The 90-minute debate will include two commercial breaks, according to the network, and campaign staff may not interact with their candidate during that time.
Both candidates agreed to appear at a uniform podium, and their podium positions will be determined by a coin flip.
Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak. While no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on the stage, candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.
Honestly, it’s perfect. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a heated debate where if someone is an asshole their mic gets muted, and you can still faintly hear them yelling in the background through other people’s mics while conversation continues among the people whose mics are still active. Or, where they try to barge their way over and grab some other mic that’s still active. I’ve observed both of these, and they are exactly what we need right now.
I don’t for a second imagine that this debate will remain civil or with any level of decorum, if it does happen, whatever the rules are. But the optics that could ensue from mic muting are exactly what our political discourse needs right now. Like, completely. To a T.
I might just be too cynical at this point. It’d be fun to see, but at this point I suspect that any attempt to keep Trump, and I won’t pretend to think it’s about anyone but him really given the history, in check will be brushed off as ‘the biased,unfair moderators are just trying to silence him’ rather than convincing any of his followers he might be a bit too volatile for public office.