An Open Letter to Change Presidential Debate Structure

 Dear CPD (Committee of Presidential Debates),

2020 has provided so many insights, challenges, and opportunities.  The presidential debate is another shining example, and in this open letter, I implore you to please consider changing the presidential debate structure beginning in 2024.  The American people deserve great candidates, and while you have no control over the candidates that are nominated, you do control the way they are presented in the debate structure.  As such, we implore you to drive a process and environment that minimizes sensationalism and gets back to focusing on the key issues:  Truth and Integrity.  Leadership and Ability.

How do you change a presidential debate to be more effective?  Here is my proposal:

Move to a 2-pronged structure, which is actually 3 "events".

• Prong #1 is "event" 1 and 2.  Event 1 is candidate A and Event 2 is candidate B.
• Candidates are pre-recorded answering a prescribed set of questions on camera in an interview format
• The event is 30 minutes long
• Between recording an air-time, fact-checkers work to check all the facts / statements made in the interview
• The interviews are aired back-to-back in a one-hour segment (i.e. two 30-min segments)
• As the interview continues, every time a statement was fact-checked, there is a sticker displayed on the screen.  It displays a Check or an X based on if the statement is accurate or false.  It also displays the Fact Check # so viewers can research later if they so choose.
• At the end of each contestant's segment, a total tally of "Checks" or "Xs" is displayed so the viewer can see a quick-glimpse of the candidate's ability to relay truth and fact in their session (or not).
• Prong #2 is "event" 3.
• This is a live debate
• It is only an hour
• it is on any key issues highlighted in the 30-min segments or other pressing matters that have arisen since those were tapped and thusly aired.
• When a candidate's time is up, their microphone is turned off.  Any candidate who cannot meet the guidelines or stick to the rules will be asked to leave until the next question is introduced.

The country continues to pull itself further and further into a divide, and so much of that stems from a lack of listening, empathy, and agreement that debate is not only healthy, but can be done with civility.  The presidential candidates and those who drive and control the debates help set that tone, and we, the American people, deserve more than sound bites and hyped-up sensationalism.  

And the best part?  These things are things you can control.  We implore you to do so.

Sincerely,

A Concerned American