In US's big presidential fields, who gets how much debate time?

Attention on 'top tier' candidates in this week's debates prompts calls for a more evenhanded format.

from the June 7, 2007 edition

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In fact, CNN's Wolf Blitzer stole the show during Tuesday night's debate among the Republican hopefuls, according to a "talk clock" that tracked candidates' speaking time. Set up by the campaign of Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, the clock showed that Mr. Blitzer spoke for 19-1/2 minutes, compared with about 12-1/2 minutes for Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, and 11 for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Tommy Thompson, former secretary of Health and Human Services, didn't get his first question until about 14 minutes into the debate – and ended up with 4 minutes, 21 seconds of time total. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee didn't speak until about 17 minutes into the event.

During the Democrats' debate on Sunday night, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois got the most time, with 16 minutes. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards of South Carolina also fared well, Senator Dodd's clock showed. As for Dodd himself? He got 8-1/2 minutes – about half the time of Senator Obama.

"Really nothing about the debate was equitable, from the unprecedented assignment of podiums [with Obama, Senator Clinton, and Mr. Edwards at center stage] to the allotment of time," says Dodd spokeswoman Christy Setzer. "We'll count on the DNC [Democratic National Committee] at future events to mandate some even-handedness."

CNN defended its handling of the debates, including its decision to place at center stage the three candidates with the highest poll numbers or biggest war chests.

"The candidate positions [on stage] were selected based on television angles. CNN felt most questions from the other [Democratic] candidates would be directed at Clinton, Edwards, and Obama, so the decision was made to place them in the center," the network said in a statement. It handled the Republican debate similarly, placing Messrs. Guiliani and Romney and Senator McCain in the middle.

Some analysts disagreed with that decision.

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