LWVRI Schedules a Full Season of Candidate Debates

The League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and ABC6-TV, in collaboration with Bryant University and WRNI public radio, will hold this fall seven one-hour debates for eligible candidates running for Rhode Island Congressional Districts 1 and 2 and for Rhode Island Governor.

RI Governor Candidates' Debate
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Bryant University's Bello Center
MORE INFO

Debate Schedule    |   Primary Debate Videos    |   General Election Debate Videos

The first six debates will be held at the ABC6-TV studio. All will be broadcast live on Newschannel 5 (Channel 5 on Cox cable) and on ABC6-TV digital station 6.2 (Channel 62 on Cox digital and 6.2 on digital aentennas). WRNI (1290 AM in Providence and 102.7 FM in Westerly) will broadcast all the debates live. The final debate featuring the gubernatorial candidates will be held at Bryant University from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. and will also be televised live on ABC 6. The debates will also be rebroadcast in their entirety on Newschannel 5 and on the LWVRI website. Check this website for the latest updates and the times of the rebroadcasts.

The panelists will pose all the questions, but the public may propose questions to be asked of any candidate at the LWVRI Web site or by emailing the RI League at state@lwvri.org.

FORMAT

A. Moderators, Timers and Panelists:
The debates will be moderated by ABC6-TV News Anchor John DeLuca and timed by LWVRI.  ABC6-TV political reporter Mark Curtis will serve as one of the three questioners at all of the debates.  Other panelists include non-partisan media specialists Warwick Beacon publisher John Howell, WRNI education reporter Elisabeth Harrison, WRNI political analyst Scott MacKay, WRNI political reporter Ian Donnis, Newport Daily News editor Sheila Mullowney, New Media producer Reza Clifton, Providence Journal syndicated columnist Froma Harrop, Woonsocket Call/Pawtucket Times publisher Barry Mechanic, and Providence Journal political reporter Ed Fitzpatrick.  Those nine media specialists will be joined by the following three non-partisan academic political experts: University of Rhode Island journalism professor Barbara Meagher, Providence College political science professor Bill Hudson, and Brown University political science professor Ross Cheit.

B. Questions:
After a brief welcome and introductions, panelists will ask candidates, in rotation, two kinds of concise (15 second), issue-oriented questions: issue discussion inquiries and lightning round questions.

1. Issue Discussion Inquiries:  The first kind of question should evoke lively if time-limited discussions of pertinent issues in order to give voters a better understanding of policies or proposals that candidates specifically promote or oppose, and why.
   
   Direct Answers and Comments:   The candidate directly asked an issue discussion question will have one minute to answer it; other candidate(s) will then have 45 seconds each to comment on that direct answer. 
   
   Wildcards:   In addition, all candidates will be accorded a limited but equal number of wildcards.  Wildcards are optional 30-second opportunities to make additional comment(s) on the issue being discussed.  They will be represented by numbered cards given to each candidate, and their use will be recorded by LWVRI on a chart visible to the audience.  Any unused wildcard time will be added to that allotted for a candidate's closing statement.
   
   The number of direct issue discussion questions to be asked of each candidate and the number of wildcards allotted to each candidate will depend upon the number of candidates who participate in a particular one-hour debate.
    
2. Lightning Round Questions:  The second kind of question should evoke largely yes-or-no gut reactions in a final lightning round in order to give voters a sense of candidates' convictions or some insight into core ethical or moral beliefs that drive their policies.
   
   Direct Answers and Comments:   Candidates will have thirty seconds to answer each direct question and fifteen seconds to comment on another's direct answer.  No wildcards may be used in a lightning round.
   
   The number of lightning round questions to be asked of each candidate will depend upon the number of candidates who participate in a particular one-hour debate.

CANDIDATE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To participate in state-wide debates and voter service projects approved and sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, as approved by the LWVRI Board of Directors on March 25, 2010, candidates must have attained

1. Constitutional Eligibility - the candidate must meet the requirements of the Rhode Island State Constitution and the Constitution of the United States; and
    
2. Ballot Access - the candidate must be included on a list of candidates according to filings required under Rhode Island State Election Laws 17-14-16, Certification of names of candidates to secretary of state; and
    
3. Campaign Organization - the candidate must have established a campaign committee and have filed campaign finance reports with the Rhode Island Board of Elections according to Rhode Island State Election Laws 17-25, Rhode Island Campaign Contribution and Expenditures Reporting.
    

