Open Thread: Presidential Debates Set

There will be three presidential debates later this fall and one vice-presidential debate. How important do you think they'll be? Schedule is below the fold:

Largely overlooked on the political calendar was Wednesday's announcement by the Commission on Presidential Debates of the four debate formats for October -- three presidential and one vice presidential.

The first comes Oct. 3 at the University of Denver on domestic issue questions chosen by the moderator, like all the moderators to be named next month. The next is the lone VP talk-off on foreign and domestic affairs Oct. 11 at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.

Next is presidential Oct. 16 at Long Island's Hofstra University, a townhall-type meeting with questions from "undecided" voters selected by the Gallup polling organization.

The final presidential confrontation comes Oct. 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, another 90-minute Q&A by a moderator, this time on foreign affairs.

The wildcard here is the "undecided" voter debate. One wonders how fair this will be. How many questions will be asked by genuinely undecided voters versus liberal plants?