2012 United States presidential debates
![]() | |
---|---|
Democratic Party | |
Republican Party | |
Minor parties | |
Related races | |
| |
The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) held four debates for the 2012 U.S. presidential general election, slated for various locations around the United States in October 2012 – three of them involving the major party presidential nominees (later determined to be Democratic President Barack Obama from Illinois and former Republican Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts), and one involving the vice-presidential nominees (Vice President Joe Biden from Delaware and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin).[1]
The CPD stipulates three criteria for eligibility: constitutionally eligible, appearance on enough ballots to potentially reach 270 electoral votes, and average at least 15% on five selected national polls.[2] Four candidates achieved the first two criteria: Democratic nominee Barack Obama, Green nominee Jill Stein,[3] Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson,[4] and Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Only Obama and Romney also satisfied the third criterion of averaging 15% in five selected national polls and thus were the only two to appear in 2012 CPD debates.
The moderators for the debates were announced on August 13, 2012.[5][6]
All four debates took place between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. PDT).[7]
Subsequently, on October 3, 2012, both campaigns executed a memorandum of understanding governing technical and administrative details of the debate.[8] The agreement describes the role of the moderator, rules applicable to each debate, staging and seating arrangements, and ticket distribution, and was signed by Robert Bauer and Benjamin Ginsberg, general counsel of the Obama and Romney campaigns, respectively.[8]
A non-CPD sanctioned debate, moderated by Larry King and organized by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation in protest of the CPD's monopoly of presidential debates, took place on October 23, 2012 between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT. Four third party candidates — Rocky Anderson, Virgil Goode, Gary Johnson, and Jill Stein — took part. Romney and Obama were also invited, but declined to participate.[9] On October 22, the Free and Equal Elections Foundation announced a second third-party presidential debate that was originally scheduled between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT on October 30, featuring the top two candidates from the post-debate poll conducted after the first debate. Jill Stein and Gary Johnson were selected for the second debate using Instant run-off voting.[10] The debate was hosted by RT.[11] On October 28, the date of this debate was changed to November 5 due to Hurricane Sandy.[12]
Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a 2-hour presidential debate between Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, Virgil Goode, and Gary Johnson, on November 4, 2012.[13]
Debates
United States presidential election debates, 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
N° | Date | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants | ||||||||||||||||
P Participant. N Non-invitee. A Absent invitee. | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Green | Constitution | Justice | |||||||||||||||
President Barack Obama of Illinois |
Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts |
Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico |
Dr. Jill Stein of Massachusetts |
Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia |
Mayor Rocky Anderson of Utah | ||||||||||||||||
1 |
October 3, 2012 | P | P | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||
2 |
October 16, 2012 | P | P | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||
3 |
October 18, 2012 | N | N | P | P | N | N | ||||||||||||||
4 |
October 22, 2012 | P | P | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||
5 |
October 23, 2012 | Free and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor) |
A | A | P | P | P | P | |||||||||||||
6 |
November 4, 2012 | (Moderator & Sponsor) |
N | N | P | P | P | P | |||||||||||||
7 |
November 5, 2012 | Free and Equal Elections Foundation (sponsor) |
N | N | P | P | N | N | |||||||||||||
= Officially sanctioned and sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates | |||||||||||||||||||||
United States vice presidential debate, 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||
N° | Date | Host | Location | Moderator | Participants | ||||||||||||||||
P Participant. N Non-invitee. A Absent invitee. | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Green | Constitution | Justice | |||||||||||||||
Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware |
Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin |
Judge James P. Gray of California |
Cheri Honkala of Pennsylvania |
Chairman Jim Clymer of Pennsylvania |
Luis J. Rodriguez of California | ||||||||||||||||
VP |
October 11, 2012 | P | P | N | N | N | N | ||||||||||||||
= Officially sanctioned and sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates |
Debate schedule
- First presidential debate (domestic policy)
- Wednesday, October 3; Magness Arena, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado[1]
- Moderator: Jim Lehrer[6] – PBS
- Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
- Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post, LA Times, The New York Times
- Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, Washington Post
- Vice presidential (domestic and foreign policy)
- Thursday, October 11; Norton Center for the Arts, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky[1]
- Moderator: Martha Raddatz[6] – ABC
- Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
- Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, Washington Post
- Fact-checking: FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, Washington Post
- Second presidential debate (town hall format)
- Tuesday, October 16; David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York[1]
- Moderator: Candy Crowley[6] – CNN
- Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
- Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post
- Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post
- IVN.us online presidential debate (third party)
- Thursday, October 18; Google+ hangout
- Moderator: Stephen Peace[14] - IVN.us
- Video: YouTube
- Third presidential debate (foreign policy)
- Monday, October 22; Wold Performing Arts Center, Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida[1]
- Moderator: Bob Schieffer[6] – CBS
- Video: C-SPAN, BBC, YouTube
- Transcripts: CPD, CNN, NPR w/audio, McClatchy, Washington Post
- Fact-checking: Boston.com, FactCheck.org, Politico, PolitiFact.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post
- First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (third party)
- Tuesday, October 23; Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois[15]
- Moderator: Larry King[16] – Ora.TV
- Video: C-SPAN, Video on YouTube
- Fact-checking: The Washington Post
- Ralph Nader presidential debate (third party)
- Sunday, November 4; Busboys and Poets, Washington, D.C.
- Moderator: Ralph Nader[17]
- Video: Video on YouTube
- Second Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (third party)
- Monday, November 5; RT America studio, Washington, D.C.[10]
- Moderator: Thom Hartmann - RT
- Video: RT, Video on YouTube
October 3: First presidential debate (University of Denver)
Date | October 3, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | University of Denver Denver, Colorado |
Participants | Governor Mitt Romney |
The first presidential debate took place on Wednesday, October 3 at Colorado's University of Denver, and was moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg/40px-Wikinews-logo.svg.png)
Format
According to the memorandum of understanding agreed to by both campaigns prior to the debate,[18] and announced to the public prior to the start, both candidates would have no opening statement. There were six 15 minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving one candidate two minutes, the other candidate two minutes, and approximately 8 minutes and 45 seconds of facilitated discussion between the two candidates, with both candidates receiving approximately equal time. However, due to candidate responses extending beyond the limit, the last few segments were markedly shorter.[19] Both candidates spoke in front of a podium. Other than applause at the beginning and end of the debate, there was no audience participation.[20]
The segments were on the economy and job creation, the federal deficit, entitlements and differences between the candidates on Social Security, health care and the Affordable Care Act, the role and mission of the federal government of the United States, and governing in a presidential system and dealing with gridlock.[20][21]
Reception
More than 67 million Americans watched the debate, making it the most widely viewed first presidential debate in 32 years.[22] A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 46% thought that Romney had done better, 22% thought Obama had done better, and 32% thought that it was a tie.[23] A CNN poll found a greater advantage for Romney among debate watchers overall, with 67% believing the former Massachusetts governor had done better, 25% believing that the president had done better, and 8% believing that it was a tie.[24] A Gallup poll found that 72% of the debate watchers believed Romney was the clear winner, 20% believed that Obama had won, and 9% believed it was a tie or had no opinion; the widest margin of victory for any presidential debate in Gallup history.[25] Time Magazine's Joe Klein stated, "It was, in fact, one of the most inept performances I've ever seen by a sitting President."[26]
The primary critiques of Obama's performance were that he looked detached; seldom addressed his opponent directly; and was often looking down while Romney was speaking.[27][28]
Several independent fact checkers noted that a number of factual discrepancies were found in various statements made by both Obama and Romney in the debate.[29][30][31] The Houston Chronicle reported that its "study of post-debate reports from factcheck.org, politifact.com, CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, and Politico found that both Obama and Romney stretched the facts [in the debate]. But Obama did it a little less."[32]
Moderation
The performance of Jim Lehrer as the moderator was widely criticized for frequently allowing the candidates to speak over their time limits.[33][34][35] He said that he intended to have a looser format and was not trying to restrict the candidates.
