Bay Area Newsgroup Newspapers in Education.  The Mercury News, East Bay Times, Marin Independant Journal, Santa Cruz Sentinel.  Classroom Hero image. Bay Area Newsgroup Newspapers in Education.  The Mercury News, East Bay Times, Marin Independant Journal, Santa Cruz Sentinel.  Classroom Hero image.
Home About NIE Sponsor NIE Contact Us
Geography Last Week Front Page Cartoons News Video Words Use the News History Special Report Pulse NASA

Front Page Talking Points

FOR THE WEEK OF OCT. 01, 2012

Live from three campuses in October: Obama and Romney will debate who should lead us

frontpageactionpoints.gif

1.gifLook for advance coverage of Wednesday's debate in Denver. Are any voters or host university students quoted?

2.gifSee if you spot an editorial cartoon or opinion page column about the presidential campaign. Does it express a viewpoint cleverly or effectively?

3.gifCan you spot news about any other political campaign, especially one in your state?

President Obama and Mitt Romney, the Republican who wants his job, face off in three 90-minute debates this month – starting Wednesday at a University of Denver sports arena. This week's event focuses on the economy for half the time and then on other domestic issues such as health care and the role of government.

Each candidate is practicing at mock debates with advisers. At Obama's drills, the role of Romney is filled by John Kerry, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts who has home-state familiarity with the former Republican governor. At Romney's rehearsals, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman stands in for the president. "Debates can be a defining moment for a presidential candidate," says CNN correspondent Jack Cafferty, "and Oct. 3 will be huge." At the University of Akron in Ohio, political scientist David Cohen says it this way: "I am definitely going to get my popcorn out for these debates."

Each will be televised by major networks from 9-10:30 p.m. Eastern time. Jim Lehrer of PBS moderates this Wednesday's leadoff, followed by a vice-presidential candidates' debate between Joe Biden, the Democrat now in office, and Congressman Paul Ryan on Oct. 11 at Centre College in Kentucky. The second presidential showdown is at Hofstra University in New York, where Candy Crowley of CNN moderates a town hall-style debate with citizens asking questions about foreign and domestic issues. In the Oct. 22 finale ar Lynn University in South Florida, Bob Schieffer of CBS will preside over a foreign policy debate.

Debate organizer says: "[The] intention is to have the candidates come prepared for a more in-depth conversation." – Janet Brown, Commission on Presidential Debates executive director, explaining the first-time announcement of topics in advance

Journalist says: "Civics teachers won’t want to hear this, but the easiest way to judge 'victory' in many debates is to watch with the sound turned off so you can assess the candidates’ ease, tenseness, humor and other traits signaled by their body language." – James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic magazine

Civic group leader says: "Debates are still an invaluable opportunity for voters to get first-hand information from the candidates." -- Elisabeth MacNamara, League of Women Voters national president

Front Page Talking Points is written by Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.