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While presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain will thrice face a no-holds-barred debate format for adults, Republicans have insisted on and won a far more tightly-controlled format for the single vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. In effect - and over objections from the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which sponsors the events - the Republicans have demanded and won a lightweight debate format for Palin in hopes of protecting her from being directly challenged by her opponent, as the New York Times observes:

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.... McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.... The wrangling was chiefly between the McCain-Palin camp and the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which is sponsoring the forums.... Commission members wanted a relaxed format that included time for unpredictable questioning and challenges between the two vice-presidential candidates. On Wednesday, the commission unanimously rejected a proposal sought by advisers to Ms. Palin and Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential nominee, to have the moderator ask questions and the candidates answer, with no time for unfettered exchanges. Advisers to Mr. Biden say they were comfortable with either format

The Oct. 2 vice-presidential debate will be moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS, a fact which should make for a tougher, more substantive, and more penetrating debate than what we might expect with moderators from commercial cable or network news. Nonetheless, the GOP should not get a pass on this sad attempt to protect Palin from precisely the kind of direct challenge these debates are supposed to be. Expressions of concern or protest may be addressed to CPD director Janet Brown (jb@debates.org), to Gwen Ifill via Washington Week in Review and/or Newshour, and to PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler.