George Farah

Broadcast to tens of millions of Americans, the presidential debates are the Super Bowl of politics. A good performance before the cameras can vault a contender to the front of the pack, while a gaffe spells national embarrassment and can savage a candidacy. The slim margin for error has led the two major parties to seek-and achieve, under the aegis of the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates-tight control through scripting, severe time limits,...