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If each candidate has to reach a threshold of polling support and money raised to get into the debates, then they should make an effort to allow each candidate to have fairly similar time to introduce themselves to the nation. However, in the first night of the MSNBC debate, that did not occur.
Moderating a debate can be difficult when candidates know they can get more time by interrupting. However, the moderators are still in control of how many direct questions they ask of a candidate.
Below is my count after re-watching the debates, of the number of direct questions to each candidate. This does not count 30 second responses to direct reference, or 30 second interruptions allowed by the moderator, or show of hand questions, or brief, couple word answer questions, or closing statements.
Sometimes it is a bit hard to distinguish a direct question. If there is a topic on the floor and the moderator tosses it to a particular person, with the usual amount of allotted time, I count this as a direct question.
Booker 9
O'Rourke 8
Klobuchar 7
Warren 6
Castro 6
Gabbard 4
De Blasio 4
Ryan 4
Inslee 3
Delaney 2
Speaking time per Washington Post
Booker 10.9
O'Rourke 10.3
Warren 9.3
Castro 8.8
Klobuchar 8.5
Ryan 7.7
Gabbard 6.6
Delaney 6.6
De Blasio 5.6
Inslee 5.0
https://www.washingtonpost.com/grap...emocratic-debate-june/?utm_term=.0b7d5b6b7b7d
There seems to be a rough correlation between the number of direct questions asked to a candidate, and the amount of speaking time they wind up with. Some candidates managed to use interruptions to gain time. But overall those asked less questions had less time.
Why do you think more effort was not made to ask a similar number of questions to each candidate?
I might go through debate night two as well to count the number of direct questions, and add them to the OP later. The speaking times from the same Washington Post article show an even larger disparity on night two.
EDIT: Here are the numbers for direct questions on the second night.
Buttigieg 7
Biden 6
Harris 5
Sanders 5
Bennet 5
Hickenlooper 3
Swalwell 3
Gillibrand 2
Williamson 2
Yang 2
Biden and Harris had a lengthy exchange on racial issues, Biden working withsegregationists and bussing which added to their times.
Gillibrand interrupted quite a few times, boosting her time.
Speaking time:
Biden 13.6
Harris 11.9
Sanders 11.0
Buttigieg 10.5
Bennet 8.1
Gillibrand 7.5
Hickenlooper 5.2
Williamson 5.0
Swalwell 4.3
Yang 3.0
Moderating a debate can be difficult when candidates know they can get more time by interrupting. However, the moderators are still in control of how many direct questions they ask of a candidate.
Below is my count after re-watching the debates, of the number of direct questions to each candidate. This does not count 30 second responses to direct reference, or 30 second interruptions allowed by the moderator, or show of hand questions, or brief, couple word answer questions, or closing statements.
Sometimes it is a bit hard to distinguish a direct question. If there is a topic on the floor and the moderator tosses it to a particular person, with the usual amount of allotted time, I count this as a direct question.
Booker 9
O'Rourke 8
Klobuchar 7
Warren 6
Castro 6
Gabbard 4
De Blasio 4
Ryan 4
Inslee 3
Delaney 2
Speaking time per Washington Post
Booker 10.9
O'Rourke 10.3
Warren 9.3
Castro 8.8
Klobuchar 8.5
Ryan 7.7
Gabbard 6.6
Delaney 6.6
De Blasio 5.6
Inslee 5.0
https://www.washingtonpost.com/grap...emocratic-debate-june/?utm_term=.0b7d5b6b7b7d
There seems to be a rough correlation between the number of direct questions asked to a candidate, and the amount of speaking time they wind up with. Some candidates managed to use interruptions to gain time. But overall those asked less questions had less time.
Why do you think more effort was not made to ask a similar number of questions to each candidate?
I might go through debate night two as well to count the number of direct questions, and add them to the OP later. The speaking times from the same Washington Post article show an even larger disparity on night two.
EDIT: Here are the numbers for direct questions on the second night.
Buttigieg 7
Biden 6
Harris 5
Sanders 5
Bennet 5
Hickenlooper 3
Swalwell 3
Gillibrand 2
Williamson 2
Yang 2
Biden and Harris had a lengthy exchange on racial issues, Biden working withsegregationists and bussing which added to their times.
Gillibrand interrupted quite a few times, boosting her time.
Speaking time:
Biden 13.6
Harris 11.9
Sanders 11.0
Buttigieg 10.5
Bennet 8.1
Gillibrand 7.5
Hickenlooper 5.2
Williamson 5.0
Swalwell 4.3
Yang 3.0
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