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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Oct 16, 2012
October 16, 2012
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Along the campaign trail:
It's presidential debate Number Two, this one on the campus of at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island.
Just what will we hear from PRESIDENT OBAMA in tonight's debate? Will it be strong on policy, personal attacks, or a bit of both?
The president's liberal base has been screaming since the last debate for Mr Obama to ride MITT ROMNEY hard again on his tax returns, his Bain Capital years and his "47-percent" remark he made to big-dollar donors that was secretly recorded a few months ago. But harping on those items might be easier said than done at this late stage in the campaign. Bringing up any of those on a national stage, he also gives Romney an opportunity refute any such attacks. And honestly, you have to be pretty disconnected from the whole process not to have heard anything about those issues.
There are the public rules for each presidential debate --how long the candidates get for each answer, how long they get to respond-- and then there are the secret rules their campaigns agreed to in a memorandum of understanding with the Commission on Presidential Debates. That memorandum is now public, posted by Time magazine, and it basically shows what wimps the two candidates are.
They aren't permitted to ask each other questions, propose pledges to each other, or walk outside a "pre-designated area." These are things that they agreed to. And for the town-hall-style debate tomorrow night, the audience members posing questions aren't allowed to ask follow-ups (their mics will be cut off as soon as they get their questions out). Nor will moderator CANDY CROWLEY.
Strangest restriction: No reaction shots. The rules forbid television coverage from showing reaction shots of the candidates: "No TV cutaways to any candidate who is not responding to a question while another candidate is answering a question or to a candidate who is not giving a closing statement while another candidate is doing so." Given how split-screens have dominated the debate coverage, at least TV networks don't care what the candidates or the Commission want. Others campaign demands:
The town hall will be strictly regulated. In the town hall debate Tuesday, Candy Crowley "shall select the questioners, but she may not 'coach' the questioners." Questioners cannot ad lib their questions. Crowley cannot ask follow-ups. If a questioner tries to as a follow-up, or --quote-- "any audience member attempts to pose any question or statement different than that previously posed to the moderator for review," their mic will be cut off.
No moving. For tonight's town hall debate, "each candidate may move about in a pre-designated area, as proposed by the Commission and approved by each campaign, and may not leave that area while the debate is underway."
No show of hands. This could be because Obama keeps attacking Romney for raising his hand at a Republican primary debate when the candidates were asked whether they'd take a deal that was 10 parts spending cuts to 1 part tax increases. Or it's just because those questions are inexact and frustrating.
No shout outs. The candidates are forbidden from calling out to a person in the audience unless it's a family member.
No accessories. Romney is not allowed to bring his PowerPoint or any other "tangible things."
No nicknames. The moderator shall address the president as PRESIDENT OBAMA or Mr President. Romney will be addressed as Governor Romney or wood.
No direct questions. Obama and Romney aren't supposed to ask each other stuff, like "What about that time you had sex with your dog?"
No demanding anyone take a pledge.
No audience clapping.
No sweat. "The Commission shall use best efforts to maintain an appropriate temperature as agreed to by the campaigns." (Maiman)Broadcast, cable and video news:
Former "Saturday Night Live" stars TINA FEY and AMY POEHLER will be co-hosting this year's "70th Annual Golden Globe Awards" live from the Beverly Hilton in Hollywood this coming Jan 13.
Tina has previously won a Golden Globe award herself and Amy has been nominated for one as well. After appearing on "SNL," they've both moved on to bigger things; Tina to "30 Rock" and Amy to "Parks and Recreation."Grace notes:
THE ROLLING STONES have made it official. There will be a 50th anniversary tour this fall...of exactly four shows. The band will do two concerts at London's O2 Arena on November 25th and 29th, and two more at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on December 13th and 15th. The U.S. dates were originally supposed to be at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but obviously that's been changed. MICK, KEITH, CHARLIE and RON even did a YouTube video to announce the tour. If you can't get to London or Newark, the final New Jersey show will be a pay-per-view special. Word is the Stones will take home 25.7-million bucks from these four concerts, and KEITH RICHARDS told BBC 6Music that there may be more, including the UK's Glastonbury festival next summer.
FYI: The Hollywood Reporter ran a story on the Stones tour yesterday, but, instead of running a photo of the band, they ran one of DAVID JOHANSEN of the NEW YORK DOLLS! The website was corrected a few hours later. (Marino)Webslinger update:
Post online. Drive traffic. Boss happy.
Is there any song that sounds catchier right now (or more annoying) than the global smash hit "Gangnam Style" by South Korean pop star PSY?
OK, how about the Ghostbusters theme song? RAY PARKER, Jr's 1984 hit was No. 1 for three weeks and has been rattling around in some of our heads ever since. And guess what it matches up with real well? So here's the video mash-up of "Ghostbusters" and "Gangnam Style." It's a disturbingly good mixing. (Maiman) -
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