Fox News wrote, "The only consolation President Barack Obama had for his poor showing during Wednesday's debate was that moderator Jim Lehrer did even worse."[36] Dan Abrams of ABC News tweeted, "Regardless of who is winning this debate, Jim Lehrer is losing".[37]
Lehrer defended his performance saying, "I've always said this and finally I had a chance to demonstrate it: The moderator should be seen little and heard even less. It is up to the candidates to ask the follow-up questions and challenge one another." Unlike many others, both Romney and Obama made favorable remarks about Lehrer.[35]
October 11: Vice presidential debate (Centre College)
Date | October 11, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Centre College Danville, Kentucky |
Participants | Congressman Paul Ryan |
The vice presidential debate took place on Thursday, October 11 at Kentucky's Centre College, and was moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC.
Format
The first and only debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan focused on domestic and foreign policy, and was broken down into nine 10-minute segments.[38] The foreign policy segments included questions on the attack on the American consulate in Libya, Iran, the civil war in Syria, and Afghanistan. The domestic policy segments included questions on health care, abortion, the national debt, Social Security, Medicare, and taxes.
Reception
A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 50% of those viewers thought Biden did better, 31% thought Ryan did better, and 19% thought they tied.[39] A Reuters poll indicated Biden the superior candidate, 42% to 35% with 23% undecided or believing they tied.[40] A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of viewers believed Ryan had done better, 44% believed Biden had done better, and 8% believed they tied or had no opinion; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population.[41] Nate Silver's analysis of polling after the debate led to his concluding that, though both debaters performed adequately, Biden's performance helped to slow the momentum of the Romney campaign following the first presidential debate.[42]
The debate was watched by over 51 million people, making it the third most-watched vice presidential debate, behind that of 1984 (57 million) and 2008 (70 million).[43]
Moderation
Martha Raddatz was generally praised for her moderation during this debate.[44][45] Sarah Palin, the former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, criticized her for being too "tough" on Paul Ryan.[46]
October 16: Second presidential debate (Hofstra University)
Date | October 16, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Hofstra University Hempstead, New York |
Participants | Governor Mitt Romney |
The second presidential debate took place on Tuesday, October 16 at New York's Hofstra University, and was moderated by Candy Crowley of CNN. The debate followed a town hall format, with a group of noncommitted voters asking questions to the candidates, after which the moderator would ask follow-up questions.
The second debate dealt primarily with domestic affairs, but, unlike the first debate, did include some segues into foreign policy. Topics discussed included taxes, unemployment, job creation, the national debt, energy and energy independence, women's rights, both legal and illegal immigration, and the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Format
The Gallup Organization selected 82 undecided voters from the New York area to attend the debate. According to the rules set out by the Commission on Presidential Debates and codified in a memorandum of understanding between both candidates, each candidate received two minutes to answer the question, followed by a two-minute rebuttal. The candidates often engaged each other during the rebuttal period, and Crowley also followed up with candidates.[47][48]
Although moderator Crowley had intended to allow 15 voters to ask their questions, due to the length of candidate responses, 11 voters had time to ask questions of the candidates.[49] The questions were:
- To Romney, from a college student concerned about not being able to support himself after graduation
- To Obama, on the role of the Secretary of Energy in reducing gasoline prices
- To Romney, on his tax rate reduction plan and the potential of restricting or eliminating deductions and credits as a result
- To Obama, on inequalities between men and women in the workplace, specifically women earning less than men for the same work
