Sponsors: ABC News, ABC5 and the Iowa Democratic Party.

Candidates: Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chris Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards, former Sen. Mike Gravel, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and Gov. Bill Richardson  participated.  [all 8 of the candidates].

Moderator: ABC News' George Stephanopoulos with additional questioning from David Yepsen of The Des Moines Register.

Audience: Iowa voters, event sponsors and candidates' guests.

Broadcast: Run nationally as a special edition of This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Format: Ninety minutes; two commercial breaks.  "The debate will be largely a moderator driven event aimed at sparking a conversation between the candidates on the big issues of the day.  To ensure a free flowing conversation that covers a lot of ground, candidates will aim to answer direct questions from the moderator in 60 seconds and follow-ups in 30.  ABCNew.com has also been soliciting questions submitted by viewers for possible inclusion in the debate.  There will be no opening or closing statements and no audience questions."

Background: The ABC News "This Week" Republican Forum occurred two weeks earlier on August 5.

Additional Notes:
-One of the DNC sanctioned debates.  A rare early morning debate.

-Prior to the debate the Democratic campaigns mobilized substantial and spirited visibility efforts in the parking lot provided for that purpose on the other side of University Avenue.  Some of the campaign workers arrived as early as 3 o'clock in the morning.

-In post-debate analysis Arthur Sanders, professor of politics and international relations at Drake University, pointed to the candidates' attempts to distinguish themselves from their opponents.  "They've got to show differences," he said, while noting that, "The differences are not always that great."
 

ABC News press release

More
ISEA ad run in the Aug. 18 Des Moines Register
National Education Association  (plus...Strong American Schools response)
RNC response
 
 

Other primary debates and forums
 

Copyright © 2007  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action