Who Is Marc Lacey? Meet the Times Editor Moderating the Democratic Debate

What an expansive, captivating and dare it be said enviable life-experience resume! I am a retired advertising/marketing exec, trained as a journalist, wanting to be a copywriter but forced into account service due to organizational (read: anal retentive) proclivities. As such, I'd KILL for a chance to work with Mr. Lacey on his "democratization" of the journalistic function at the NYT. But, heavy sigh....such honors come around about as frequently as getting admitted to Cornell, being a potential world-class surgeon or an editorial desk at the Times: not happening to just anybody!

Marc Lacey covered the LA police union back in the early ‘90s and we shared many quips and “dozens” when I was it’s spokesman. Very pleased to see his journey has brought him to this important assignment.

Marc, could you put in a word about giving health care a rest and bring in some other issues? We talk about climate change with the exception of in the presidential debates. Guns get fleeting attention. Or perhaps coming at health care from a different perspective? It's unlikely we'll have a Congress that could pass a big piece of health care legislation. So what would the candidates do in light of that? It seems that the current debates just go over the same things -- and for hours at a time! Thank you.

the format is perfect for american culture. the 'folks' don't have the time or interest for detail and depth. better a mile wide and inch deep.

Last night's debate was the most enlightening of the series and the moderators did a good job of letting the candidates mix it up (I almost didn't watch because the other debates were so dispiriting). Very happy Amy Klobuchar finally got time to speak! I've kept my powder dry to this point but decided last week to make a small donation to her campaign to help keep her prospects alive. I made another today as a vote of confidence after her debate performance.

Gee, I guess Marc didn't get his "gotcha" moment (a film op for his RNC friends?) when he asked E. Warren about tax increases in regards to universal healthcare. Any journalist worth their salt should attempt to explain - or, more precisely, get the candidate/subject to explain - the WHOLE nuanced story: yes, TAXES will go up under a government run Universal healthcare scenario - BUT- the overall cost of health care per month will go DOWN, due to no private heath insurer fees, no co-pays for doctor vistors or medications, etc. Trouble is, the modern day platinum-plated press is now prone to asking divisive yes/no-only questions of candidates, instead of attempting to get the candidates to actually explain their FULL positions. I'm afraid I'm going to have to add Mr. Lacey to my growing list of journalists who are willing to do simplistic shilling for the likes of Grover Norquist. I was also less than impressed with CNN's Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper. The climate change discussion was, once again, completely sidestepped last night.

Nice job Marc! We missed you in NYC so it was good to see you on screen looking really pro next to those other two moderators.

Re the video: A Debate Can Make or Break a Campaign. Unfortunately, there is very little correlation between debate skills and leadership capabilities. Wooing voters with rhetorical skill (or tricks) has little to do with serving as head of a government or a nation: https://hbr.org/2012/10/the-best-debater-may-not-be-th.html It is nice to have a leader with speechwriters who inspire, but it is even better to have one who can govern I wonder how many potentially excellent presidents were taken down by a slip of the tongue, or lack of verbal fire which means very little. Boring speakers might still make excellent presidents. We will never know.

Similar to the moderators in previous debates, Lacey, Cooper and Burnett flopped horribly by not asking the candidates what they'll do about housing affordability in the U.S.

I have a complaint about the debate coverage. I had to watch on my computer and was really surprised at the idiocy of most of the NYTimes reporters' commentary during the debate. Most of it was repeating what the candidates had just said or personal stuff about how the reporters were feeling. Who cares? better nothing than silly stuff. The reporters asking questions were just fine!

I thought Marc Lacey did an excellent job at the Democratic debate. His questions were substantive and to the point -- it was a pleasure to hear him.

The NYT recently asked readers to submit potential questions for last night's Democratic debate. You asked what was the most critical issue to be addressed. I'm sure I'm not the only one who brought the crisis of our time: climate change. As Gov. Jay Inslee wrote in his funding appeal this evening: "Three hours. Dozens of questions. But not one single question about the climate crisis. Last night, CNN, The New York Times, and the DNC failed us. They failed the American people, and they failed the young leaders striking and demanding action." I couldn't agree more. Very disappointing performance by you and your panel!

Gee, I guess Marc didn't get his "gotcha" moment (a film op for his RNC friends?) when he asked E. Warren about tax increases in regards to universal healthcare. Any journalist worth their salt should attempt to explain - or, more precisely, get the candidate/subject to explain - the WHOLE nuanced story: yes, TAXES will go up under a government run Universal healthcare scenario - BUT- the overall cost of health care per month will go DOWN, due to no private heath insurer fees, no co-pays for doctor vistors or medications, etc. Trouble is, the modern day platinum-plated press is now prone to asking divisive yes/no-only questions of candidates, instead of attempting to get the candidates to actually explain their FULL positions. I'm afraid I'm going to have to add Mr. Lacey to my growing list of journalists who are willing to do simplistic shilling for the likes of Grover Norquist. I was also less than impressed with CNN's Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper. The climate change discussion was, once again, completely sidestepped last night.

