Political debates are high-stakes events that give candidates a chance to showcase their knowledge of key issues and to distinguish themselves from other candidates. In addition to bolstering a candidate’s visibility, a strong performance can strengthen their credibility and enhance their appeal to voters. In order to maximize the effectiveness of these events, it is essential for candidates to fully understand their format and how they will be assessed. Comprehensive preparation and consistent practice are the keys to a successful debate.
While the debate process has evolved over time, it remains highly centralized and tightly controlled by an executive committee of the CPD, which sets the dates for the debates in advance. The debates are expensive, complex to organize, and involve multiple stakeholders – the organizers, the media, the hosts (universities), and the candidates’ surrogates who represent their campaigns before, during, and after the event.
A common view among those who organize debates and those who participate is that they are a valuable forum for providing voters with substantive information about the candidates’ positions and priorities and for helping voters decide how to cast their votes. However, debate participants and their campaign representatives often feel that the current format, which relies on a single moderator who asks set questions, is less effective than it could be. They want debates to be more wide-ranging in topics and to have a greater emphasis on allowing the vice presidential candidates to participate.