- To Romney, on the differences between him and former president George W. Bush
- To Obama, on what he has done or accomplished to earn the questioner's vote in 2012
- To Romney, on his plans for immigrants without permanent residency in the United States
- To Obama, on who denied enhanced security prior to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi
- To Obama, on his accomplishments in reducing availability of assault weapons
- To Romney, on outsourcing and his plans on obtaining and retaining jobs in the United States
- To Romney, on the biggest misperceptions about him[50][51]
Reception
A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 46% of respondents believed that Obama had done better, 39% believed that Romney had done better, and 11% had no opinion or believed they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about eight percentage points more Republican than the general population, similar to the Vice Presidential debate.[52] A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 37% believed Obama was superior in the second debate, 30% said that Romney was superior, and 33% called the debate a tie. 55% of the voters CBS polled said that Obama gave direct answers, while 49% said this about Romney.[53]
The consensus among liberals as well as some conservatives was that Obama's showing in the second debate was considerably stronger in comparison with his performance in the first debate.[54] Analysts characterized him as more assertive and "tough" in the second debate.[55][56][57] Romney was perceived to have not done as well as his previous performance, missing several opportunities to rebut Obama.[58] In answer to a question about equal pay for women, Romney said that as Governor of Massachusetts, he had solicited "binders full of women" qualified to serve in his administration. His comment became an Internet meme and was parodied with pages on social networking sites.[59][60][61] It was also adopted as a political attack line on Romney's attitude towards women issues.[62][63] Women's groups, such as MassGAP, responded that they had approached Romney with suggestions for qualified candidates to have him commit to including more women. MassGAP stated they had done the same for his opponent.[64][65][66][67][68][69] Commentators criticized him for appearing edgy, tense and irritable, off his game, and interrupting too much.
Polls conducted by CBS, CNN, and Reuters/Ipsos found a plurality felt Obama had done better than Romney,[70][71][72] and a slight majority felt the same in a Gallup poll.[73]
Please proceed, governor
The discussion of the 2012 Benghazi attack produced an exchange known for the phrase Please proceed, governor, later described by Frank Rich as hilarious,[74] and covered by Jon Stewart at The Daily Show.[75]
The candidates disagreed as to whether Obama declared the Libyan consular attack as terrorism the day after the event or, as Romney claimed, erroneously said it was a protest caused by an anti-Muslim video for two weeks before identifying it as a terrorist attack.
The end of that exchange was a comment by moderator Candy Crowley where she affirmed the facts of Obama's statement, referring to a transcript of his speech.[76] Crowley said in part, during the debate, "He did call it an act of terror."[77] In his Rose Garden closing remarks, the President had said in part, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation."[78]
October 22: Third presidential debate (Lynn University)
Date | October 22, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Lynn University Boca Raton, Florida |
Participants | Governor Mitt Romney |
The third presidential debate took place on Monday, October 22 at Florida's Lynn University, and was moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS.
Topics discussed included the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Iran's nuclear program, the Arab Spring, especially the Syrian civil war, relations with Israel, relations with Pakistan, the War on Terror, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the size and scope of the U.S. military, and relations and trade with China, as well as the rise of that nation. Governor Romney also briefly broached the subject of the ongoing insurgency in Mali. Although the debate was supposed to strictly concern only foreign policy, the candidates did manage to fit a few domestic policy issues, such as job creation, the federal deficit, and education into the discussion.
