ELECTION QUESTION:
C M Y K
— 13—
Which U.S. president was elected four times?
...George Washington ...Franklin Roosevelt ...James Buchanan ...Ronald Reagan
Following
a Debate
BARACK OBAMA, DEMOCRAT
JOHN MCCAIN, REPUBLICAN
QUESTION
QUESTION
YES • NO
YES • NO
ACTION
ACTION
EXPLANATION
EXPLANATION
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
STEP 1
STEP 2
13X, , 2001
Choose one question asked of presidential candidates in a debate, press conference or on the campaign trail.
Indicate whether the candidate answered yes or no
and if the candidate talked about an action that he
has taken or will take on the matter.
STEP 3
Then record his explanation of the action’s effectiveness.
STEP 4
After the debates, read reports and opinions and determine if you and your classmates agree with commentaries about who won and lost.
State level candidates also participate in debates. Check TV listings and other calendars of election events
to determine when they will be broadcast. When possible, attend local political forums in which state and
local candidates speak.
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50
40
30
20
To learn more about the format for each debate and find out who qualifies to participate, visit the Web site
for the Commission on Presidential Debates (www.debates.org). Voters can submit questions over the Internet during the second debate. Discuss the history of presidential debates and the rules established for the
current debates.
ANSWER: Franklin D. Roosevelt
FACTS
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GETTING THE
On separate sheets of paper, draw outlines like the ones above. Record information you gain while watching
presidential and vice-presidential debates on TV. The Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored
presidential debates since it was established in 1987. This fall, debates are scheduled for September 26 at
the University of Mississippi in Oxford, October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and October
15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Vice-presidential candidates will debate on October 2 at
Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
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80
90
In the space for “response,” write how others (editorialists, other candidates, people in the crowd or
audience) responded to the candidate’s position. Or
write your own response.
Lesson Activity: Watching the Presidential Debates
Name: ______________
Date: ______________
HANDOUT: How the Media Covers the Debates
Instructions: Pick a newspaper article or television show and fill out the following worksheet:
1. Title of debate article?
2. What kind of media (television, newspaper, internet, other) was reviewed?
3. What does the reporter say about the debates?
4. Does the reporter mention the elements of the debate listed on your ballot: analysis, evidence,
reasoning, cross-fire, rebuttal, delivery? Does the reporter's discussion of the debate match your
own ratings?
5. What other criteria does the reporter use?
6. Discuss the article and why you think the reporter may have written about the debate the way
he or she did.
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