The pundit's guide to televised debates.

Byline: Umapagan Ampikaipakan

ON Friday, Sept 26 at 9pm Eastern Standard Time, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain met in Oxford, Mississippi, for the first of three internationally televised presidential debates.

This first debate, uncharacteristically candid and relatively rule-free, was widely considered to be a success. And even though both candidates performed remarkably well, the general consensus was that the result was a tie. Ties, however, do not make good television.

In an attempt to iron out some of the imperfections of Friday night's encounter, the producers of the remaining two debates have outlined some suggestions for both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. What follows are the highlights of some of the rules laid out in the 75-page …