DES MOINES, IOWA — CBS News is changing its game plan for Saturday’s Democratic primary debate in the aftermath of the Paris terror attacks.
The debate questions prepared earlier this week by CBS News political director John Dickerson and the network’s congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes were designed to burrow deep into the candidates’ views on domestic issues such as the Affordable Care Act and gun legislation. But once the news of the deadly coordinated killing rampage in Paris circulated late Friday afternoon, the moderators and producers started planning a greater emphasis on security the debate queries.
“This becomes the first segment,” said Steve Capus, the executive editor for CBS News who is overseeing the production of the event at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. “You’ve got to get into how do you handle international terrorism? Do voters believe you are best suited for this? Are voters concerned about how you handle the situation?”
Capus said having the candidates react to the news of the moment demonstrates the value of a lengthy campaign season.
“Everybody talks about how the whole process is too long, and arguably it is,” he said. “However, these are the types of events that make this whole cycle dynamic, and our production has to reflect that.”
There was no consideration of postponing the debate, where Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley will meet onstage for the second time starting at 6 p.m. Pacific. But the developments in Paris have led CBS to scratch plans for Dickerson to anchor his Sunday program “Face the Nation” from the debate site at Drake.
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Pigeons fly over a sand sculpture paying tribute to the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, on Nov. 20, 2015.
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French soldiers of Operation Sentinelle patrol near the National Library of France in Paris on Nov. 20, 2015.
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U.S. literary great Ernest Hemingway’s tender and joyful memoir of 1920s Paris, “A Moveable Feast” (“Paris est une fete”), has enjoyed a surge in sales since last week’s terror attacks in the French capital.
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Women light candles at the central square in Strasbourg, France, on Nov. 18, 2015, to pay tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.
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A woman lights a candle next to a letter reading, ‘I am Paris’ in French, as thousands of people gather at the central square in Strasbourg, France, on Nov. 18, 2015, to pay tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks.
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French police forensics units at work in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Nov. 18, 2015. Police raided an apartment there seeking suspects in the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.
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Police conduct a raid in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, on Nov. 18, 2015. Two suspects in the Nov. 13 Paris terrorist attacks, a man and a woman, were killed in the operation, with the woman detonating an explosive vest, authorities said.
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French police mount an operation on Nov. 18, 2015, in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, seeking suspects in the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in and near the capital.
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Soldiers patrol in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, on Nov. 18, 2015. Authorities were telling Saint-Denis residents to stay inside during an operation seeking suspects in the deadly Paris terrorist attacks the week before. A raid on an apartment in the suburb ended with two people dead and several arrested.
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Residents are evacuated by police in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, during a counterterrorism operation on Nov. 18, 2015.
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French police participate in an operation in the city center of Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Nov. 18, 2015. A raid on an apartment seeking suspects in the Paris terrorist attacks the week before ended with two dead and several arrested.
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Police are on guard in Paris after reports of a shooting in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis on Nov. 18, 2015.
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A French police officer participates in an operation in the city center of Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Nov. 18, 2015. A raid on an apartment there ended with two dead and several arrested in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in and around Paris.
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Soldiers patrol in the courtyard of the Louvre museum in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015.
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French soldiers prepare a Rafale fighter jet at a military base at an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf on Nov. 17, 2015. The French military is conducting operations against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
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French soldiers prepare a Rafale fighter jet at a military base at an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf on Nov. 17, 2015. French warplanes have been targeting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
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French Rafale fighter jets sit on the tarmac at a military base at an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf on Nov. 17, 2015. France has been targeting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
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Police officers examine a car in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015, that is suspected to have been involved in the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in which at least 129 people were killed.
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A woman checks her phone near a poster showing Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, crying near Le Carillon restaurant in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015. The restaurant was the site of one of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in the capital.
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A French soldier patrols a subway in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015, as part of security measures in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Nov. 13.
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Supporters unveil a French flag with a message of gratitude in front of London’s Wembley Stadium before an exhibition soccer match between England and France on Nov. 17, 2015.
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People spend a moment Nov. 17, 2015, in front of a makeshift memorial to the victims of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in front of the Bataclan music venue in Paris, where dozens were killed.
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A bullet hole-riddled riot shield used during the assault at the Bataclan music venue during the Nov. 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in Paris is displayed Nov. 17 by French police commandos.
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Items are left in memory of the dead in Paris outside the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17, 2015.
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Flowers sit atop sand covering bloodstains on the ground Nov. 17, 2015, near the Cafe Bonne Biere and Casa Nostra, one of the sites of the terrorist attacks that killed at least 129 people and left more than 350 injured on Nov. 13.
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French soldiers stand guard in a train station in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015, as part of security measures after the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks.
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A soldier sits in a control room at a French military base at an undisclosed location in the Persian Gulf on Nov. 17, 2015, as he monitors operations against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
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French President Francois Hollande escorts Secretary of State John Kerry after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Nov. 17, 2015.
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On the third day of national mourning, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the colors of the French flag after going dark.
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French police reopen traffic on Boulevard Voltaire in front of the Bataclan theater in Paris on Nov. 16, 2015, three days after terrorists attacked during a performance there.
