There they go again: Great moments in presidential debates
by Brian Goldsmith
The very first presidential debate was in 1960 — and it happened to be televised. Actually, the fact that it was televised became its defining feature. The contest was less about what the candidates said and more about how they looked. John F. Kennedy seemed tanned, relaxed, and confident; Richard Nixon appeared sweaty, nervous, and pale.
Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric looks back at that debate, and the debates that followed — and highlights the key moments that resonated all the way to Election Day.
Following 1960, there was a 16-year gap during which no presidential debates were held: In 1964, Lyndon Johnson didn’t want to threaten his big lead in the polls, and in 1968 and 1972, Nixon feared a repeat of his disastrous encounter with Kennedy.
But in 1976, America’s bicentennial year, debates were back on. Then-President Gerald Ford was behind in the polls and agreed to appear with his challenger, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter. Their debates are best remembered for Ford’s gaffe about there being “no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.” But they can also be remembered as the spark that restarted the debate tradition: The two major party nominees have debated ever since.
The debates have produced many memorable moments. Ronald Reagan created at least two: His “there you go again” putdown of Carter, and, four years later, his hilarious response to suggestions that he might be too old for the presidency. In 1988, the Democratic nominee, Michael Dukakis, responded clinically to an emotional question about whether he would still oppose the death penalty if his wife were raped and murdered. In 1992, Ross Perot won converts with his folksy populism—language that presages some of Donald Trump’s today. In 1996, Bill Clinton dealt effectively with his opponent’s age.
In 2000, Al Gore’s sighs became more memorable than most of what he said. In 2004, George W. Bush took message discipline to a whole new level by repeating himself … repeatedly. And in 2008 and 2012, viewers saw President Obama’s strengths and weaknesses as a debater.
Two things are sure about Monday’s confrontation between Trump and Hillary Clinton: The stakes are high. And voters, perhaps in record numbers, will be watching.
