Are the presidential debates real debates? Not according to our moderator, John Donvan. Donvan has been on WNET’s MetroFocus several times in the past few weeks, talking about our Change.org petition to #FixTheDebates, what we expected to see during the first presidential debate, and his recap of our live viewing party after it was all over. Watch the videos below and cast your vote on who you thought won the debate here.
Reform the Debates?
September 16, 2016
The debates this election season have been unprecedented in modern politics, but imagine if they looked a little different, and the candidates actually discussed the issues on Americans’ minds rather than scream over each other and hurl insults. Open to Debate is an organization that seeks to restore civility and constructive public discourse to today’s media landscape, with their ultimate goal being to provide a new forum for intelligent debates of opposing viewpoints. Now they’ve set their sights on this election with a Change.org petition called “Fix America’s Presidential Debates!” to implement their style of informed debate for the current nominees. Open to Debate moderator and ABC News Correspondent John Donvan joins us to discuss Open to Debate and how their model may influence future presidential debate.
Shaking Up the Debate!
September 23, 2016
Monday’s presidential debate has all the makings of something we’ve never seen before in modern politics. But beyond the expected hyperbolic verbal-sparring, will there be anything of substance that American voters will get out of the showdown? Open to Debate, a nonpartisan organization whose goal is to raise the level of public discourse in the United States, wants to make sure there is. The organization has planned a handful of their own debates, including a viewing party at Lincoln Center following the first presidential debate that will have the audience analyze the showdown and discuss the way we debate in the U.S. ABC News correspondent and Open to Debate moderator John Donvan joins us once again with his take on what debates should look like versus what we may see this Monday.
A More Civil Debate?
September 27, 2016
Yesterday’s presidential debate promised to be a showdown for the ages and to a large extent, it delivered, with the candidates more or less laying out their respective cases amid numerous interruptions and the occasional name-calling. But what did audiences take away from the debate? ABC News correspondent and Open to Debate moderator John Donvan shares results from a debate viewing party hosted by Open to Debate and looks at whether last night’s event was any indicator that a new civil debate format is needed for future presidential debates.