Well I was very disappointed in Marc Lacy. First I had never heard of him. There are so many good reporters at the Times why this person was chosen is beyond me. And then his "attacking" questions I felt did not advance the debate.

I am SHOCKED and HORRIFIED that not a single question was asked about climate change during the debate. This is the biggest challenge that humanity has ever faced, and the next president will be pivotal in determining whether or not we rise to the occasion. It’s SICKENING that CNN and the NYTimes didn’t do better. What is wrong with you?!

any moderator care to defend their decision not to talk about climate change at the debate?

Great job as a debate moderator!

This is merely the Democrats' version of The Apprentice, with the punditocracy, twitterati, and commentariat, getting to feel powerful, important, and relevant by saying. "You're fired!" or "You're hired!" Meanwhile, the trolls and bots of the Republicans and various Democrats, as well as corporations and countries, who stand to gain from four more years of Trump (not to mention special-interest agenda organizations), will be busily denouncing and pumping up the "popularity" (recommends, likes, etc.) of whoever denounces the candidate most likely to beat Trump which, at the moment, is clearly Biden (perhaps with Klobuchar as Veep.) This is a TV show, in no sense a debate, with "moderators" promoting anything but moderation. I doubt that anyone whose mind is actually not made up (as opposed to trolls who will write claiming they had an open mind before the show) is actually watching.

I really hope that all candidates will be given equal time. In my opinion, the goal of the debates is that the American people will get to know lesser know candidates and what they offer. To spend 10 times as much time on Biden, Warren, Sanders as on Yang, Klobuchar, Gabbard and others is to do a disservice to the American people. I am planning on this debate being the last one I watch if Yang is given a 4-5 min speaking time. He has close to one hundred sensible proposals on his website and to date debate moderators have only asked him questions regarding his Freedom Dividend, and very few questions at best. Same of other less well-known candidates. Yang has a higher percentage in the polls and more individual supporters than Booker, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Castro and yet we hear much more of the others. My request: ask a variety of questions that have substance of every candidates; give equal time to all; do not turn this into show business: we know the importance of choosing the right person. It is essential that the current president not be reelected. He is a danger to the world. Who knows if his ignorant decisions will not lead us into a 3rd world war. Only check the Syrian Turkish border today and all the ramifications of his stupid, ignorant decision to remove American troops and give Erdogan the green light to destroy the Kurds, our very own allies! Please do not disappoint!

A comment on an amendment for Roe vs Wade, another avoiding the debate (missing candidate), another don’t SNL it up, and finally one for thoughtful stay on topic questions.....yes make theNYT proud!

A word of advice: ask SHORT questions.

I've known Marc a long time and he has great credentials. I look forward to seeing him take on this new challenge. Here's an Ohio-related topic I hope he'll bring up -- dark money in politics. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/10/dark-money-is-pouring-in-to-protect-the-worst-energy-policy-in-the-country/

Thanks for this background. The middle-of-the-night calls reminded me of the old Robert Klein substitute teacher bit. The school calls early to give him an assignment, and he "tests" his voice to sound awake before picking up the phone because "nobody wants to be caught napping at 6 in the morning!"

Marc, I will be watching from Santa Barbara as will my family and friends around the country. We will all be cheering you on! You've come a long way since being Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Daily Sun! I was proud of you then and even more so today! Good luck & have fun :-)

I hope he can ask these two questions at the debate. First, I hope he will ask the candidates: Will your foreign policy differ from that of the current president, and when you are elected, will you let him brief you on current foreign policy and his reasoning behind it? Second, I hope he will ask the candidates: Would you be in favor of a national vote on the constitutional amendment that would be necessary to overturn Roe v. Wade, thus taking it off the table as a Republican vs. Democrat issue and giving the decision to the people?

Good luck, Mark. With you sitting alongside Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett, we'll look to you from the print side to bring a bit of gravitas and heft to the news discussion. Please don't think of yourself as an entertainer tonight (as I suspect the other two will.) Take it as seriously as voters here at home, and try to stay focused on substance. SNL can try and entertain. This is a national platform -- don't Chuck Todd it up !

I am very excited -- I think with Lacey in part at the helm, we can expect some thoughtful, well-informed questions. I can't speak to how he will do keeping everyone on task, but surely if a previous international correspondent can't do it, no one can!

I cannot believe that Montana Governor Steve Bullock has been denied the opportunity to participate in this debate. In my opinion, he is the only FOR CERTAIN electable Democrat candidate. In the one debate he was permitted to attend, he was adjudged by newscasters to have the 2nd strongest performance. So what happened. I for one will skip this broadcast because of his absence.