Format
The format of this debate was identical to that of the first debate. There were six 15-minute segments, with the moderator introducing a topic and giving each candidate two minutes to respond, before allowing the candidates to discuss the topics.[citation needed]
Reception
A CBS poll of uncommitted voters found that 53% believed that Obama won, 23% believed that Romney won, and 24% called the debate a tie.[79] A CNN poll of debate watchers found that 48% of respondents called Obama the winner, 40% called Romney the winner, and 12% had no opinion or thought they tied; CNN noted that the debate audience polled was about five percentage points more Republican than the general population.[80][81]
Moderation
Schieffer's moderation, which was perceived as confident but affable, received praise.[82][83]
Protests over excluded candidates
Antitrust lawsuit
On September 21, 2012, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson filed an antitrust lawsuit in the US District Court for the Central District of California against the Commission on Presidential Debates, the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee. The suit alleges that the three private companies have conspired in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act to limit competition and that in doing so they are injuring the Johnson campaign and the American electorate.[84][85]
Arrest of Green Party candidates outside second debate and lawsuit
On October 16, 2012, Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein and vice-presidential nominee Cheri Honkala were arrested for disorderly conduct while trying to take part in the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.[86][87][88] The two women claim they were taken to a warehouse, and strapped for eight hours to chairs with plastic wrist restraints before being released.[89]
On October 22, 2012, the Stein campaign announced a lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates claiming, "that the CPD, Democratic National Committee, and Republican National Committee, together with the Federal Election Commission and Lynn University, had deprived her of her constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, and free speech, as well as her statutorily protected civil rights."[90]
Withdrawal of sponsors
Three of the debate sponsors dropped out ahead of the first presidential debate due to the exclusion of major third party candidates. These companies were BBH New York, YWCA USA[91] and Philips Electronics.[92]
Third party debates
Several third-party debates were held in 2012.
October 18: IVN.us online presidential debate
Date | October 18, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Google+ Hangout |
Participants | Dr. Jill Stein |
IVN.us hosted an online presidential debate on October 18, 2012. It featured two third-party candidates, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.
October 23: First Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (Hilton Chicago)
Date | October 23, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Hilton Chicago Chicago, Illinois |
Participants | Governor Gary Johnson Mayor Rocky Anderson Dr. Jill Stein |
The Free and Equal Elections Foundation organized a debate featuring third party candidates Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, Virgil Goode and Rocky Anderson, which was held in Chicago at 9:00pm EDT on October 23, 2012.[9] Veteran broadcaster Larry King of Ora.TV served as moderator for the debate,[93] which was streamed live online.[94][95] It was also streamed live by Ora.TV on YouTube[96] and was broadcast live by C-SPAN,[93] Link TV,[97] Russia Today[97] and Al Jazeera English.[97]
Format
Each candidate was given an opportunity to make a two-minute opening statement. Then, six questions were asked to each of the four candidates and the candidates were given one minute to answer. However, the moderator accidentally started with the first question instead of allowing the candidates to do the opening statement. The opening statements had to follow their answers to the first question.[98] The questions were:
- The candidates' thoughts on the top-two primary system
- How the candidates would tackle the War on Drugs
- How the candidates would handle military spending and foreign policy
- Their opinions on section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
- The stance of the candidates on issues relating to the economy
- The constitutional amendment they would offer if they knew it would pass
Reception
The Free and Equal Elections Foundation conducted a post-debate poll to determine which candidates would progress to their second debate. The poll found 55% of viewers thought Johnson had done the best, 31% thought Stein had done the best, 8% had felt Anderson had done the best, and 6% had felt Goode had done the best.[99] The second round of the instant run-off vote showed that the top two candidates were still Johnson and Stein; these candidates were allowed to progress to the second debate.[99]
Moderation
The moderator Larry King received some criticism for his mishap at the beginning of the debate. Some commentators thought this showed the debate's irrelevance.[100]
November 4: Ralph Nader presidential debate (Busboys and Poets)
Date | November 4, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | Busboys and Poets Washington, D.C. |
Participants | Governor Gary Johnson Mayor Rocky Anderson Dr. Jill Stein |
Ralph Nader hosted and moderated a debate that took place on November 4, 2012 at Busboys and Poets in Washington D.C. between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.[101] Gary Johnson, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson and Jill Stein participated.[102]
November 5: Second Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate (RT America studio)
