Detailed Time/Question Analysis of Debate

[Alan Brown Jr.]

I've completed a detailed analysis of the presidential debate.

Candidate - Questions/Rebuttals - Speaking Time

Perry: - 22 - 16:30
Romney: - 14 - 12:04
Bachmann: - 10 - 9:20
Huntsman - 9 - 9:58
Paul - 9 - 9:19
Gingrich - 6 - 6:59
Santorum - 6 - 6:13
Cain - 6 - 5:49

It scientifically confirms media favoritism (again) - the debate was practically a Perry/Romney infomercial. Perry got over twice the average time/questions/rebuttals. The media narrative that Perry and Romney dominated the debate is because - they staged it that way.

The differences are magnified if you add in the time spent on each candidate by the moderator (who spoke most of all.) They are multiplied further still by different questions being asked of each candidate - such as skipping some candidates on key issues like jobs or health care, or posing more politically risky questions to certain candidates, and selectively offering/denying rebuttals. A truly equal debate would allow every candidate the opportunity to explain his or her views on the same questions.

It would be an inadequate defense to claim correlation of speaking time to poll averages, as Paul would be third and Hunstsman dead last, with others placing differently as well. Beyond that, the public deserves equal time to hear each candidate - not a media bias to solidify positions and discouraging poll movement.

Below is the full second by second report and reference video in case anyone wants to double-check my numbers.

 

[Alan Brown Jr.]

Debate video reference for times:


Perry
Questions/Rebuttals: 22
Overall: 2:20-4:12 7:08-7:42 21:46-23:39 31:27-32:44 38:15-38:48 40:14-42:48 44:07-44:48 48:12-49:15 57:47-59:20 .1:06-.2:15 12:50-14:00 17:52-19:54 25:33-27:39 32:54-34:47
Candidate: 2:52-3:21 3:31-4:12 7:14-7:42 8:37-8:41 20:04-20:12 22:04-23:03 23:06-23:39 31:44-32:41 38:22-38:48 40:38-41:43 42:09-42:48 44:14-44:48 48:15-49:15 58:14-59:20 .1:11-.2:15 13:16-13:53 18:11-19:11 19:21-19:55 25:45-26:48 26:57-27:39 33:14-34:00 34:12-34:47
Speaking Time: 29,41,28,64,8,59,33,57,26,65,39,34,60,66,64,37,60, 34,63,42,46,35 - 990 seconds 16:30 minutes


Romney
Questions/Rebuttals: 14
Overall: 4:13-7:08 19:25-21:46 32:54-34:18 42:49-44:07 50:33-51:33 .2:17-.3:36 11:29-12:50 16:27-17:51 13:38-32:54
Candidate: 4:38-5:43 5:57-6:36 6:45-7:08 7:50-8:34 8:43-8:47 20:31-21:46 33:05-34:18 43:04-44:07 50:38-51:33 .2:27-.3:36 12:23-12:50 16:30-17:51 31:05-32:08 32:12-32:54
Speaking Time: 65,39,23,44,5,75,73,63,55,69,27,81,63,42 - 724 seconds 12:04 minutes

Bachmann
Questions/Rebuttals: 10
Overall: 13:28-14:54 25:01-26:17 34:21-35:23 47:15-48:11 6:16-8:14 14:01-14:41 19:55-22:19 27:42-29:04
Candidate: 13:48-14:54 25:10-26:12 34:23-35:23 47:18-48:11 6:39-7:26 7:38-8:14 14:01-14:41 20:12-21:22 21:38-22:19 27:49-29:04
Speaking Time: 66,62,60,53,57,36,40,70,41,75 - 560 seconds 9:20 minutes

