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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Obama and Romney debate again: strategies for the town-hall style format | Obama and Romney debate again: strategies for the town-hall style format |
| (4 months later) | |
| Barack Obama cannot afford another bad debate in Long Island tonight after his dismal performance in Denver a fortnight ago that opened way for Mitt Romney's comeback. | Barack Obama cannot afford another bad debate in Long Island tonight after his dismal performance in Denver a fortnight ago that opened way for Mitt Romney's comeback. |
| Obama needs to come out with either a win or a draw. His campaign team said he is better-prepared and energised. But the Romney camp, which showed itself to be adept in preparing for the Denver debate, will have anticipated this. | Obama needs to come out with either a win or a draw. His campaign team said he is better-prepared and energised. But the Romney camp, which showed itself to be adept in preparing for the Denver debate, will have anticipated this. |
| The president faces an additional obstacle tonight, the format being different from the Denver one, with questions coming from the audience rather than a single journalist. | The president faces an additional obstacle tonight, the format being different from the Denver one, with questions coming from the audience rather than a single journalist. |
| Obama needs to hit Romney hard but the town-hall style debate complicates his task. In this format, Obama and Romney will be answering questions mainly from voters in the audience, making it more difficult to be evasive and combative. | Obama needs to hit Romney hard but the town-hall style debate complicates his task. In this format, Obama and Romney will be answering questions mainly from voters in the audience, making it more difficult to be evasive and combative. |
| The tradition is to be civil, though in 2004 there were strong exchanges between then president George W Bush and John Kerry over the Iraq war. | The tradition is to be civil, though in 2004 there were strong exchanges between then president George W Bush and John Kerry over the Iraq war. |
| The audience in the hall and those watching at home will expect answers to questions rather than the politician's trick of switching almost immediately to another topic. | The audience in the hall and those watching at home will expect answers to questions rather than the politician's trick of switching almost immediately to another topic. |
| With the president and Romney theoretically free to wander round the stage in this format, there is also more emphasis on body language than there was when the two are stuck at a podium or in their seats. Romney's team said the candidate has devoted a lot of attention in his preparations to this. | With the president and Romney theoretically free to wander round the stage in this format, there is also more emphasis on body language than there was when the two are stuck at a podium or in their seats. Romney's team said the candidate has devoted a lot of attention in his preparations to this. |
| A Pew poll published Monday showed 41% expected Obama to do better and 37% Romney, a change from before the Denver debate when 51% expected Obama to do win and 29% Romney. | A Pew poll published Monday showed 41% expected Obama to do better and 37% Romney, a change from before the Denver debate when 51% expected Obama to do win and 29% Romney. |
| The format | The format |
| Town-hall debates on the campaign trail and in at least one past presidential election had a element of spontaneity about them. These days they are more controlled. | Town-hall debates on the campaign trail and in at least one past presidential election had a element of spontaneity about them. These days they are more controlled. |
| Gallup chooses 80 questioners representing a cross-section of likely voters, the questions screened in advance, and the moderator, Candy Crowley, chooses a dozen or more from the 80. | Gallup chooses 80 questioners representing a cross-section of likely voters, the questions screened in advance, and the moderator, Candy Crowley, chooses a dozen or more from the 80. |
| After a question is asked, Obama and Romney have two minutes each to respond followed by exchanges. | After a question is asked, Obama and Romney have two minutes each to respond followed by exchanges. |
| The two campaigns jointly approached the organisers on Friday to protest over comments made by Crowley that she saw her role as being more than just a fly on the wall and intended to ask follow-up questions. The campaigns wanted an assurance the debate is primarily for the audience to ask questions and that Crowley would not seek too big a role. | The two campaigns jointly approached the organisers on Friday to protest over comments made by Crowley that she saw her role as being more than just a fly on the wall and intended to ask follow-up questions. The campaigns wanted an assurance the debate is primarily for the audience to ask questions and that Crowley would not seek too big a role. |
| Crowley, a veteran news reporter and anchorwoman who likes to generate news, is unlikely to be fazed by this. Expect her to vigorously pursue follow-up questions. | Crowley, a veteran news reporter and anchorwoman who likes to generate news, is unlikely to be fazed by this. Expect her to vigorously pursue follow-up questions. |
| The strategies | The strategies |
| Obama was left looking in the Denver debate at times as if Romney was the president and he was the challenger. He needs to be assertive in a way he failed to be in Denver. | Obama was left looking in the Denver debate at times as if Romney was the president and he was the challenger. He needs to be assertive in a way he failed to be in Denver. |
| To lift the morale of Democrats still upset over his previous outing, he has to go negative for at least some of the debate in spite of the limitations of the format. | To lift the morale of Democrats still upset over his previous outing, he has to go negative for at least some of the debate in spite of the limitations of the format. |
| His campaign team has hinted he will be aggressive, digging into areas where Romney is seen as weak: the 47% comment from the secret video, his record at Bain Capital, and his vague tax and deficit-reduction plans. | His campaign team has hinted he will be aggressive, digging into areas where Romney is seen as weak: the 47% comment from the secret video, his record at Bain Capital, and his vague tax and deficit-reduction plans. |
| He also has to convey pride, as Bill Clinton succeeded in doing at the party convention and vice-president Joe Biden did to some extent in last week's debate, in the achievements of his first term and to signal what he will do in a second. | He also has to convey pride, as Bill Clinton succeeded in doing at the party convention and vice-president Joe Biden did to some extent in last week's debate, in the achievements of his first term and to signal what he will do in a second. |
