Officials at the University of Denver spent their Presidents Day unveiling preparations for the 2012 Presidential Debate to be held there. Nice to know some people still have a flare for the dramatic.
The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) selected DU to host the first of three 2012 Presidential debates on October 3, 2012.
Along with a snazzy new logo, the freshly launched website for the DU Debate also includes a countdown timer and a calendar of 8 events leading up to the debate itself. Events include a re-enactment of the 1858 debate between Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas, and a series of lectures.
DU expects upwards of 3,000 journalists to attend and cover the debate, and has also made 150-200 tickets available to its students via a raffle. Unfortunately, tickets will not be available to the general public.
As a battleground state, Colorado’s growing importance in the 2012 elections likely aided in the selection process. While the national effect of winning a debate may only be a 5 percent bump in the polls (at best), Colorado political scientists expect the debate will greatly increase engagement locally.
Colorado also has a special significance for President Barack Obama’s higher education plan, a topic that has been on the minds of students and politicians alike. When the debate takes place, it’ll be nearly a year since Obama announced his plans to ease student loan debt.
For candidates to be invited to debate, the CPD mandates:
In addition to being Constitutionally eligible, candidates must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning a majority vote in the Electoral College, and have a level of support of at least 15% (fifteen percent) of the national electorate as determined by five selected national public opinion polling organizations, using the average of those organizations’ most recent publicly-reported results at the time of the determination.
The Associated Press reports subsequent debates will take place October 16 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York; October 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida; and a vice presidential debate October 11 at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
The formats of the four debates have not been announced yet, though the CPD is considering more Internet initiatives.
