ASHINGTON - The University of Massachusetts and the John F. Kennedy Library have offered to cosponsor a presidential debate next year in Boston. The proposal is being reviewed by the Commission on Presidential Debates, with a decision expected in January.
The commission is an independent body that has sponsored the presidential debates for the general election since 1988. Typically, there are three presidential debates and one meeting between the vice presidential candidates.
Boston has not been the site of any debate authorized by the commission, but the agency said that is not necessarily a factor in whether a city is selected. The commission looks at factors such as the size of the facility under consideration, transportation, and lodging.
In addition to the Boston initiative, there are 11 other sites under consideration, according to commission spokesman John Scardino.
They are: Centre College, Danville, Ky.; Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte, N.C.; Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.; Shenandoah University, Winchester, Va.; St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Portland, Portland, Ore.; University of Southern California, Los Angeles; University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.; Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem Convention and Visitors Bureau, Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Washington University, St. Louis.
- MICHAEL KRANISH