Huntsman
Questions/Rebuttals: 9
Overall: 11:36-13:27 23:43-25:00 35:24-36:56 56:11-57:47 9:01-10:13 14:42-16:26 23:53-25:33
Candidate: 12:01-13:26 23:51-25:00 35:28-36:32 56:18-57:47 9:01-10:13 14:48-15:21 15:28-16:26 24:16-24:22 24:31-25:33
Speaking Time: 85,69,64,89,72,33,58,66,62 - 598 seconds 9:58 minutes

Paul
Questions/Rebuttals: 9
Overall: 14:56-17:19 36:34-38:14 38:50-39:39 45:45-47:14 52:21-55:08 10:13-11:29 36:10-38:56
Candidate: 15:26-16:18 16:35-17:20 36:40-38:14* 38:53-39:39 46:06-47:14 52:26-53:25 54:07-55:07 10:14-11:28 36:45-37:58
Speaking Time: 50,45,84,46,68,59,60,74,73 - 559 seconds 9:19 minutes

Gingrich
Questions/Rebuttals: 6
Overall: 17:23-19:14 26:17-27:45 51:34-52:21 59:21-.0:35 .3:36-.4:58 29:04-13:38
Candidate: 17:44-19:07 26:29-27:36 51:36-52:21 59:31-.0:35 .3:44-.4:58 29:12-30:38
Speaking Time: 83,67,45,64,74,86 - 419 seconds 6:59 minutes

Santorum
Questions/Rebuttals: 6
Overall: 9:00-10:25 29:15-31:28 49:15-50:33 .4:58-.6:16 22:20-23:52
Candidate: 9:17-10:25 29:54-31:23 49:29-50:33 .4:58-.5:45 .5:53-.6:16 22:30-23:52
Speaking Time: 68,89,64,47,23,82 - 373 seconds 6:13 minutes

Cain
Questions/Rebuttals: 6
Overall: 10:26-11:35 27:45-29:11 44:48-45:42 55:08-56:11 8:14-9:01 34:47-36:09
Candidate: 10:26-11:35 28:04-29:11 44:48-45:42 55:23-56:11 8:15-9:01 35:04-36:09
Speaking Time: 69,67,54,48,46,65 - 349 seconds - 5:49 minutes


*Cut off by moderator for 10 seconds

Dr. Paul was cut off by the moderator after 70 seconds, and they attempted it on the first question which was less than 60 seconds. As you can see, many candidates went over 70 seconds without similar treatment.

Using the data provided, it would be possible to determine roughly how much time the moderator got, or how much time was spent overall on each candidate... but I spent too much time on it already.

 

[Maximus]

It's amazing that everyone was saying that Bachmann "disappeared" when she got the most after The Anointed Two.

Huntsman had far too many questions relative to his position. He shouldn't even be on stage.

 

[Oddone]

Perry: 22 + Romney: 14 = 36
Bachmann: 10 + Huntsman: 9 + Paul: 9 + Gingrich: + 6 = 34

Perry and Romney had more questions and rebuttals combined than the next 4 candidates!

 

[malkusm]

Guys, you're not accurately reflecting the bias if you go by time alone. What's equally important is: When the candidates were asked questions, what was the content of those questions? Ron Paul was asked about privatizing food safety and automobile safety, abolishing the minimum wage, and taking away "free" meals from elementary school students. The other candidates were asked about topics that are actually relevant in the election cycle.

 

[Oddone]

Guys, you're not accurately reflecting the bias if you go by time alone. What's equally important is: When the candidates were asked questions, what was the content of those questions? Ron Paul was asked about privatizing food safety and automobile safety, abolishing the minimum wage, and taking away "free" meals from elementary school students. The other candidates were asked about topics that are actually relevant in the election cycle.

Exactly! They didn't even allow him a rebuttal when Santorum called him an Isolationist. First they said, we will be talking about jobs, Ron Paul didn’t get that question. Then on to health care which Ron Paul didn’t get to reply to either. Ron Paul even said during the debate in one of his questions, that they wouldn’t ask him those questions.

 

[Esoteric]

Number of questions is almost in direct proportion to poll numbers, with the exception of Huntsman.

