Six – 6! – Candidates for Moderator

We are entering the home stretch for preparations for the 219th General Assembly (2010) in Minneapolis. In just a little more than a month, we will be convening and starting to work.

One of the first things that will happen is the election of the Moderator. Along with the excitement of being commissioned and the novelty of the exhibit hall, the Moderator’s election is the big ticket item of the first day. There are six announced candidates standing for election. That will make for a long night.

Or will it?

1. Each candidate will be nominated. The speeches nominating each candidate are limited to five minutes. The actual time for nominating speeches, then, is thirty minutes. Figuring stand up and sit down time, allow forty-five minutes. (Estimate: 7:10 p.m. – 7:55 p.m.)  The order is determined by lot (not by alphabetical order or date of announced candidacy or anything else). (Standing Rule H.1.b.4(a))

2. Each candidate makes a speech. The candidates speeches are limited to five minutes. The actual time for candidate speeches also is thirty minutes. Again, figuring stand up and sit down time, allow forty-five minutes. (Estimate: 8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.)  These speeches are given in the same order as the nominating speeches. (Standing Rule H.1.b.4(b)).

3. Q & A. The question and answer period often is where the election is determined. Casual observers remember the formula: 15 minutes per candidate. That’s true — but not complete.

H.1.b.4(c) controls here:

(c) At the conclusion of all the presentations by the nominees, they shall respond to questions from the floor. The first question shall be addressed to the nominee who spoke first in the original presentation, and the same question shall then be put to the other nominees in the same order in which they spoke earlier. The second question shall be directed to the second nominee in this order and then to each of the other nominees in sequence. Each nominee shall be afforded an opportunity to answer each question. This process shall continue for a period not to exceed the number of nominees times fifteen minutes, or for one hour, whichever is shorter, unless terminated earlier by vote of the General Assembly.

In other words, under the standing rules, even though there are six candidates, the question and answer period will be limited to one hour. Why is this important?

Each candidate answers each question. So: do the math. If each candidate takes two minutes to answer a question, that is twelve minutes. Build in stand-up and sit-down time, and each question could last about fifteen minutes. At that rate, only four questions would be asked.

Now, imagine you draw #6. Your nominating speech is last — and few people are still listening. Your candidate speech is last — and few people are still listening. You answer the first question last — and few people are still listening and/or it is nearly impossible to come up with something that has not already been said. How do you make an impression or get your message out. You answer the next question fifth. Then, fourth. Then, third. If each question lasts fifteen minutes and there are only four questions, that was it. (Estimate 8:45 p.m. — 9:45 p.m.)

It does not seem very fair to have the candidates’ time and visibility skewed in this fashion. But what can be done? Those are the rules, right? That’s true – but not complete.

There are two ways make a change; and both are found in Standing Rule L:

2. The Standing Rules of the General Assembly may be amended by a majority vote of the commissioners present and voting. A motion to amend the rules is debatable.

3. A motion to suspend the standing rules is not debatable and shall require a two-thirds vote of the total enrollment of the commissioners.

Amending the Standing Rules takes a simple majority; suspending takes a two-thirds vote. So, during one of the first plenary sessions, I am planning to offer a motion to amend the standing rules to allow for 90 minutes of Q&A, hopefully letting every candidate have the opportunity to be the first to address a question posed. It will look something like this:

I move the Assembly amend Standing Rule H.1.b.4(c) by striking the words “for one hour” and inserting the words “for ninety (90) minutes,” so that the amended text will read,

… This process shall continue for a period not to exceed the number of nominees times fifteen minutes, or for ninety (90) minutes, whichever is shorter, unless terminated earlier by vote of the General Assembly.

Adding the extra half hour for Q&A will not unduly burden the Assembly, will provide a much better opportunity for discernment and is more fair to all the candidates.  (Estimate: 8:45 p.m. – 10:15 p.m.)

Then, after the Q&A, voting. Remember, it takes a simple majority (50% + 1 vote) to be elected. If no candidate receives a majority, there will be a second vote, and so on, until one candidate receives a majority. There is no discussion or debate in between casting votes (if no one is elected the first time). And, it is not like American Idol; there is no process of elimination. The candidate receiving the fewest votes remains a part of the process until someone receives a majority.

Not a bad come-back note, eh? Moderator election, standing rules, and amending the standing rules.