So we've had the first Presidential debate, and the Vice Presidential debate takes place tonight at 9pm ET (on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, PBS, CSPAN, probably The Weather Channel and Noggin too). While newspeople involved in the debates range from good (Jim Lehrer, Anderson Cooper, Bob Schieffer) to bad (Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos), there are several journalists who never seem to be involved in the debates for one reason or another. Maybe the debate committees and the campaigns don't want them, or maybe the anchors don't want to do a debate, but I can think of a few people I'd like to see moderate these things.After the jump, my top five.
1. Katie Couric (CBS). She has more than shown herself capable as a newsperson, and her interviews with all four of the candidates this year have been among the best conducted (she always seems to get to the heart of an issue, asking the questions that viewers at home would have asked). Not sure why she hasn't been asked yet, since Charles Gibson and Brian Williams have both been involved in the debates this year.
2. Shepard Smith (FOX News). Here's another guy who often asks the questions that viewers want answered, and asks them in the we would ask them too. I also have the feeling that although he would be professional about the debate, he'd be funny and snarky too.
3. Judy Woodruff (PBS). She has moderated debates before but not in a while. She's smart and tenacious and I'd like to see her do it again.
4. Anyone from 60 Minutes (CBS). Any of these people, from Lesley Stahl to Steve Kroft, would ask some great questions. All except Andy Rooney of course, though that would be the most entertaining debate of all. He would get to the heart of the matter pretty quick.
5. Jim Cramer (CNBC). Not sure how much he knows about politics, but wouldn't it be great to see him grill the candidates on the economy and jump up and down and scream in front of a live studio audience and 85 gazillion people. It would be the ultimate YouTube video.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2008 @ 10:11AM
The Pepto Pimp said...
I'd love to see Jack Cafferty and Lou Dobbs tag team the candidates.
Not in a dirty way, you pervs...
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10-02-2008 @ 10:47AM
Franklin said...
Good list, but I could only get behind Cramer if he's allowed to bring along his bank of buttons with all those goofy sound effects. That would make for a very different debate.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:37AM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I'd like to see Al Swearingen moderate a debate on HBO. I'd pay money to see that.
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10-02-2008 @ 10:52AM
chadwick said...
Bob:
I really like your list. I never would have thought of Shepard Smith and now I think of it his constant research he does would make a good case. Jim Cramer I have no idea who he is so maybe you can give a little background on him in your opinion. Saw his home page and seems down to earth however.
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10-02-2008 @ 11:24AM
kevjohn said...
Choices 1, 2, and 4 = fail. 3 would be acceptable.
I'd prefer a moderator who's really going to put the candidates on edge, and get them as far away from their tired ass talking points as possible as often as possible.
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10-02-2008 @ 5:46PM
Katie said...
But *why*? would they fail? And why is Woodruff ok? Not saying you're wrong, just want to hear a smidge of your reasoning
10-06-2008 @ 4:12PM
kevjohn said...
Political leanings aside, I think all the 'corporate' newspeople (Couric, Shep. Smith, 60 Minutes staff) would be too concerned about their careers to really go all that far with their questioning. Do you know who wouldn't give a damn about that and would tell the candidates to their face that they are lying, stupid, and/or insane? Don Imus. Yep.
I know he's gone over the line quite a few times in his decades-long career, but I've never seen anyone else needle every politician he interviews the way Imus does. Or did before he annihilated his career with that comment about the Rutgers players anyway. He's completely in the tank for McCain, but I'd still trust him to stick it all the candidates equally.
I do like Olbermann, Stewart, and Colbert, but quite honestly all three of them have at times displayed a rather shallow understanding of some important issues.
10-02-2008 @ 10:02PM
Aaron said...
kevjohn: Unfortunately, as we saw in the first Presidential Debate, that doesn't always work. You can't FORCE someone to say something in a particular way, or even say it to the other candidate.
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10-02-2008 @ 12:01PM
LOs said...
Olbermann, Stewart, or Colbert. Just for the comic value.
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10-02-2008 @ 1:25PM
Elf said...
I just want a moderator who will tell the participants to get back on topic and answer the question that was actually asked instead of delivering a prepared remark on a completely different topic. Better yet, give the moderator control over the candidates' microphones, so if they refuse after one warning to get back on topic then the moderator can just cut them off and move on to the opponent. And put the microphones on timers so none of the candidates can use up their 90 seconds then plead for just ten more seconds to finish up their (derailed) train of thought.
So how about Tony Reali, the host of ESPN's "Around The Horn?" He could probably get more real information from the candidates in half an hour than Jim Leher, Katie Couric or anyone else mentioned above could get in two hours.
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10-02-2008 @ 1:31PM
Andrew said...
Hehe, I like how you threw in a couple of obvious joke choices like 1, 2, and 5.
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10-02-2008 @ 2:27PM
Karen said...
Katie Couric?
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10-02-2008 @ 2:18PM
Eddie said...
To hell with objective journalism, I want to see not only "my candidate vs your candidate", but I want to see equal numbers of completely partisan personalities lob questions at the candidates from the other party and have a respected moderator in the middle making sure it doesn't become a circus or a screaming match. Limbaugh v Maddow? Hannity v Colmes? Hewitt v Schultz?
I'd also like to see both candidates and their VP's debate all at the same time, tag team style. And I'd like to see the questions delivered via television display, and watch them all discuss it just to see how they do when they're talking to each other about the issues and not trying to score points with the audience or the moderator.
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10-03-2008 @ 7:11AM
RT said...
Katie Couric stated "I'm a Democrat" when she was on the Today show. Anderson Cooper? Yeah, I want someone who hosted "The Mole" to moderate a debate. If he weren't Gloria Vanderbilt's son he'd never even have a job.
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10-02-2008 @ 9:37PM
Mike said...
I like Jim Cramer.. and Shepard Smith would be good...nothing exciting about the rest..
In the comments.. I like Lou Dobbs and John Stewart.
To that I would add maybe some big business faces like Bill Gates or Donald Trump. But I would like to see small business owners represented too.
I think a nice town hall question still but audience chosen from raffle not hand picked and canadates don't know any questions before it starts.
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10-02-2008 @ 9:55PM
JT said...
Katie Couric? The same condescending, blink her eyes with disbelief, "Oh come on" Katie Couric? I'd give Tom Brokaw a chance, sure he's pompous but he's got credibility, solid years of observing America at its best and worst and does a good job of masking his personal politics when he presents his reporting.
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10-03-2008 @ 1:32PM
Melody51 said...
I'd just like to see a moderator who might even pretend to have some semblance of objectivity instead of being in the tank for Obama. Or as someone else suggested, either have a moderator for each side or use the townhall forum with an equal number of questions from each side. Oh wait, that's what McCain proposed and Obama refused.
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10-06-2008 @ 4:14PM
kevjohn said...
Oh, and Imus wouldn't let someone answer a question with what seems like the answer to a totally different question. The Ifill-run debate was a complete waste of time.
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