 

[eduardo89]

+rep for all the analysis


Btw: are you this Alan Brown jr. http://www.facebook.com/groups/136472893086131/ ?

 

[Ekrub]

It's MSDNC, no surprise they would give the most questions to the liberals on the stage.

 

[pauladin]

i can't wait til the field gets narrowed down so that ron can get some more speaking time.

 

[RonPaulCult]

+Rep to you for taking the time to do something I've been wanting to do these past few days. Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[anaconda]

Huntsman had far too many questions relative to his position. He shouldn't even be on stage.

I believe I have figured Huntsman out. Huntsman is a key player for the establishment. In a surreal irony, he looks like a maverick because he appears "against the grain" of "extremism" which, to a degree, all of the candidates are embracing in various degrees (known as the "Tea Party"). He is coming off as the bridge-builder-sane-pragmatic-realist. He is there to make any candidate's micro-incremental move towards Tea Party-dom appear larger than it really is. He "magnifies" the stature of every globalist hack's lip service of Tea Party ideals. So that they can come off looking very "Tea Party" but in reality committing to nothing substantive.

 

[Rudeman]

A good portion of the start seemed like the Governor's debate. Also the type of questions RP was the most aggravating thing, they asked pretty much everyone (if not everyone) but Paul about Health Care even though Paul is the only doctor on stage. One would think it might be useful to get the POV from a doctor.

 

[Alan Brown Jr.]

Guys, you're not accurately reflecting the bias if you go by time alone. What's equally important is: When the candidates were asked questions, what was the content of those questions? Ron Paul was asked about privatizing food safety and automobile safety, abolishing the minimum wage, and taking away "free" meals from elementary school students. The other candidates were asked about topics that are actually relevant in the election cycle.

A very fair point, which multiplies the the media manipulation effect. A truly equal debate would have the candidates answering the same questions. I'll add that consideration to the analysis.

Btw: are you this Alan Brown jr. http://www.facebook.com/groups/136472893086131/ ?

Yes, I am.

 

[TheTyke]

I believe I have figured Huntsman out. Huntsman is a key player for the establishment. In a surreal irony, he looks like a maverick because he appears "against the grain" of "extremism" which, to a degree, all of the candidates are embracing in various degrees (known as the "Tea Party"). He is coming off as the bridge-builder-sane-pragmatic-realist. He is there to make any candidate's micro-incremental move towards Tea Party-dom appear larger than it really is. He "magnifies" the stature of every globalist hack's lip service of Tea Party ideals. So that they can come off looking very "Tea Party" but in reality committing to nothing substantive.

Good point... it can useful to have people to set the boundaries of the debates (on either "side") as we found out from Gurley Martin in Rand's race. Although I thought Huntsman sounded a bit extreme himself with the climate change stuff.

 

[Royksopp]

Number of questions is almost in direct proportion to poll numbers, with the exception of Huntsman.

that is quite a good point actually.

Surprised at how many questions Bachmann got. I can barely remember her saying anything. She really did poorly.

 

[pacelli]

i can't wait til the field gets narrowed down so that ron can get some more speaking time.

No so fast-- during the 08 CNN debate at the Reagan library, there were 4 candidates, and it was a McCain/Romney debate with Huckabee & Paul occasionally getting questions.

 

[IRONCLAD]

Thanks for the info and I will also agree with the off topic question they asked Ron Paul.


BTW - i was linked to this page from Facebook.

 

[PaulConventionWV]

Number of questions is almost in direct proportion to poll numbers, with the exception of Huntsman.

And Bachmann. Some of Ron Paul's time came from rebuttals, whereas most of Michele's time was just from questions alone.

 

[lx43]

This debate was completely unfair and biased towards Dr. Paul; the only reason I watched was because RP on was on there.

I think Santorium is trying to revitalize his political career or become VP material-he stinks either way.