NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker, this week became the first Black woman to moderate a presidential debate since 1992. Welker, who at 44 years old was the youngest by nearly a generation of the four journalists chosen by the Commission on Presidential Debates to oversee this election season’s series of candidate faceoffs.
By most accounts, her management of the debate was roundly applauded for her professionalism, adeptness at keeping the candidates on pace from straying off topic, and perhaps most importantly, fact checking them in real time.
“I think if there was a clear winner from this debate tonight it was, in fact, Kristen Welker,” said MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. “Kudos to Kristen and the way it was structured, the tremendous amount of work that went into it and the command that she asserted."
“She actually got them to debate with each other. You heard an incredible contrast in policies.”
Preparation is key
In her preparation for the debate, Welker called voters around the country to ask what they wanted answered — workshopping questions and practicing how to politely yet firmly get the candidates to move smoothly from one issue to the next.
Regardless of the answers Welker received during her debate moderation Thursday night, her well-applauded performance and incisive questions shed light onto the importance of diverse representation in politics.