers and listeners. Its primary purpose is to sponsor and produce debates for the United States leading presidential and vice presidential candidates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation, sponsored all the general election debates in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000.

http://www.debates.org/

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. were there only 3 debates last time?

it seems that having all of them in late-Sept.
limits any drop-off in Bush support that might ensue.

[salin]

7. WAIT a second... something smells...

aren't the debates - terms, numbers, etc usually wrangled through the presidential campaigns? So the bush folks can wrangle and the democratic candidate can't because it is preset so early? I could be wrong, but I remember a great deal of negotiations going on about the debates with the Bush camp (that is - AFTER HE HAD THE NOMINATION). So you can bet that the Bush camp has been involved in this... but with NO democratic candidate?

Is this usual?

[NWHarkness]

8. There is nothing fishy here

As Stevie D pointed out, the Commission has served this role since the 80s. The candidates don't have to accept the schedule, and there is usually some dickering about dates and formats, but this is just the usual procedure. No Repug conspiracy here.

[salin]

9. Do they always do the schedule so far in advance?

that is the issue, for me.