Who Chooses the Moderator at the Presidential Debates?

Presidential debates are a longstanding tradition in the election process.

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonpartisan and nonprofit corporation that was established in 1987 for the purpose of sponsoring and producing presidential and vice presidential debates prior to the presidential elections. According to CPD, the debates are a permanent part of the election process. CPD selects journalists to moderate the debate. A debate moderator's functions include keeping the debate process orderly and on topic, enforcing debate rules, asking questions and maintaining time limits for responses.

Criteria

Qualified moderators are chosen by a panel, CPD executive director Janet H. Brown explains. According to Brown, viewers prefer moderators with live television experience, as well as being knowledgeable about current issues.

History

In 1956, the presidential debate between Adlai Stevenson and Estes Kefauver was sponsored by ABC news, which chose its own newsman Quincy Howe to moderate. Three major news networks--ABC, NBC and CBS--sponsored the 1960 debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. The moderator was Howard K. Smith of CBS News. The League of Women Voters sponsored presidential and vice presidential debates from 1976 through 1984. They continued the tradition of appointing respected news journalists such as Edwin Newman, Bill Moyers and Barbara Walters as moderators.

Moderators since 1987

Between the 1988 and 2008 election years, newsman Jim Lehrer of PBS moderated 11 presidential and vice presidential debates--more than any other moderator. Other moderators included Bernard Shaw of CNN, Tom Brokaw of NBC and Bob Schieffer of CBS. In 1984 Barbara Walters was the last woman to moderate a presidential debate, though female journalists have participated in panel-format presidential debates. CPD selected Newswoman Gwen Ifill of PBS to moderate vice presidential debates in 2004 and 2008.

References

• Commission on Presidential Debates: CPD: Our Mission
• Commission on Presidential Debates:Debate History

Resources

• Commission on Presidential Debates
• Alternet: Three Aging White Men to Moderate Presidential Debate:Marie Cocco