The Presidential Candidate Debates Are a Circus, but a New Debate Format Can Fix That

29 January 2016
John Donvan on Big Think

Our presidential debate moderators are stuck in an impossible position: Either they allow candidates to spin and not give real answers to questions, or, when they interrupt and insist on a genuine response, they’re interpreted as having a personal agenda. The results are a politicized public, a suspicious pool of candidates, and the loss of a democratic forum. John Donvan, the moderator of the Open to Debate formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S. debates, has proposed an alternate debate format to fix the current circus that is our presidential debates: an Oxford-style debate, or parliamentary debate, where a topic is set for the entire evening and candidates take a for or against the position. This format keeps candidates from fearing gotcha questions, allows moderators to enter the debate without fear of reprisal, and preserves what is intended to be a uniquely democratic forum.