Opinion of Jim Lehrer as moderator

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He really didn't bring them back in when they kept going on and on - the debate style seemed not as formal as it's been in the past.

[Sensei]

very good.

[ChrisFromNJ]

Very, very good.

He gave the candidates a terrific platform to voice their opinions.. and he didn't inject himself into the discussion more than he needed to.

[Alcon]

I liked him, and appreciated how wide-open the questions were.

[Eraserhead]

I thought he was pretty good.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Well it isn't an election season without him doing a debate. I will agree that this was pretty hands off as compared to the last few debates I've seen.

[ilikeverin]

God bless him.  He tried his best, he really did, to keep the candidates from bloviating too much.  They still dodged him as best as they could, but his questions in general weren't too bad, so they had to at least make some sort of intelligent statement before getting to the windbaggery.

[TomC]

He was too anxious for them to spar too early on, he tried to hard to force clash. Luckily, they didn't give in immediately and kept a pretty good pace.

[MODU]

He usually does a good job as a moderator.  I'd rather have him host all four than some of the other stooges that are in the line up.

[Likely Voter]

He was good but I was struck how neither of them were prepared for the format.

The rules allowed them to address each other and to talk straight to eachother. Yet there was only one real moment when Obama did it briefly and poor Lehrer kept saying 'dont tell me, tell him'

[JohnCA246]

He did what a moderator is supposed to do and not become the story.  I can't see many people logically thinking he was biased.

[cp]

I was not impressed. He didn't stop McCain when his interruptions bordered on rude toward the end and he didn't keep Obama or McCain from drifting into stump speeches or 'correcting' them when they spun the answers.

He also admitted about halfway through that he'd gone overtime with his freelance allowance. This benefited Obama, so it's not all bad, but it's a sign of a bad moderator.

[Firefly]

He usually does a good job as a moderator.  I'd rather have him host all four than some of the other stooges that are in the line up.

Agreed.

[King]

Jim Lehrer still a great debate moderator, but I didn't consider this one of his best nights.  It was still above average.  Bad by his standards.

[Nym90]

He did what a moderator is supposed to do and not become the story.  I can't see many people logically thinking he was biased.

Agreed. Will be interested to see if Vorlon still considers him to be.

[Torie]

Lehrer was great. He was fair, and not intrusive, and not only let, but encouraged the candidates to mix it up, which both decided was too off script and dangerous for them to do. A+ for Lehrer. He was the real debate winner.

[WalterMitty]

i was a little worried he was going to drop dead before the thing was over.

he makes mccain look youthful.

[TheresNoMoney]

Very, very good. About as good a debate moderator as I've witnessed in the past 4 years.

Not one bullsh*t question the whole night. He stuck to the issues thankfully.

[RJ]

Lehrer did something I haven't seen in debates on TV before: he let the debate actually happen.

In the past, there was this format in which one candidate gives an answer while the other then gives an answer, and by the time the issue has past viewers can't see exactly what the differences are between either of them are; each debater bores the audience with some long drawn out explanation. This time, the debaters actually addressed each other(Lehrer actually encouraged the candidates to engage each other.) Each style has its perks. With the traditional way, you don't have all that interrupting or someone trying to talk over someone else(I really like that part of it---giving each person the chance to speak.) The two interrupted each other and interjected frequently, and it became difficult to sort out who was saying what. On the other hand, the contrast between the two was more apparent, and it was easier to distinguish who said what. I think this style was more beneficial to Obama than McCain.

Overall, Lehrer's style of letting the candidates have at it was effective enough, but I don't know if I'd like to see every debate in this format. Lehrer did a good enough job of it. I think he did so because he recognized the fact that the electorate is polarized and the public wanted to see the two snipe at each other directly and not through some campaign ad.