It’s not just debate season — it’s debate year. So far in this primary campaign, some seven weeks before the first vote is cast, there have been 12 Republican debates, stretching back to early May, when Tim Pawlenty was a candidate and Herman Cain was known only as a former pizza-company executive.
And there’s more, so much more, in store: 14 GOP debates are on the schedule through March, and others will be added if two or more candidates remain standing and anyone has anything left to say.
Scott Pelley of CBS Evening News, and Major Garrett, National Journal's Congressional correspondent, talk about preparing for the Republican presidential debate in South Carolina on Saturday night. (Nov. 12)
Foreign policy debate analysis and transcript
Of course, that’s just the undercard. The presidential and vice presidential debates begin next fall.
What’s good, what’s not and what’s up with all this talk? A few notes:
More debate, less filling? For those counting, the orgy of primary debates is rapidly approaching record territory for a single party. During the 2007-08 cycle, Republicans held 19 debates, and Democrats limited themselves to a mere 16.
Before that? Relative silence. In 2004, Democrats staged just two primary debates, none before the first vote in Iowa. During the 1999-2000 campaign, Republicans engaged in just three primary debates.
The made-for-TV campaign: The explosion of primary debates reflects the influence of TV, especially cable TV, says PBS newsman Jim Lehrer, the ironman of presidential-debate moderating (he’s done 11 of them). The events are ready-made news programming for the likes of Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and Bloomberg Television, all of which have been debate sponsors this cycle.
What’s more, unlike broadcast networks, which are loath to interrupt their prime-time schedules, cable networks have plenty of airtime and can live with the relatively small audiences (3.3 million watched the CNBC-sponsored debate last week) that the debates attract, he says.
What’s wrong with that? Maybe nothing at all. The debates effectively “nationalize” the race for the nomination, force candidates to address issues and help winnow a crowded field, Lehrer says: “My own view is the more the merrier.”
Indeed, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) rose and fell in the polls largely because of her debate performances. Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s candidacy ran into trouble when he tried to attack former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in September; it might have fallen off a cliff with his YouTube-worthy brain freeze last week.
One oft-cited drawback of such a crammed debate schedule is the decline of “retail” politicking in early-voting states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Not so, says Mark Halperin, Time magazine editor at large and an MSNBC analyst : “The notion that they’d be off campaigning [instead of doing debate preparation] is false because they do so little campaigning now. They’re flying around raising money or appearing on ‘The Tonight Show.’ ” Debates, Halperin says, are the “best chance” for the public and press to see the candidates.
Rate a debate: Wednesday’s debate in Rochester, Mich., might have been the best to date for substance, verbal fireworks and newsiness. Among other things, it produced Perry’s infamous gaffe; a sharp exchange between former House speaker Newt Gingrich and co-moderator Maria Bartiromo over health care; and Cain’s reference to former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as “Princess Nancy,” along with his umpteenth denial of sexual harassment allegations.
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