The Debate Commission Adopts New Rules, Will Mute Microphones At Second Presidential Debate
The Commission on Presidential Debates will aim to bring "additional structure" to the next debate.
According to multiple reports, the commission announced a new rule that will allow each candidate two minutes of uninterrupted time to answer the question presented in each segment.
to the format of the remaining debates in order to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues
Anyone who watched the first debate remembers how chaotic things got between both candidates and the moderator, Chris Wallace. This is something that the commission acknowledged in their statement, saying that their organization
has considered the opinion of many who expressed concern that the debate fell short of expectations, depriving voters of the opportunity to be informed of the candidates' positions on the issues. The Commission is announcing today that in order to enforce this agreed upon rule, the only candidate whose microphone will be open during these two-minute periods is the candidate who has the floor under the rules
The second presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden is slated to take place this Thursday, October 22 in Nashville. According to The Washington Post, "interjections by Trump accounted for more than 75% of interruptions" during the first presidential debate, interrupting both Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace "a total of at least 128 times."
As you can see in the statement above, the Commission on Presidential Debates believes this new rule to mute microphones will provide a better overall debate that will allow the American people to be better informed on where each candidate stands on the presented issues.
For the balance of each segment, which by design is intended to be dedicated to open discussion, both candidates' microphones will be open.
While some believe this will result in a smoother debate, others believe the candidates should be able to follow rules like adults without mics needing to be muted to maintain order.
Sound off and tell us how you feel about the new rule.