WASHINGTON
Television viewership records could be broken, Hillary Clinton will have a bigger podium and the first question and moderator Lester Holt is a Republican, not a Democrat as Donald Trump said.
Those are just a few facts to know before tonight’s first presidential debate between Clinton and Trump. Here are more:
How do I watch?
The debate starts at 9 p.m. EDT and will run for at least 90 minutes – without commercials.
Here’s a list of all the outlets broadcasting or streaming Monday’s debate at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. They include every major broadcast outlet and half a dozen digital news sites.
What’s the deal with the podium?
Clinton is much shorter than Trump – she stands at 5’4 while Trump is 6’2. The shorter podium is meant to compensate for the height difference between the two candidates.
September 25, 2016 ">
This isn’t the first time debate podiums have been an issue. George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis’ campaigns openly sparred about the height of debate podiums in 1988.
The compromise: Bush used a 48-inch podium and Dukakis used a 41-inch podium and stood on a small riser. Bush stood 6’2 while Dukakis was 5’8.
What issues will be discussed?
Anything, really. The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the topics as “America’s Direction,” “Achieving Prosperity” and “Securing America.”
That leaves a lot of space for different issues to come up, or for both candidates to retreat to talking points.
It’s likely that the economy and immigration will feature heavily.
Lester Holt steps into the hot-seat
A third-party candidate didn’t make the debates, but all eyes will be on a third person – debate moderator Lester Holt.
Trump accused Holt of being a Democrat last week, but it was quickly discovered that the NBC anchor has been a registered Republican since 2003.
His colleague Matt Lauer was widely panned for his performance at a candidate forum early in September, and social media will be ready to pounce at the first sign of partisanship.
Right now, it looks like Holt will refrain from ardent fact-checking, but he hasn’t said one way or the other if he will correct the candidates. Clinton’s camp wants him to do so.
Will the debate break TV records?
The record television audience in the United States is 100 million viewers for the M.A.S.H. finale in 1983.
Monday’s debate could approach that mark, which is usually reserved for series finales and Super Bowls.
About one in 10 voters are open to changing their vote based on what they hear at the debate, according to analysis by Deep Root Analytics, a Virginia-based media analytics company.
The group’s debate viewership survey of 869 registered voters on September 19 and 20 found that Monday’s debate will draw nearly two-thirds of registered voters and Trump supporters are more likely to watch the debate.
The numbers
National polls have tightened in recent weeks, with Trump now leading or closing the gap in many battleground states.
But Clinton still has more ways to win 270 electoral votes.
There are more undecided voters in 2016 than in 2012, as Trump has made gains among white voters. Clinton leads among minorities and voters with a college degree.
September 26, 2016