Date | November 5, 2012 |
---|---|
Location | RT America studio Washington, D.C. |
Participants | Dr. Jill Stein |
After the previous Free and Equal Elections Foundation debate, a second debate was announced,[103] this time focusing on foreign policy. The debate was hosted by RT at the RT America Studio in Washington D.C. and took place on November 5, 2012 between 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It was initially to be held on October 30, 2012, but was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy.[12] The candidates that participated were those that won the instant-runoff vote after the previous debate - Gary Johnson and Jill Stein.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Little, Morgan (July 25, 2012) "Presidential debate formats announced, feature town hall", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Candidate Selection Criteria". Commission on Presidential Debates. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ John Nichols (October 2, 2012). "These Debates Could Use Some Jill Stein and Gary Johnson". The Nation. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ Charles Mahtesian (September 12, 2012). "Gary Johnson on ballot in 47 states". Politico. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
- ^ Byers, Dylan (August 13, 2012) "Presidential Debate Moderators Announced", Politico. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Blake, Aaron (August 13, 2012) "Presidential debate moderators announced: Crowley is first woman in 20 years", The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
- ^ "CPD Announces 2012 Debates Format (July 25, 2012)". Debates.org. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ a b "Candy Crowley's Moderator Role Under Scrutiny Before Tuesday Town Hall – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com". Time. October 14, 2012.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Sean (October 23, 2012). "Third-party candidates debate: United against Obama, Romney". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
- ^ a b Hicks, Josh (October 24, 2012). "Another third party debate in the works". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
- ^ "RT to host final US presidential third-party debate". RT.com. October 26, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Free and Equal Elections Foundation Changes Presidential Debate to November 5 Due to Hurricane - Free & Equal". Freeandequal.org. October 28, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ http://ivn.us/ca-election-center/2012/10/11/ivn-us-to-host-first-online-presidential-debate/
- ^ Blake, Meredith (October 17, 2012). "Larry King to moderate third-party presidential debate". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Larry King to Moderate Third-Party Presidential Debate - Free & Equal". freeandequal.org.
- ^ "Ralph Nader the moderator - Patrick Gavin". Politico.Com. October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Memorandum of Understanding Between the Obama and Romney Campaigns – The Page by Mark Halperin – TIME.com". Time. October 15, 2012.
- ^ Calderone, Michael (October 5, 2012). "Debate Moderator Defends Himself". Huffington Post.
- ^ a b "Transcript of Wednesday's presidential debate - CNN.com". CNN. October 4, 2012.
- ^ Keneally, Meghan (October 3, 2012). "'It's like being drafted, I couldn't say no': Presidential debate moderator Jim Lehrer reveals why he returned from retirement to host showdown between Obama and Romney". Daily Mail. London.
- ^ "Presidential Debate Hits 32-Year Record in Gross Ratings". Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Poll: Uncommitted voters say Romney wins debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "CNN Poll: Most watchers say Romney debate winner – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs". Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com. October 3, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Jones, Jeffrey M. (October 8, 2012) "Romney Narrows Vote Gap After Historic Debate Win", Gallup.com.
- ^ Klein, Joe (September 28, 2012). "Obama's Debate Strategy Bombs, Giving Romney a Confidence Boost | Swampland | TIME.com". Swampland.time.com. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Hamby, Peter; Preston, Mark; Steinhauser, Paul (October 4, 2012). "5 things we learned from the presidential debate". CNN.com. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
- ^ Ward, Jon (October 4, 2012). "Mitt Romney Versus Obama: 4 Key Moments From First Presidential Debate". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Presidential debate fact check: President Obama, Mitt Romney don't tell the whole truth". New York Daily News. Associated Press. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Wemple, Erik (October 4, 2012). "Fact-checkers have fun with Obama, Romney". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Fact check: The debate". The Morning Sun. FactCheck.org via GateHouse News Service. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ "Fact-checkers say Obama told the truth more often in Denver debate — by a (Pinocchio) nose". Houston Chronicle. October 5, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Paul Harris: Jim Lehrer: was TV moderator the debate's big loser? The Guardian, October 4, 2012
- ^ "Moderator Jim Lehrer sharply criticized for performance in presidential debate". Washington Post. Associated Press. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012. [dead link]
- ^ a b Byers, Dylan (October 5, 2012). "Exclusive: Jim Lehrer says he was 'effective' as presidential debate moderator". Politico. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
- ^ Dan Gainor. "Jim Lehrer is biggest loser in Denver debate". Fox News, October 3, 2012.
