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Clinton to use a custom lectern to reduce height difference with Trump
New York Post ^ | September 25, 2016 | 10:34pm | Marisa Schultz and Bruce Golding

Posted on 02/03/2020 10:46:37 AM PST by Dr. Sivana

Hillary Clinton will use a customized lectern at Monday’s debate to mitigate the glaring height difference with Donald Trump.

New photos from inside the Hofstra University debate hall show two lecterns — a short one and tall one raised internally with plywood.

One of the lecterns to be used at Monday’s presidential debate has plywood in the middle to raise it.

“Clinton is 5’4” and Trump 6’2” and her team wanted the podium modified or a box added for her to stand on so she won’t look short next to Donald Trump,” WABC radio host Rita Cosby emailed with snaps of the doctored podiums after getting a sneak peek inside the Hofstra University debate site.

It was not stated which podium would be used by which candidate, but it appeared Clinton would stand at the shorter one so that the two candidates would hover over their podiums by roughly the same amount.

It’s not the first time short presidential candidates got a boost for a high-stakes TV audience.

In 1988, Michael Dukakis stood on a sloping platform that was hidden behind his lectern to be better matched with the taller George H.W. Bush.

Jimmy Carter argued the “belt buckle rule” to debate negotiators in his 1976 matchup with Gerald Ford, who was 3½ inches taller. Ford’s lectern reached 2½ inches above his belt, under the agreement, and Carter’s 1½ inches.

“The differences were derived by measuring the inches between the floor and the taller candidate’s belt buckle and then splitting the difference,” according to the book “Presidential Debates: The Challenge of Creating an Informed Electorate.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016; bloomberg; chat; debate; flashback; notnews; oldnews; trump
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It is silly that the media is suggesting that Bloomberg wouldn't ask for a box. I remember when Carter got one for '76. It's pretty standard practice, Trump is just the first one to point it out. Heck, Hillary got one for 2016! This is an old article, but it just demonstrates how ignorant so many in the media are.
1 posted on 02/03/2020 10:46:37 AM PST by Dr. Sivana
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To: Dr. Sivana

So, tiny Mike is gonna use hildabeast’s lectern then? Maybe he can borrow some lifts from baubee SUBzero.


2 posted on 02/03/2020 10:49:30 AM PST by rktman ( #My2ndAmend! ----- Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: Dr. Sivana

real leaders dont need to stand on boxes.


3 posted on 02/03/2020 10:50:47 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009
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To: Dr. Sivana

4 posted on 02/03/2020 10:51:18 AM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and so few by deceit. Noel Coward)
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To: Dr. Sivana

I noticed Bloomberg uses unusually short lecterns as well.


5 posted on 02/03/2020 10:51:35 AM PST by conservative98
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To: rktman

6 posted on 02/03/2020 10:52:43 AM PST by Yo-Yo ( is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: rktman

“Maybe he can borrow some lifts from baubee SUBzero.”
Thinking the same thing, however he’ll still need a box.LOL


7 posted on 02/03/2020 10:52:59 AM PST by duckman ( Not tired of winning!)
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To: polymuser

That’s hilarious!


8 posted on 02/03/2020 10:53:18 AM PST by Mr Ramsbotham ("God is a spirit, and man His means of walking on the earth.")
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To: Dr. Sivana

all candidates should receive the same accommodations.


9 posted on 02/03/2020 10:53:50 AM PST by plain talk
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To: Dr. Sivana

Trump is playing this exactly right. Bloomberg doesn’t want to interact with the people, hasn’t debated. He wants to go in Hall and appear larger than life. Trump will make sure the people know who he really is.


10 posted on 02/03/2020 10:56:43 AM PST by wiseprince
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To: Dr. Sivana
“Clinton is 5’4”

Bloomberg is 5 feet 6 inches

11 posted on 02/03/2020 10:57:02 AM PST by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: Dr. Sivana

Normal lectern.


Bloomberg campaign lectern.

12 posted on 02/03/2020 10:58:16 AM PST by conservative98
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To: wiseprince
Bloomberg doesn’t want to interact with the people, hasn’t debated

Doomberg is annoying, he couldn't win outside of NY, MA and CA.

13 posted on 02/03/2020 10:58:34 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: Dr. Sivana

When Jeb stood on his Tippi Toes for the picture, I knew NOT to vote for him... too petty - too small. Hillary’s shame at being a woman is similar - we’re not electing based on male standards of height.


14 posted on 02/03/2020 11:01:02 AM PST by GOPJ ( http://www.tinyurl.com/cvirusmap https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm)
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To: 1Old Pro

He can if all he is is the persona that his ads tell us he is. Trump is forcing him to show who he really is.


15 posted on 02/03/2020 11:02:07 AM PST by wiseprince
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To: Yo-Yo

Bkmrk.


16 posted on 02/03/2020 11:03:09 AM PST by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...siameserescue.org)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Trump is genius. The press is now reporting that Mike Bloomberg is a short man.


17 posted on 02/03/2020 11:07:12 AM PST by DouglasKC
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To: Dr. Sivana
September 25, 2016
Pretty clear by the references to Clinton, but . . .

This calls to mind a (very) old FR thread:

Hegemony of the Handsome:
American politics should be uglier.

The article pointed out that there has been no bald-headed POTUS since Eisenhower.
And that given the prevalence of baldness among mature men, it is only logical that the absence of bald presidential contenders (except “Plugs” Biden) reflects the effect of baldness on a candidate’s appearance on TV.

In short, TV promotes appearances over substance.

President Trump is reportedly 6’-3" (Democrats put him at 6-2, but whatever). Michael Bloomberg - and any of the women contending for the nomination - is a head shorter than Trump. That fact plays to our advantage in 2020, but it is a superficial criterion.


18 posted on 02/03/2020 11:09:59 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (Socialism is cynicism directed towards society and - correspondingly - naivete towards government.)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Just so damn unashamedly fake.


19 posted on 02/03/2020 11:14:19 AM PST by BusterDog
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To: Yo-Yo

LOL LOL!


20 posted on 02/03/2020 11:17:57 AM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and so few by deceit. Noel Coward)
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