The biggest moment in the 2016 election has arrived. Monday night, at Hofstra University, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will face off in the first of three presidential debates. As many as 100 million people are expected to tune in and watch the two candidates discuss the issues — and a whole lot more. Here are four things to look for:
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What’s on your screen? You can watch the debate on any of the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX) or cable news channels (MSNBC, CNN, Fox News). C-Span will broadcast the debate and stream it online at CSPAN.org. Twitter and YouTube will also live stream the debate. Each channel gets to decide how they want to package the debate for its audience, so each view will be a little different. Will the channel you are watching provide a fact check?
Who’s the referee? The general rules is if the moderator does a good job you won’t be talking about him the next day. Lester Holt, the host of NBC Nightly News, will moderate the first debate. He has announced three themes for the discussion: “America’s Direction,” “Achieve Prosperity,” and “Securing America.” Will he challenge the candidates on their statements? Will he enforce the time limits on responses?
Did you see that? The candidates will debate for 90 minutes, and the cameras will catch every moment. Will one of the candidates roll their eyes? Will someone look at their watch or take an extra long drink from their glass of water? The body language of the candidates says almost as much as the words that come out of their mouth. What will you be looking for?
The guest lists. Each campaign gets to bring along a few special guests. Trump will have his vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence, a former Marine who helped protect the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi when it was attacked, and Bobby Knight, former Indiana University basketball coach, in his section. Clinton has invited billionaire businessman and Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban, a 9-11 survivor, and a disability rights advocate as her guests. Will the special visitors get a mention, and what message does it send that they are in the audience?
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REVOLT will be all over Monday night’s debate — asking these questions and more — before, during, and after the big event. Be part of the conversation:
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REVOLT Chief Political Correspondent Amrit Singh will live-tweet the debate, including social polls at key points throughout the evening. Follow @REVOLTTV and the hashtag #REVOLT2Vote to get involved.
Our coverage and discussion start at 8:30 p.m. ET with a pre-debate discussion and continues until 11 p.m. ET. And on Tuesday, REVOLT will air a special post-debate edition of Voices of the Future to recap everything that happened. Set your DVR.