| It is easier for Romney. With one win behind him, he can afford to settle for a draw. He will seek to consolidate his march towards the centre ground. He can exploit Obama's vulnerabilities, especially his administration's conflicting accounts of what happened in the Benghazi consulate attack. | It is easier for Romney. With one win behind him, he can afford to settle for a draw. He will seek to consolidate his march towards the centre ground. He can exploit Obama's vulnerabilities, especially his administration's conflicting accounts of what happened in the Benghazi consulate attack. |
| The issues | The issues |
| With the questions coming from the audience rather than the moderator, what issues might come up are theoretically unpredictable. But, given they are screened first, the chances are that key domestic and foreign issues are almost certain to crop up. | With the questions coming from the audience rather than the moderator, what issues might come up are theoretically unpredictable. But, given they are screened first, the chances are that key domestic and foreign issues are almost certain to crop up. |
| In the months running up to the election. the widespread consensus was that foreign affairs was unlikely to play much part in a campaign dominated by unemployment. But the death of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three others in the Benghazi consulate attack is an emotive issue, one on which Obama is vulnerable because of conflicting statements from his administration. | In the months running up to the election. the widespread consensus was that foreign affairs was unlikely to play much part in a campaign dominated by unemployment. But the death of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three others in the Benghazi consulate attack is an emotive issue, one on which Obama is vulnerable because of conflicting statements from his administration. |
| While Obama is at the mercy of the audience, he has to try to find a way – if it is not raised by one of the questioners – to get in comments about Romney's 47% remark about freeloading Americans, which he failed to do in Denver. He will also want to press more forcefully than he managed in Denver on how Romney plans to both cut taxes for the wealthy and cut the deficit at the same time. | While Obama is at the mercy of the audience, he has to try to find a way – if it is not raised by one of the questioners – to get in comments about Romney's 47% remark about freeloading Americans, which he failed to do in Denver. He will also want to press more forcefully than he managed in Denver on how Romney plans to both cut taxes for the wealthy and cut the deficit at the same time. |
| Romney will seek to push the message that, as a former businessman, he is better suited for stewardship of the economy than Obama, though the president can respond by pointing to the latest unemployment figures showing a drop to 7.8%. | Romney will seek to push the message that, as a former businessman, he is better suited for stewardship of the economy than Obama, though the president can respond by pointing to the latest unemployment figures showing a drop to 7.8%. |
| Preparations | Preparations |
| Obama has devoted more time to preparation, having cleared his diary since Friday, apart from one dinner engagement that evening. He has been holed up at a resort near colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, since Saturday and will head to Hempstead, Long Island, this afternoon for the debate. | Obama has devoted more time to preparation, having cleared his diary since Friday, apart from one dinner engagement that evening. He has been holed up at a resort near colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, since Saturday and will head to Hempstead, Long Island, this afternoon for the debate. |
| As with the preparations for the first debate in Denver, senator John Kerry is playing the role of Romney and Obama's head of communications, Anita Dunn, is playing Crowley. | As with the preparations for the first debate in Denver, senator John Kerry is playing the role of Romney and Obama's head of communications, Anita Dunn, is playing Crowley. |
| Romney practised in Ohio on Saturday night and since Sunday at a house outside Boston, Massachusetts, with senator Rob Portman as Obama and, in a piece of gender-switching, one of Romney's aides Peter Flaherty as Crowley. | Romney practised in Ohio on Saturday night and since Sunday at a house outside Boston, Massachusetts, with senator Rob Portman as Obama and, in a piece of gender-switching, one of Romney's aides Peter Flaherty as Crowley. |
| The Republican presidential candidate devoted a lot of time in the run-up to Denver to what he said and how he would say it but his campaign team said he is looking a lot at body language this time round, given the freedom to move round the stage. | The Republican presidential candidate devoted a lot of time in the run-up to Denver to what he said and how he would say it but his campaign team said he is looking a lot at body language this time round, given the freedom to move round the stage. |
| Past town-hall style presidential debates | Past town-hall style presidential debates |
| The town-hall style was introduced for televised presidential debates on October 15, 1992 and had an immediate impact. Unlike tonight, the questions were not screened in advance. | The town-hall style was introduced for televised presidential debates on October 15, 1992 and had an immediate impact. Unlike tonight, the questions were not screened in advance. |
| Then president George Bush Sr was knocked off his stride when a woman asked him about the personal impact of the national debt. He looked at his watch as she began her question, a gesture that was interpreted as being impatient and went down badly among television viewers. | Then president George Bush Sr was knocked off his stride when a woman asked him about the personal impact of the national debt. He looked at his watch as she began her question, a gesture that was interpreted as being impatient and went down badly among television viewers. |
| He compounded the error by offering up a jumbled reply whereas Bill Clinton moved across the stage towards the questioner and spoke about the impact he had witnessed on people in Arkansas, where he was governor. | He compounded the error by offering up a jumbled reply whereas Bill Clinton moved across the stage towards the questioner and spoke about the impact he had witnessed on people in Arkansas, where he was governor. |
| In 2004, George W Bush appeared flustered when asked to name three mistakes he had made as president. | In 2004, George W Bush appeared flustered when asked to name three mistakes he had made as president. |
| Final debate | Final debate |
| The third and final presidential debate will be held next Monday at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida. | The third and final presidential debate will be held next Monday at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida. |
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