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McCain Camp Gets Reined-In Vice Presidential Debate

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The New York Times

Published: September 21, 2008

The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed to an unusual, free-flowing format for the three televised presidential debates, which begin Friday, but the McCain camp fought for and won a much more structured approach for the questioning at the vice presidential debate, advisers to both campaigns said Saturday.

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between Gov. Sarah Palin and her Democratic rival, Sen. Joseph R. Biden, will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees. There also will be much less opportunity for freewheeling, direct exchanges between the rivals.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.

The wrangling was chiefly between the McCain-Palin camp and the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which is sponsoring the forums.

Commission members wanted a relaxed format that included time for unpredictable questioning and challenges between the vice presidential candidates. Last week, it rejected a proposal from advisers to Palin and Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee, for few if any unfettered exchanges.

Advisers to Biden say they were comfortable with either format.

Both campaigns see the four debates as pivotal moments in a presidential race that is not only extraordinarily close but is drawing intense interest from voters. Roughly 40 million viewers watched the major speeches at the two parties' conventions.

A commission member said that the new agreement on the vice presidential debate was reached late Saturday morning. It calls for shorter blocks of candidate statements and open discussion than at the presidential debates.

McCain advisers said they were only somewhat concerned about Palin's debating skills compared with those of Biden, who has served six terms in the Senate, or about Biden's chances of tripping up Palin. Instead, they say, they wanted Palin to have opportunities to present McCain's positions, rather than spending time talking about her own experience or playing defense.

Indeed, both the McCain and Obama campaigns have similar concerns about the vice presidential matchup in St. Louis: that Palin, as a new player in national politics, or Biden, as a loquacious and gaffe-prone speaker, could commit a momentum-changing misstep in their debate.

With the debate format decided, Obama plans to begin debate camp Tuesday with a tight circle of advisers at a site near Tampa, his aides say. A prominent Democratic lawyer, Greg Craig, will be playing the part of McCain in mock debates. Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan is playing Palin for Biden's preparations.

The Obama campaign has been studying McCain's debate performances from the Republican primary as well as in his 2000 presidential race. Each debate has been rated and scored, with briefing points and highlights sent to Obama.

McCain has yet to spend much time watching the dozens of Obama's primary debate performances during the past two years, McCain advisers said. But they said that a small staff of aides had been reviewing them and that McCain would watch some highlights this week. McCain aides refused to say when his debate camp would be or where, or who was playing Obama or Biden.

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