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People lay flowers and candles in front of the memorial near the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on Nov. 16, 2015. Dozens were killed by terrorists there three days earlier.
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Police officers stand guard during an operation in the Molenbeek district of Brussels, which authorities consider to be a focal point for extremists and fighters going to Syria from Belgium, on Nov. 16, 2015.
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A man holds a placard reading “I am the living together” on Nov. 16, 2015, in Paris as people gather after observing a minute of silence to pay tribute to victims of the Paris terrorist attacks three days before.
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Blue, white and red melted candles are shown during a minute of silence on Nov. 16, 2015, in Aix-en-Provence, France, as the country pays tribute to victims of the attacks that killed at least 129 people and left more than 350 injured on Nov. 13.
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People pay their respects in Paris on Nov. 16, 2015, in front of a floral tribute near the Bataclan concert hall after the terrorist attacks three days earlier.
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Pakistanis light candles in Karachi on Nov. 16, 2015, in memory of the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks three days earlier.
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A police officer stands outside Le Carillon restaurant on Nov. 16, 2015, in Paris, where terrorist gunmen had attacked three days before.
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French soldiers patrol in front of the Louvre in Paris on Nov. 16, 2015, as the museum reopened three days after terrorist attacks in and around the city killed scores of people.
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People gather Nov. 16, 2015, at Republique Plaza in Paris after observing a minute of silence to pay tribute to victims of the Paris terrorist attacks.
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A Belgian security officer moves into a building from a balcony during counterterrorism operations in the Molenbeek district of Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015. Belgian officials launched a major new operation in Molenbeek, where several suspects in the Paris terrorist attacks three days earlier had lived, AFP journalists said.
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Special forces officers stand guard on a rooftop during an anti-terrorism operation in Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015, three days after the Paris terrorist attacks.
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Special forces officers prepare to leave after an anti-terrorism operation in Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015.
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Security forces personnel work on the balcony of a building during an anti-terrorism operation in the Molenbeek district of Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015.
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Special forces officers try to enter a house in Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris three days earlier.
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Police man a cordon during an operation in the Molenbeek district of Brussels on Nov. 16, 2015. Belgian police launched a major new operation in Molenbeek, where several suspects in the Paris attacks had previously lived, AFP journalists said.
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A sign that reads “Not even afraid” is draped on a statue on Republique Plaza in Paris.
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A man and a woman hug on Nov. 15, 2015, as people place flowers and light candles in tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris.
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A man carries two children after panic broke out among mourners who paid their respects at the attack sites at restaurant Le Petit Cambodge and the Carillon Hotel in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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French police secure the perimeter Nov. 15, 2015, after panic broke out among mourners paying their respects at the attack sites in Paris.
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French police secure the perimeter Nov. 15, 2015, after panic broke out among mourners who paid their respects at the attack sites in Paris.
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People gather at a makeshift memorial Nov. 15, 2015, in front of Le Carillon restaurant, one of the attack sites in Paris.
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People place flowers and light candles Nov. 15, 2015, in tribute to the victims of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.
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People sing the French national anthem Nov. 15, 2015, at Place de la Republique as the country observes three days of national mourning for the victims of the terrorist attacks.
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People gather for a national service for the victims of the terrorist attacks at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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People light candles and draw a French flag in front of the town hall of Toulouse on Nov. 15, 2015, in tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks.
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French police officers patrol on the Champs Elysees in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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Flowers and candles are placed in front of the restaurant on Rue de Charonne in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015, where attacks took place Nov. 13.
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An image is painted on a garage door opposite the restaurant on Rue de Charonne in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015, where attacks took place Nov. 13.
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People pay their respects to the victims of the attacks on restaurant Le Petit Cambodge and the Carillon Hotel, rear, on the first of three days of national mourning in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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Women comfort each other at the Monument a la Republique in Paris on Nov.15, 2015, two days after a series of deadly attacks.
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A man comforts a woman at the Monument a la Republique in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015, two days after a series of deadly terrorist attacks in and around the city.
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People gather at a makeshift memorial in front of Le Carillon restaurant Nov. 15, 2015, after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks two days before.
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French police survey the area as people gather Nov. 15, 2015, at a memorial set up outside a pizza restaurant, La Casa Nostra, where five people were shot dead two days earlier in Paris.
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Roses are placed in the bullet holes in the terrace window of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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A woman mourns at the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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People lay flowers and candles in front of a sushi restaurant next to the Belle Equipe cafe in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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A man looks at flowers and candles placed in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015. More than 120 people were killed in a series of terrorist attacks in and near Paris two days earlier.
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Candles and a small statue of the Eiffel Tower are placed at a memorial close to the Bataclan concert hall on Nov. 15, 2015, two days after a series of deadly attacks in Paris.
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Catalan police officers control vehicles at a toll station on a highway in Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 14, 2015.
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The main gate of the Versailles castle is closed on Nov. 15, 2015, in Versailles, France.
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A woman reacts at a makeshift memorial Nov. 15, 2015, outside of La Belle Equipe in Paris.