GROUND RULES

The following general rules will prevail:

1. Candidates will arrive 30-45 minutes before air time.  The speaking order of candidates will then be determined by lot (1, 2, 3) but closing statements will be given in opposite order (3, 2, 1).  The general rules and format will also be reviewed.  The final 10-15 minutes before the debate will be spent on stage or in studio working with lighting and sound technicians.
    
2. Whether a program is aired off-site or from the ABC6 studio, the audience will consist of a limited number of guests selected by each candidate and by LWVRI.   In the latter case, guests may watch the debate not in the studio but on TV in a nearby conference room. 
    
3. No signs, props or other campaign materials will be allowed in any studio or auditorium, but LWVRI and ABC6 TV placards will be displayed.
    
4. Candidates will be seated as directed and all cell phones must be turned off.   No audio or video recordings may be made of the program other than that made by ABC6-TV and copyrighted by LWVRI.  Any copies of the program may be shown only in their entirety and by specific permission from LWVRI.
    
5. Questions, answers and comments will be timed by LWVRI; a yellow 15-SECONDS-TO-GO card and a red STOP card will be prominently displayed off camera.  The moderator will interrupt if a time limit is exceeded by more than a candidate's briefly completing a sentence.
    
6. Candidates may not interrupt one another and will make every effort to answer the questions asked.
    
7. Personal attacks will not be allowed.  The moderator will interrupt anyone making such an attack.
    
8. No TelePrompTers or close-ups of props will be provided.
    
9. ABC6 will show no audience reaction shots during a debate televised out of studio.  Wide shots before and after are permissible.
    
10. Candidates are NOT allowed to use audio or video from the debate, no matter how it has been obtained, in or for commercial advertising.

The Voter Service Committee is headed by LWVRI off-Board Voter Service Chair Marie Hennedy who can be contacted at mariehennedy@verizon.net. Committee members include Jane Koster, Pam Ancheta, and Joanne DeVoe.

Two more ABC-televised debates for Providence mayoral candidates on September 2 and October 6 are being produced by LWV Providence; its contact person is Joan Retsinas: retsinas@verizon.net.

LWVRI-ABC6 Debate Details

ABC6-TV news anchor John DeLuca will moderate all debates, and ABC6-TV political reporter Mark Curtis will serve on all panels of questioners.  Here are the dates, times, candidates, and non-ABC panelists participating in LWVRI's seven debates:

Monday, August 30, 8-9 p.m. Primary Debate for Republican candidates for RI Congressional District 2: William J. Clegg III, Michael J. Gardiner, Donald F. Robbio and Mark S. Zaccaria with panelists Warwick Beacon/Cranston Herald publisher John Howell and WRNI education reporter Elisabeth Harrison.

Tuesday, August 31, 8-9 p.m. Primary Debate for Democratic candidates for RI Congressional District 1: David N. Cicilline, William J. Lynch, David A. Segal, and Anthony P. Gemma with panelists WRNI political analyst Scott MacKay and Newport Daily News editor Sheila Mullowney.

Wednesday, September 1, 8-9 p.m. Primary Debate for Democratic candidates for RI Congressional District 2: Elizabeth M. Dennigan, Ernest A. Greco, and James R. Langevin with panelists URI journalism professor Barbara Meagher and WRNI political analyst Scott MacKay.

Friday, September 10, 8-9 p.m. Primary Debate Republican candidates for RI Governor: Victor G. Moffitt and John F. Robitaille with panelists Providence College political science professor Bill Hudson and WRNI political reporter Ian Donnis.

Wednesday, October 13, 8-9 p.m. Debate for all eligible candidates for RI Congressional District 2 with panelists WRNI political reporter Ian Donnis and New Media producer Reza Clifton.

Wednesday, October 20, 8-9 p.m. Debate for all eligible candidates for RI Congressional District 1 with panelists Providence Journal syndicated columnist Froma Harrop and Woonsocket Call/Pawtucket Times publisher Barry Mechanic.

Wednesday, October 27, 7-8 p.m. at Bryant University, Smithfield, R.I. Debate for all eligible candidates for RI Governor including independent Lincoln D. Chafee with panelists Providence Journal political reporter Ed Fitzpatrick and Brown University political science professor Ross Cheit.