The candidates have to endure the format that is agreed upon beforehand. And most formats are flawed because the organizers have different intentions than the candidates. The politician wants to look and sound good, make his or her points, and try to leave the opposition on the defensive. But the sponsors want to get attention, credit or a reputation for clout for their organization. TV outfits want their anchorperson or correspondent to be moderator or a panelist.
Newspapers have the same interest in promoting their particular personality.
So formats vary widely, and we've seen that in the three different debates put on by the six GOP presidential candidates. The best format of the three was the one from Iowa Monday night, with NBC's Tom Brokaw and a local Iowa broadcaster roamed a lower stage. As strolling moderators, they shared the questioning duties from a platform lower than the raised dais that held the six contenders. There was a complex rotation for questions, candidates got to question each other, always a potentially entertaining or illuminating occasion. But any time you have six candidates, the format becomes tedious.