New Debate Rules With Mic Shutoff
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Rules for the upcoming presidential debate have been announced, and the mic shutoff will be particularly interesting to watch.
CNN, which will host the debate, announced rules for the 90-minutes to which both candidates agreed to comply. Candidates will not make opening statements, must not confer with staff during the two commercial breaks, and may not bring notes with them (although they’ll receive a pen and paper). They’ll stand behind podiums and will speak into mics that will be on only when it’s their turn to speak. No live audience will be present to avoid what a Guardian writer called “the theatrical gladiatorial bloodsport element” of other debates.
I like the rules. They are, dare I say, more controlled (avoiding “professional”)—or maybe the better description is less circus-like and cringy. I was frustrated watching candidates speak over each other (recall “Will you shut up, man?”) and walking and standing too close in past debates. This seems to be a more equitable and civil way to focus on the issues—if that’s possible during any presidential debate and, particularly, this one.
I’m curious how well candidates will handle the mic cutoff. Will it reflect better on Trump, who might otherwise show his inability to reign in his reactivity? Or will it hurt Trump because supporters (and those on the fence) see his reactivity as a sign of strength and proof of his passion and commitment? Will both candidates continue talking without the mic, as if speaking into a void, and how will that appear? Will the silence temper their emotions—or visibly frustrate them? We’ll see.
