On November 8th of this year, New Jersey voters will elect a new governor.
On October 18, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey will sponsor
a candidate debate among Hector Castillo, Jon Corzine, Douglas Forrester
and Jeffrey Pawlowski, candidates for Governor of New Jersey.
Watching the Debate
Candidate debates have a long history in American politics. At every
level of government - from city council to state legislature, from
Congress to President of the United States - candidates participate
in debates to help voters understand who and what they stand for.
Watching debates is an important way for voters to learn more about
the candidates and the issues before the election, so that they can
cast an informed vote. At the same time, voters need to view debates
with a careful eye to get the most information. Candidates rehearse
thoroughly for debates, making it hard to get candid, spontaneous
answers. Debates can emphasize form over substance, such as the candidates'
appearance instead of their stands on the issues. You may watch a
debate and still not get answers to the questions you have about the
candidates and issues.
You can get the most out of a debate by thinking about the issues
and candidates in advance, by viewing the debate with care, and by
continuing to research the issues and the candidates after the debate.
Format of the Debate
A debate is an event at which candidates who are running for an elected
office meet face-to-face to answer questions that are asked of them.
This gives the candidates a chance to state their views and to respond
to their opponents' statements. It gives viewers a chance to directly
compare the candidates and their positions.
The October 18 debate broadcast will be broadcast live from The College
of New Jersey. The candidates will appear on stage before a live audience.
The format for the debate will be questions and answers with timed
responses. The debate will be moderated by anchors Jim Gardner from
WPVI-TV and Diana Williams from WABC-TV. The moderators and newspaper
journalists from The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Star-Ledger and The
Bergen Record will formulate and ask the debate questions. Students
from The College of New Jersey will appear onstage with the candidates.
The one hour debate will begin with an introduction of the candidates
followed by the moderators and panelists asking questions to which
the candidates will respond. There will be a time limit on the candidates'
responses. The questioner may ask follow-up questions to get the candidates
to explain or clarify their responses. The candidates will be given
the opportunity to "cross-examine" or a ask question directly
of each other. At the end of the debate, each candidates will be given
time to make a closing statement. The order of the candidates' responses
to the first question, the seating order and the order of the closing
statements will be determined by a random drawing.
Before the Debate
Thinking about and preparing for the debate before it takes place
will enable you to get the most from watching it. It will familiarize
you with the candidates and issues. The preparation will help you
focus on what to look for in the debate so that you will get the information
you need in deciding who to vote for.
It will help if you take some time before the debate to:
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Follow the campaign to learn about the candidates
and their backgrounds;
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Find out what the important campaign issues are;
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Decide what issues are most important to you;
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Think about the questions you may have and the information
you want to get from the debate to help you in your decision making;
-
Open your mind to new opinions/impressions of the
candidate regardless of party affiliation.
You may want to make plans to get together with friends or family
to watch the debate. Watching the debate in a group and discussing
it afterwards helps to clarify your thoughts about what was said in
the debate and how the candidates performed.
During the Debate
When watching the debate, ask yourself questions like these to help
you judge the fairness of the debate and the performance of the candidates:
The debate format and questions:
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Does the format give each candidate an equal opportunity
to speak and respond to questions?
-
Are the questions clear, fair and equally tough
on all candidates?
-
Do the questions cover the issues that are important
to you?
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Is the moderator in control of the debate? Does
the moderator need to say less and let the candidates say more?
-
Do they answer questions directly, or do they evade
them or fail to answer the specific question?
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Do they give specifics about their stands on the
issues, or do they speak in generalities? Do they support their
positions and arguments with facts and figures?
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Do they talk about their own policies and positions,
or do they mostly attack their opponents?
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Are their proposals realistic? Can they actually
carry out the promises they are making?
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Do they appear sincere, confident and relaxed?
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Do they show how their backgrounds and experience
qualify them to hold the office?
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Are their answers consistent with their previous
positions, and if not, do they explain why?
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What image are they trying to create?
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Do their responses appear overly rehearsed or "canned"?
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If you are watching the debate on television, are
reaction shots or other techniques used to create a sense of drama
or conflict?
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Are you being influenced by comments made by reporters
and commentators immediately before and after the debate?
After the Debate
It will help clarify your thoughts about the candidates and the issues
if you take some time after the debate to reflect on what you have
just seen and heard. You can do this by:
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Comparing your impressions with others who watched
the debate;
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Asking yourself, based on the information you got
from watching the debate, which candidate appears most qualified
for the office;
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Identifying the issues on which you agree with
a candidate and those on which you disagree, and deciding whether
that makes you more or less likely to vote for a particular candidate;
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Asking yourself if you learned something new about
the issues or the candidate;
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Thinking about whether you have more questions
about the issues or the candidates that you want to follow up;
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Getting more information about the candidates'
positions from news reports, candidate Web sites and nonpartisan
voter information Web sites
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Watch later debates for more information or to
confirm your current impressions of the candidates
Conclusion
Candidate debates give voters a chance to hear the candidates
speak and respond to their opponents. They give candidates a chance
to present their message directly to a wide audience. As a voter, asking
yourself the right questions before, during and after the debate can
help you make the most of this opportunity to learn about the candidates
and the issues.
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