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A bird flies in front of the Eiffel Tower, which remained closed for the first of three days of national mourning in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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A shoe and a bloodstained cloth lie on the ground near the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015, two days after a terrorist attack killed dozens there.
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A police officer redirects civilians in front of the Bataclan concert hall on Nov. 15, 2015, in Paris.
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A French flag flies at half-staff above the Louvre museum in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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A French soldier stands alert at the closed Eiffel Tower in Paris on Nov. 15, 2015.
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People place flowers in front of the French Embassy in Cairo on Nov. 15, 2015, in solidarity with France.
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Mourners gather in front of the Petit Cambodge and Le Carillon restaurants on Nov. 14, 2015, in Paris. More than 120 people were killed and about 350 injured in a series of terrorist attacks in and near the French capital.
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Flowers and candles are placed outside Le Carillon bar Nov. 14, 2015, the day after a series of deadly attacks across Paris.
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Candles are placed around bloodstains on the pavement Nov. 14, 2015, near the scene of a terrorist attack at the Bataclan theater in Paris the night before.
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A rose sits in a bullet hole in the window of a Japanese restaurant next to the cafe La Belle Equipe in Paris on Nov. 14, 2015, after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in and around Paris the night before.
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A woman prays at messages and flowers left near the Bataclan theater in Paris on Nov. 14, 2015, a day after attacks on the concert hall and five other sites in and around Paris killed dozens and injured dozens more.
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People walk past belongings of victims on the pavement outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Nov. 14, 2015, a day after dozens of concertgoers were held hostage and slaughtered in a series of coordinated attacks in the French capital.
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A victim lies dead under a blanket Nov. 13, 2015, outside the Bataclan theater in Paris.
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Medics move a wounded man near the Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire after a series of attacks Nov. 13, 2015, in Paris.
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People are evacuated near the Bataclan concert hall early on Nov. 14, 2015, after an attack at the Parisian concert hall. (Miguel Medina / AFP / Getty Images)
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A woman is evacuated from the Bataclan concert hall Nov. 13, 2015, after an attack at the venue in Paris. (Thibault Camus / Associated Press)
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Forensic police search for evidence Nov. 14, 2015, outside La Belle Equipe cafe on rue de Charonne, a site of one in a series of attacks in Paris.
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People are evacuated after an attack at the Bataclan concert venue Nov. 13, 2015, in Paris. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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Forensic police search for evidences inside La Belle Equipe cafe on Rue de Charonne on Nov. 14, 2015, at the site of one of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.
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Forensic experts inspect the site of an attack on a restaurant outside the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Nov. 13, 2015. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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People wrapped in emergency blankets walk near the Bataclan concert hall early on Nov. 14, 2015, in Paris. (Francois Guillot / AFP/Getty Images)
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A French police officer is on the lookout for gunmen who attacked a restaurant in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
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A medic tends to a man Nov. 13, 2015, in Paris. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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French police officers take cover outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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Soccer fans seek comfort after evacuating to the field of the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Nov. 13, 2015. The stadium was one of six sites in the Paris area attacked by terrorists.
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Soccer fans leave the Stade de France stadium after a soccer match in Saint-Denis outside Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, after an explosion struck outside the stadium.
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Police officers at the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on Nov, 13, 2015.
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Police officers man a position close to the Bataclan theater Nov. 13, 2015, after scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks at the theater and elsewhere around the city.
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Rescuers evacuate a man on a stretcher near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
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Rescuers workers evacuate a woman near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, after presumed terrorists took hostages there.
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Wounded people are evacuated from the Stade de France, just north of Paris, on Nov. 13, 2015, after explosions were reported. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city.
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Police officers take positions outside the Bataclan concert venue in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, where attackers had taken hostages. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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Police officers stand guard outside the Stade de France, north of Paris, on Nov. 13, 2015, after explosions were reported. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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Injured people are evacuated from the Stade de France, north of Paris, on Nov. 13, 2015.
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Two men evacuate from the Place de la Republique square in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, as a police officer looks on. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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A policeman stands behind a cordon blocking the street near the site of an attack at a restaurant in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
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A victim is shown on the pavement outside a Paris restaurant on Nov. 13, 2015, after a shooting attack there.
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Police work outside a restaurant in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, after a shooting attack there.
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A police officer stands guard on a street near the scene of a shooting in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
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Rescue workers and medics aid shooting victims at a Paris restaurant on Nov. 13, 2015.
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People run after hearing what were believed to be explosions or gunshots near Place de la Republique square in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015. Scores of people reportedly were killed in terrorist attacks around the city in the deadliest violence in France in decades.
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Victims lie on the pavement at a Paris restaurant on Nov. 13, 2015.
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Police officers and rescue workers stand near the site of a shooting near Place de la Republique square in Paris on Nov. 13, 2015.
(Dominique Faget / AFP-Getty Images) Instead, Dickerson will head back to Washington, D.C., after the debate and broadcast from the network’s bureau. He has booked Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Michael Morell, former deputy CIA director, to appear.
CBS is also airing an hourlong special on the attacks after the debate telecast on the West Coast. In the east, it will preceed the debate at 8 p.m.
