The first presidential “debate” takes place tonight at 9pm EST before an expected 50 million viewers.

As you have likely heard, each candidate signed a 32-page contract (PDF) agreeing there will be no candidate-to-candidate questions, no rebuttals and no follow-up questions.

Some of the rules are so particular, such as the height of the podiums must be the same, but 10 feet apart (apparently a condition required by Bush so he doesn’t appear as short as he really is against Kerry).

Cameras must not include both candidates in the same frame at the same time when one is speaking. Bush made good use of this rule when debating Gore in 2000. When the camera was on Gore, Bush was kicking up a scene off-camera, rolling his eyes and making ridiculous faces and gestures to break Gore down. Interesting tactic.

From 1976 to 1984 the League of Women Voters organized more open presidential debates and had hardcore moderators. The Republican and Democratic parties took over when they decided the format didn’t serve their needs, so now they completely control the “show” under the guise of an independent org called the Commission on Presidential Debates. Funding and organization is provided by pharmaceutical and gambling heavyweights, and corporations like Phillip Morris. All corporate sponsors may display banners and distribute protest materials at the event for their own lobbyist purposes.

The contracts also make it illegal for the Bush and Kerry to debate elsewhere, and no other “third” parties or candidates can enter the debate. Weird too, is the contract says:

The debate will take place before a live audience of between 100 and 150 persons who… describe themselves as likely voters who are soft Bush supporters or soft Kerry supporters.

The audience must observe in complete silence. The parties control the questions and topics, all rehearsed beforehand.

Kerry’s got his spray tan prepped too. Drudge’s headline yesterday was “Orange Alert”:

Basically, as Ken Adelman said on NPR, the candidates are hoping for a magic moment, since 90% of the speak will be standard rhetoric. Fun fun.

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