Gaffes, insults, a well-timed joke: The best moments in US presidential debate history

When John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon stepped onto the debate stage in 1960, a staggering 70 million Americans watched as the U.S. presidential candidates squared off.

It was the first televised presidential debate in U.S. history. The primetime event set in motion a new era of politics that has since relied on spectacle, the appearance of candidates, and the ability to deliver the best one-liners.

As Joe Biden and Donald Trump – now their parties’ official presumptive nominees – prepare to take the debate stage, let’s look back at five of the most memorable moments in presidential debate history.

1. The 1960 Kennedy-Nixon Debate: The First Time Looks Matter

Nearly half of all Americans with televisions tuned in to the 1960 debate between Kennedy and Nixon. What voters saw may have changed the course of the election: a poised, tanned Kennedy next to Nixon, who looked pale and gaunt after a recent hospital stay.

As the debate wore on, the optics worsened for then-Vice President Nixon. He began sweating off his stage makeup under the hot studio lights. He failed to stare directly into the cameras, instead looking off to the side to address various reporters’ questions.

Kennedy, on the other hand, looked like the picture of health compared to Nixon. He was sun-kissed from his weeks of campaigning on the road and looked right into the camera—a tactic still used by politicians today when they hope to appeal to Americans more directly.In that single televised appearance, the damage was done. Some believe Nixon’s defeat was sealed that night, with one commentator remarking the next day, “My God, they’ve embalmed him before he even died.”

2. The 1980 Carter-Reagan Debate: ‘There You Go Again…’

President Jimmy Carter and Republican nominee Ronald Reagan’s second debate in October 1980 featured a matchup between a soft-spoken Southerner and a smooth-talking former actor.

By this point in Carter’s term, his approval rating had fallen to around 30%, a sharp decline from his 75% approval rating at the start of his presidency. Meanwhile, Reagan’s appeal had started to grow with Southern Democrats and evangelicals.

During a discussion on Medicare, Carter went on the offensive, criticizing Reagan’s track record of campaigning against the health care benefit. Though factual, his point was longwinded compared to Reagan’s quip in response.“There you go again,” Reagan chuckled, disarming Carter and cementing the definitive line of the 1980 presidential election.

Politicians, from Bill Clinton to Mike Pence, have continued to use the line throughout debates to dismiss their opponents and accuse them of hyperbole.

3. The 1984 Mondale-Reagan Debate: ‘I Won’t Exploit My Opponent’s Youth’

Reagan continued to deliver memorable one-liners during his 1984 campaign against Democratic opponent Walter Mondale.

By the second presidential debate, Reagan was 73 years old – already the oldest president in U.S. history at the time. When asked if he was too old to be president, he responded:

“I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Even Mondale laughed. Reagan’s poll numbers went up, and he won the election by a landslide.

4. The 1988 Quayle-Bentsen Debate: ‘You’re No Jack Kennedy’

A remark from the 1988 vice presidential debate between Republican nominee Dan Quayle and his Democratic opponent Lloyd Bentsen is still in today’s political lexicon.

Quayle, 41, was frequently questioned about his age after becoming George H.W. Bush’s running mate and his relatively short time in Congress. In response, he frequently compared himself to former President John F. Kennedy, saying that he and JFK each served in Congress for 12 and 14 years, respectively.

During the 1988 debate, Quayle again compared his time in congressional service to Kennedy’s.

Bentsen shot back with the now famous line, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

5. The 2016 Clinton-Trump Debate: ‘Such a Nasty Woman’

The third presidential debate between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump was memorable, with critics accusing Trump of stalking Clinton around the stage.

But one of the most significant lines came from the soon-to-be-president, when he referred to Clinton as “such a nasty woman.”

Little did he know, that phrase would launch a movement of fellow “nasty women” into political action during the 2016 race.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best presidential debate moments in history