The presidential debates: Mitt, Barack, and the supersecret handshake

Mitt and Barack are going to have a likely contentious sit-down Wednesday night at the University of Denver’s Ritchie Center. Well, probably more like a stand-up. In most past presidential debates, the contenders have stood behind lecterns. I’m guessing, because I don’t know the rules that will govern this debate. I don’t if they’ll be standing, and if so, how far apart they’ll be, and how far from the moderator. I don’t know the design or color of the lecterns or whether Barack gets the presidential seal on the front of his, or whether they’ll wear identical suits and the same color ties. I don’t even known how they’ll address each other (“Mr. President” or “you socialist swine” or “Governor” or “you flip-flopping spineless pile of rat turds”). I know they’ve been told what issues will be covered (egads!) but not what questions will be asked.

I don’t know much else other than what the Commission on Presidential Debates tells me. The commission, a non-profit and (presumably) nonpartisan organization, has been arranging the debates since 1987. But it’s remarkably silent on the details of the debates’ particulars. Neither the commission, nor Mitt, nor Barack will tell us the rules governing just about everything at the debate.

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