“To say in 30 seconds what you would do with 18 percent of the economy,” said Newt Gingrich, “. . . is the perfect case of why I’m going to challenge the president to seven Lincoln-Douglas–style three-hour debates with a timekeeper and no moderator, at least two of which ought to be on health care.” Gingrich has been talking about the idea for years. Though it’s not likely that a Lincoln-Douglas–style debate will happen next autumn, it’s fascinating to contemplate. The format — one hour for the first candidate, ninety minutes for the second, then another thirty for the first — would test the debaters’ stamina and command of the issues. Its proponents also claim that it would elevate the tone of American politics. Maybe, maybe not: The original Lincoln-Douglas debates got pretty rough at points. Douglas came very close to accusing Lincoln of treason for questioning the Mexican–American War.

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Gingrich and Romney could certainly handle the demands of the extended format. There was another candidate on the stage who certainly couldn’t — but I’m blanking on his name.