In less than 48 hours, the gymnasium of UT's Recreational Sports Center evolved into a red and blue debate hall, which will set the stage for a political match-up between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
CNN political director Sam Feist said the 90-minute debate will be formatted like a conversation, and the candidates will not have a time limit to answer. He said the candidates will have approximately two minutes for opening statements.
UT and Austin community members, Texas Democrats and the candidates' campaign affiliates will comprise the audience, Feist said. Audience members will be seated in bleachers or floor chairs.
Student Government President Andrew Solomon and University Democrats President Laura Hernandez will have front-row seats for the event, according to seat labels. UT President William Powers has a seat next to the Obama family in the second row. State Democrats such as Texas Sen. Kirk Watson and U.S. Reps. Ciro Rodriguez, Lloyd Doggett and Chet Edwards will be in the audience as well.
The seating arrangement onstage from left to right will be as follows: Obama, Clinton, Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, CNN chief national correspondent John King and CNN anchor Campbell Brown.
Feist said the number of spectators at the UT debate will be in line with spectator numbers at debates CNN has held throughout the year.
"We need to balance the number of spectators in the hall or in the auditorium with the ability to produce the debate for your television audience and the millions of people that are watching at home," Feist said.
Eight million people watched the first airing of the Jan. 31 Democratic debate in Los Angeles, hosted by CNN, Politico.com and The Los Angeles Times, Feist said.
The debate begins at 7 p.m., and Univision will air it at 10:30 p.m. on television, online and on national AM Radio Cadena Univision, said Univision spokesperson Rosemary Mercedes.
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