Let's Watch the Debate Together

Plus, tips on what to look for on tonight's presidential debate

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will meet tonight in Philadelphia for the very first time. Not just their first debate, the first time they’ve ever met.

First, like we did with the first debate, we’ll watch it together here live on Substack at 9:00 pm ET.

I’m curious:

Here are some tips on watching a presidential debate:

1. Keep an open mind. Smart people change their minds when presented with new and better information. And if you love being right, the fastest way to do that is to stop being wrong faster. So approach the debate from the perspective of, “What can I learn?” Learning doesn’t require you to agree, but it’s difficult to learn if you aren’t even open to it.

2. Understand the format. If you don’t, you might be confused. This 90 minute debate will not have a live audience, so you won’t hear clapping and cheers (aside from maybe the ones coming from your own living room). The microphones will be muted when it is not a turn for the candidate to be speaking. Each candidate will have two minutes to answer the moderators’ question, two minutes for a rebuttal (response to the other candidate), and then an additional minute for follow-ups. They will each have a note pad and pen, but cannot bring pre-written notes or speak to their staff during the commercial breaks.

3. Pay attention to what they don’t say or refuse to talk about. Political candidates are famous for sidestepping direct questions and instead saying things like, “Well, that certainly is an important topic, but I want to quickly go back to something you just said, which is…” Or they will answer a question with another question, like, “The real question is not, ‘Is the moon made of green cheese,’ the real question is, ‘why is candidate Bob not being forthcoming with their campaign disclosures?’” What they refuse to talk about can be just as telling as what they answer.

4. Observe candidate behavior. Debates are stressful. There is so much riding on these 90 minutes, and everything they say can and will be used against them and then later dissected for history. How a candidate conducts themselves during times of stress matters, as being the president is a challenging job. Are they full of contempt? Can they clearly articulate a point? Their default settings when under pressure give a lot of insight into what they’re like behind the scenes.

5. Understand the role of the moderator. Debate moderators have worked with their team to come up with the questions that will be asked, and often spend dozens of hours preparing. But the moderator is not there to fact-check candidates in real time. Their job is to ask the questions and enforce the agreed upon rules. Read more about how moderators prepare here.

Want to connect with other Governerds tonight during the debate? Set a reminder on your phone and join us in the chat here — this is open to all subscribers.