- ^ Russell Goldman. "Jim Lehrer Biggest Loser in Debate?". ABC News, April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Fireworks fly at vice presidential debate - CBS News". CBS News. October 12, 2012.
- ^ "Poll: Biden takes debate over Ryan, uncommitted voters say - CBS News". CBS News. December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Biden had the edge in VP debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll". Reuters. October 12, 2012.
- ^ "POLL: CNN Poll: Who won the VP debate?". CNN.
- ^ Nate Silver, "In Polls, Biden Gets a Hold", 538 Blog, New York Times, October 12, 2012, accessed October 13, 2012
- ^ "VP debate ratings can’t match Biden-Palin from 2008", The Washington Post, October 12, 2012
- ^ 10 November 2012 10:35 pm Updated: 10 November 2012 11:08 pm (October 11, 2012). "Martha Raddatz Debate Moderating Draws Praise: 'Killing It,' 'Way Better' Than Lehrer". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Who won Thursday's debate? Martha Raddatz - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. October 12, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ Keneally, Meghan; Gye, Hugo (October 12, 2012). "Vice Presidential Debate 2012: Sarah Palin accuses Martha Raddatz of being too 'tough' on Paul Ryan | Mail Online". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ Mirkinson, Jack (October 16, 2012). "WATCH: Mitt Romney Barrels Over Candy Crowley". Huffington Post.
- ^ Mirkinson, Jack (October 16, 2012). "Candy Crowley's Potential Debate Follow-Ups Take On A Life Of Their Own". Huffington Post.
- ^ Voters get their turn to ask the debate questions | wishtv.com[permanent dead link]
- ^ Adams, Richard (October 16, 2012). "US presidential debates 2012,US elections 2012 (News),Mitt Romney (News),Barack Obama (News),US politics,CNN,Republicans (US),Democrats,US news,World news". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Complete transcript of the presidential debate". mcclatchydc.com.
- ^ Polling Center: CNN Poll: Who won the second presidential debate? - Elections & Politics from CNN.com Archived October 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus and Lindsey Boerma (October 16, 2012). "Poll:Obama edges Romney in second debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Kevin Cirilli (October 16, 2012). "Debate results: Liberals relieved by Obama's performance". Politico. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "Energized by debate, Obama knocks Romney on women's issues". Reuters. October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Barabak, Mark Z. (October 17, 2012). "Obama is back in the fight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Montopoli, Brian (October 17, 2012). "Analysis: Tougher Obama rebounds in second debate". CBS News. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Sinderbrand, Rebecca (October 17, 2012). "Analysis: Romney whiffs on some easy pitches". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Peralta, Eyder. "Presidential Debate Spins 'Binders Full Of Women' Meme, Fact Checks". NPR. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Chai, Barbara. "'Binders Full of Women' Spawns Three-Ring Circus on Web". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ Phillip, Abby (October 16, 2012). "Internet Takes Off With Mitt Romney's 'Binders Full of Women'". ABC News. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
- ^ Hamburger, Tom (October 15, 2012). "Romney's 'Binder full of women' comment spills onto campaign trail". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ Camia, Catalina (October 17, 2012). "Paul Ryan defends Romney on 'binders' comment". USA Today. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Gross, Doug (October 17, 2012). "Social world thumbs through 'binders full of women'". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Marlantes, Liz (October 17, 2012). "'Binders full of women': a revealing remark from Romney, or a sideshow?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Phillip, Abby D. (October 17, 2012). "Romney Challenged on How He Got the Binder Full of Women Managers". ABC News. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- ^ "Mind The Binder". The Phoenix. October 16, 2012.
- ^ Viser, Matt (October 17, 2012). "How Mitt Romney had 'whole binders of women' for staff positions as governor". Boston Globe blog.
- ^ MassGAP Statement on Presidential Debate. Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus.
