In the Pence-Harris debate, moderator Susan Page of USA Today asserted as fact that the “rapid and robust recovery” predicted by the Trump administration is “not happening.” But Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell noted Tuesday that “the recovery has progressed more quickly than generally expected.” The economy has regained half of the 22 million jobs it lost during the March and April lockdowns.

Mr. Pence was right to make his own points rather than debate Ms. Page’s economic misinformation, but when a moderator drops a loaded question or bases a question on a false premise, it stacks the debate. Who cares what a moderator thinks in any case?

That’s one reason we favor doing away with moderators and having microphones that give each candidate, say, two minutes to speak at a time. The candidates can use their time as they see fit before the microphone goes dead when the time runs out. The questions would come from the candidates and their campaigns, not some outside party who may have her own agenda. Surely the candidates know the best questions to put to their rivals.