Welcome to this evenings here in nashville. I am janet brown, executive director of the commission on president ial debates. Over the next few minutes, you will hear ground rules for the and many expressions of gratitude to the people and organizations who got us here tonight. I would like to start with three of them, who are genuine champions of debate and true cpd, dr. To the robert fisher, the president of beaumont university. It served as a backup site in 2016. To make thised evening happen in spite of a lot of challenges 2020 has brought to this campus and all the others across the country. They dont come any better than bob and his colleagues. The second is nashvilles on martin slutsky. [applause] marty has been the cpds executive producer since 2000. 23rd debate. S we could never do this without marty. He is a treasure. Cochair, is our third scott writings, who is not here with us this evening. She has been in louisville, she isy at home, but here in spirit. She is an asset to t
There are cameramen, lighting people, people who produced this great background. We have over 60 of them and we have had 4 debates in 4 different parts of this country, and thanks to United Airlines who stepped up to the plate and is providing have charge air service for our entire crew providing free of charge air service for our entire crew, so we really owe United Airlines. This one sounds funny, but we also owe anheuserbusch a great thank you, not only for their beer, but what they have done for this commission for many, many years. Its a little less of a list now. Normally, if we were here, there would be 900 of you probably in this audience, but with coronavirus, it just was not necessary for us possible for us to do that, but they have always provided a giant tent with the food to feed 5000 reporters that usually come from all over the world, our crew, newspeople who are here, and anheuserbusch is with us again this year, and we thank you. The pentagram was really responsible fo
President ial debates will open the doors and turn on the light and welcome viewers to the debate. A little after 9 00, the debate will begin. It begins a few minutes after 9 00 so the networks can introduce coverage. Cspans up at 10 30 and will get your calls and reaction. That is what is coming up tonight. Joining us is greta. What do you have . Greta lets start with a closer view. This is from the cspan twitter feed from yesterday set up at the university of utah. You can follow our coverage on twitter. Lee from the New York Times reported senator harris was prepping for tonight with hundreds of index cards and a mac a mock debate with pete pence andplaying mike an effort to lower expectations. The wall street journal reports that harris tried to lower expectations coming describing pence as a formidable bader. She says debate her. She says she will make this about leadership during the pandemic. That is what democrats plan to do. They plan to make it about all pandemic, all the tim
Ladies and gentlemen, could i ask you to take your seats please . The 2020 Vice President ial debate here at the university of utah. Im janet brown, executive director of the commission on president ial debates. We are delighted you are here. In the next few minutes, you are going to hear thanks that her own a lot of people for making tonight possible. We will also cover some housekeeping rules for this evenings debate, which start with please make sure your cell phones are turned off on all functions. Cannot make any noise, and please open your programs and take a look at some of the many people that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to for this evening. I would like to start with pentagram, which is of thoughtful which is responsible of the new book of s andommissions name cover. With ankle for the support of our work for years and the state of federal communications, which has just come on board this year. We thank you all. As we speak, there is a washington Filing Center being hosted
Opened at about 8 30 p. M. We will go live at the time. And as always on cspan movable be getting your reaction after the debate and ashes. All earlier today President Trump and first lady departed the white house for marine one including air force base and took air force one to the short flight to clean cleveland. Joe biden flew in from delaware among those traveling with him, the former Obama Administration point person on ebola. And hes been helping with the debate preparation and his sister valerie biden. That joining from the debate hall in cleveland is michael from the wall street journal. How have you been covering the president ial politics and debates. Ive been covering President Trump since hes been a candidate in 2015. In a cover him to the white house and my background uncovered congress a little bit before that and then State Government i was in ohio with state politics there and spent quite a bit of time in florida. Before coming to washington in 2013. Is electionyear hun