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Great Job Jim Lehrer!

J

joko104

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Kudos to moderator Jim Lehrer. He did not make the debate about him as though he is the school teacher and the candidates his students, challenging both to disprove, defend and respond to the declarations of the moderator. Rather, he just kept pointing the candidates at each other, basically offering both opportunity to shoot back or say whatever each wanted to say.

While both candidates went over time, it worked out well and overall balanced between them (Obama had 4 minutes more, but talking faster Romney probably had more words).

I think Lehrer did an AWESOME job because all he did was keep it going. He is the last of a dying breed when reporters were reporters, not partisan hack editorialists believing they should be in charge. We need him, not Hannity and Matthews types, for media reporters.

Thank you Mr. Lehrer.
 
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I felt like he didn't do a very good job keeping control over the debate. I agree with you that moderators should generally let the candidates talk rather than making the debate about them...but the moderator's job is to keep the debate on track. Lehrer didn't seem like he prepared much. I think he only asked about three questions the whole debate (and a couple followups). Lehrer has had better debates IMO.
 
Maybe we should let Bill O'Reilly moderate one of the debates. We all know that if they go over their allotted time, he WILL cut their ****ing mic. :lol:
 
i wouldn't be totally against cutting the mic once the candidate goes ten seconds over. if it's a rule, it's a rule.
 
Helix said:
i wouldn't be totally against cutting the mic once the candidate goes ten seconds over. if it's a rule, it's a rule.
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I agree....cut off their mic!
 
Kandahar said:
I felt like he didn't do a very good job keeping control over the debate. I agree with you that moderators should generally let the candidates talk rather than making the debate about them...but the moderator's job is to keep the debate on track. Lehrer didn't seem like he prepared much. I think he only asked about three questions the whole debate (and a couple followups). Lehrer has had better debates IMO.
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I don't really think the moderator should ask questions. I think all the moderator should do is say "the next topic is" and which one goes first. Then let the candidates go at it. Otherwise to moderator should just become increasingly vocally testy as a candidate goes increasingly over time.
 
Kandahar said:
I felt like he didn't do a very good job keeping control over the debate. I agree with you that moderators should generally let the candidates talk rather than making the debate about them...but the moderator's job is to keep the debate on track. Lehrer didn't seem like he prepared much. I think he only asked about three questions the whole debate (and a couple followups). Lehrer has had better debates IMO.
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I agree Leher struck me as being over his head last night and maybe a little too old for the job. He let Romney take control too easily and Obama couldn't take it back without looking arrogant and controling.
 
joko104 said:
Screw the rules. This ain't high school speech competitions.
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Are you saying you agree that they should be allowed to go over their allotted time?.....go off track?.....railroad the topic into something else?.....it's called a debate for a reason!!!
 
Yeah, in presidential election debates, I'm against the moderator steering the debate too much. Just keep them discussing with each other and stomp on cat fights. Lehrer did a fantastic job of it.
 
He did not do a very good job. he let both people run all over him. He had a schedule and an agreed to agenda and he couldn't get either one to keep to it. Debates are controlled not free for alls.
 
joko104 said:
Kudos to moderator Jim Lehrer. He did not make the debate about him as though he is the school teacher and the candidates his students, challenging both to disprove, defend and respond to the declarations of the moderator. Rather, he just kept pointing the candidates at each other, basically offering both opportunity to shoot back or say whatever each wanted to say.

While both candidates went over time, it worked out well and overall balanced between them (Obama had 4 minutes more, but talking faster Romney probably had more words).

I think Lehrer did an AWESOME job because all he did was keep it going. He is the last of a dying breed when reporters were reporters, not partisan hack editorialists believing they should be in charge. We need him, not Hannity and Matthews types, for media reporters.

Thank you Mr. Lehrer.
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Jim Lehrer didn't even like his own performance. He indicated that in a comment to one of the candidates at the end of the debate, when one of them tried complementing him or something.
 
American said:
Jim Lehrer didn't even like his own performance. He indicated that in a comment to one of the candidates at the end of the debate, when one of them tried complementing him or something.
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I liked his performance. I can see him feeling embarassed how Romney and Obama both disregarded time limits and successfully talked over him. So from his view he didn't do well. Since I think the moderator should essentially be an irrelevancy, I would see it differently from him.

I think there should be more time for answers. More specifics on few topics, rather than 30 seconds partisan sloganisms across the board.

Jim Lehrer put the candidates on each other and away they went. That's how it should go.
 
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