- ^ Burns, Alexander (October 17, 2012). "CBS snap poll: Obama edges Romney in second debate". Politico. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Cohen, Tom (October 17, 2012). "Obama gets the edge over Romney in a bruising debate". CNN. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ "Voters say Obama beat Romney in second debate: Reuters/Ipsos poll". Reuters. October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Schultheis, Emily (October 19, 2012). "Gallup: Obama won the second debate". Politico. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- ^ "Frank Rich on the National Circus: Obama the Alpha Dog". New York. October 17, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Stewart on How Obama Allowed Romney to Proceed into a Wall". The Atlantic Wire. October 18, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "Candy Crowley: I didn’t backtrack on Libya in debate", Blog, Washington Post, October 17, 2012
- ^ "Transcript of the Second Presidential Debate in Hempstead, N.Y." NYTimes.com. October 16, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ Full Transcript of Obama's Rose Garden Speech After Sept. 11 Benghazi Attack - October 16 12 10:31 EDT - ForexTV.com Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Poll: Decisive win for Obama in final debate". CBS News. October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Polling Center: Who won the final debate? - Elections & Politics from". CNN.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "CNN Poll: Nearly half of debate watchers say Obama won showdown – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs". Politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "No debate: Bob Schieffer got it just right - Dylan Byers". Politico.Com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (October 22, 2012). "Bob Schieffer stays cool amid debate's heat". Usatoday.com. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Gary Johnson Sues for Participation in Debates". The New American. September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "Gary Johnson Files Anti-Trust Lawsuit for Entry to Debates". Independent Voter Network. September 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Zelman, Joanna (October 16, 2012). "Jill Stein Arrested Before Hofstra Debate". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "Green Party's Stein Talks Arrest, Presidential Debates". WNYC. October 18, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|dead-url=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Amy Goodman (October 18, 2012). "Green party candidate Jill Stein's arrest highlights presidential debate stitch-up". London: The Guardian.
- ^ "Green Party Candidates Arrested, Shackled to Chairs For 8 Hours After Trying to Enter Hofstra Debate". Democracy Now!. October 17, 2012.
- ^ "Stein files lawsuit against the CPD". jillstein.org. October 21, 2012.
- ^ "YWCA Drops Debate Sponsorship Over Exclusion of Third-Party Candidates". Reason. September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
- ^ "Philips pulls presidential debate sponsorship". Politico. September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
- ^ a b Byers, Dylan (October 23, 2012). "Larry King hosts third-party faceoff". Politico. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
- ^ "Larry King to moderate third-party debate". cbsnews.com.
- ^ "Watch Our United We Stand Live Now from Reed Arena! #FreeandEqual #UnitedWeStand #TexasAM". freeandequal.org. May 20, 2014.
- ^ Josh Wolford. "Watch the Third Party Candidates Debate Live on YouTube". WebProNews. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ a b c "3rd-party presidential nominees to debate". UPI.com. October 23, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
- ^ Brad Friedman. "Untethered 'Third Party' Presidential Debate Provides Glimpse at Genuine Democracy". The Brad Blog. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Winners of October 23rd Presidential Debate Have Been Announced - Free & Equal". Freeandequal.org. October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Larry King, third-party candidate debate moderator, almost forgets opening statements". Now.msn.com. October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Ralph Nader to Host Third-Party Presidential Debate in D.C. Nov. 4 | The Nader PageThe Nader Page". Nader.org. November 1, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ Singer, Paul (November 5, 2012). "Nader's third-party debate raises alternate issues". USA Today. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ "Free and Equal Hosts Final US Presidential Debate - Free & Equal". Freeandequal.org. October 26, 2012. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
External links
- Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2012 General Election, Commission on Presidential Debates, October 31, 2011
- 2012 Candidate Selection Criteria, Commission on Presidential Debates, October 20, 2011
- Coverage at the Washington Post
- University of Denver debate official site
- Centre College debate official site
- Hofstra University debate official site
- Lynn University debate official site