Washington University Will Not Host Presidential Debate in 2012

Washington University was not chosen as a debate venue for the upcoming 2012 general election, according to a news release from the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Instead, the university was chosen to serve as a backup site in case an issue arises with one of the selected venues.

"We are disappointed of course," Rob Wild, Assistant to the Chancellor at Washington University told University City Patch. "But we realized that the odds of us being selected after serving as a host in so many consecutive presidential election cycles were low," added Wild, who served as chair of the university's vice presidential debate steering committee in 2008.

Wash U has hosted presidential debates in 1992, 2000 and 2004, and it hosted the only vice presidential debate in the 2008 campaign. It also was selected to host a presidential debate in 1996 that eventually was canceled.

Wild said the university is appreciative of the opportunity to serve as a back up.

According to WUSTL, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) received proposals from 12 potential 2012 debate sites, including Washington University.

The commission is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has sponsored all of the general election presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988.

Below are the sites and dates for three presidential and one vice presidential debates during the 2012 general election. 

• First presidential debate:
  Wednesday, Oct. 3 
  University of Denver, Denver, CO

• Vice presidential debate:
  Thursday, Oct. 11
  Centre College, Danville, KY

• Second presidential debate (town meeting format):
  Tuesday, Oct. 16
  Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

• Third presidential debate:
  Monday, Oct. 22
  Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL

The CPD will announce formats for the four debates in the first part of 2012, as well as plans for Internet-based initiatives. Moderators for the debates will be chosen in the summer of 2012.