Questions

NOTE: Read the “Background” below before answering the questions

1. a) Why is the Ohio governor sending the Ohio National Guard to Cleveland on September 29th?
b) How many National Guard members the governor sending?
c) Why do you think officials believe this is necessary? Explain your answer. (If you’re not sure, ask a parent his/her opinion.)

2. List the dates, times, places, moderators and formats for each debate.

3. a) What is the format for this first debate?
b) Who chooses the topics and questions? When will they be announced?

4. List the topic(s) for the first presidential debate.

5. Fox News’ Chris Wallace is the moderator for this debate.

• On March 2, 2020, concluding an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Joe Biden confused what show he was on, telling him at the end of the interview, “alright, Chuck, thank you.” Wallace appeared annoyed and corrected Biden. Biden has since declined to be interviewed by Wallace.
• President Trump sat down for an hourlong interview with Chris Wallace in July. Wallace refuted several statements Trump made about various topics. Wallace was described by the media as “a straight shooter” and a “skillful” interviewer and was complimented for “fact-checking the president’s answers in real time.”

Why do you think Trump supporters do not like the choice of this Fox News anchor as debate moderator?

6. Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates are not invited to participate in the 2020 presidential debates because they did not meet the requirements necessary to qualify:   In 2000, the Commission on Presidential Debates established a rule that for a candidate to be included in the national debates he or she must garner at least 15% support across five national polls.  Wikipedia writes: This rule has been controversial as it has effectively excluded U.S. parties other than the two major parties.
(The only 3rd party candidate allowed to participate in a presidential debate was Ross Perot in 1992. He wound up winning 18.9% of the presidential election vote.)

What do you think about the Commission’s rule that a candidate must have 15% in at least 5 national polls to participate in the debates? Is this fair? Or what should the percentage be? What if a candidate earns 1% in national polls? Does that candidate’s participation add to, or take away from, the benefit of the debate? Explain your answers.

QUESTIONS FOR TUESDAY NIGHT’S DEBATE:

• Read over all questions BEFORE watching the debate.
• While watching the debate, answer #1-5 below or fill out the PDF worksheet.

1. List a question asked by moderator Chris Wallace on each of the six topics he chose:

• The Trump and Biden Records
• The Supreme Court
• COVID-19
• The Economy
• Race and Violence in our Cities
• The Integrity of the Election

2. For which question(s) did one or both candidates not give a direct answer, or not clearly answer the question?

3. A debate moderator’s role is to act as a neutral participant, to hold participants to time limits and to try to keep them from straying off the topic of the questions being raised in the debate. Do you think Chris Wallace fulfilled this role? Explain your answer.

4. Do you think the questions chosen by the moderator helped viewers understand the candidates’ positions on the issues? Explain your answer.

5. Do you think the moderator’s questions were fair to each candidate? Explain your answer.

After filling out the worksheet, answer the following:
6. a) What do you think was President Trump’s best or worst line? Explain your answer.
b) What do you think was Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s best or worst line? Explain your answer.