The History of Presidential Debates: Part One
Special Episode w/ show notes
As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare for their September 10 presidential debate, Ravi takes a closer look at the history of presidential debates. He starts with the TV era, from JFK and Nixon to Kerry and Bush, and explores how the format, impact, and strategy of debates have shifted over time. This episode is part one.
Watch this episode on YouTube:
Presidential Debates: Fifty Years of High-Risk TV (Alan Schroeder, 7/3/08)
Kennedy vs. Nixon: The first 1960 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
How JFK's Clever TV Strategies Helped Him Win the Election (Smithsonian, 7/14/17)
Mortgage Rates Chart: Historical and Current Rate Trends (The Mortgage Reports, 9/4/24)
Carter vs Ford Debates 1976 (The Jim Heath Channel)
Reagan-Carter Oct. 28, 1980 Debate - "There You Go Again" (MCamericanpresident)
Carter vs. Reagan: The second 1980 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
1980 Presidential Candidate Debate: Governor Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter - 10/28/80 (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation)
4% Inflation Rate Reported for 1984 : Three-Year Record Is Best Since 1968; Price Hikes Expected to Remain Small (Los Angeles Times, 1/24/85)
Presidential ad: “It’s Morning Again in America” Ronald Reagan (R) v Walter Mondale (D) (New York Historical Society)
The Best of Ronald Reagan's Presidential Debates (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, 9/26/23)
Bush vs. Dukakis: The first 1988 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
Bush vs. Dukakis: The second 1988 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
Exciting primary debate moments from history (CNN, 9/14/15)
The Most Awkward Political Debate Moments (ABC News, 8/5/15)
The Debate Answer that Ruined Michael Dukakis In 1988 (NBC News, 9/22/16)
Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown trade jabs at 1992 Democratic primary debate (Face the Nation, 11/10/15)
The Story Behind 'You're No Jack Kennedy' (NBC News, 10/3/16)
Are You Better Off Than You Were 4 Years Ago? (Harvard Kennedy School, 9/11/12)
Highest Rated Presidential Debates 1960 To Present (Nielsen, 10/08)
Reagan-Carter Oct. 28, 1980 Debate - "Are You Better Off?" (MCamericanpresident)
Reagan-Carter Oct. 28, 1980 Debate - "There You Go Again" (MCamericanpresident)
Ronald Reagan on 'There You Go Again,' Other Notable Debate Moments (PBS NewsHour, 2/3/11)
Ronald Reagan: "I Am Paying for this Microphone" (NHIOP)
Ronald Reagan's testy moment in the 1980 GOP debate (CBS News, 2/11/16)
Anderson vs. Reagan: The first 1980 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
First Presidential Debate with President Reagan and Walter Mondale, October 7, 1984 (Reagan Library)
The Debate Answer that Ruined Michael Dukakis In 1988 (NBC News, 9/22/16)
Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown trade jabs at 1992 Democratic primary debate (Face the Nation, 11/10/15)
Clinton's Debate Moment (TPM TV)
Famous debate moment: Bush, Sr. checks his watch in 1992 (CBS News)
Clinton-Dole Oct. 6, 1996 Debate - Better Off (MCamericanpresident)
Famous debate moment Gore intrudes Bush's personal space in 2000 (FastTheLatestNews)
Debate Panel Defends Barring Nader, Buchanan (Los Angeles Times, 6/22/00)
'Cicero' at the OK Coral (The Guardian, 9/30/04)
Bush vs. Kerry: The first 2004 presidential debate (PBS NewsHour)
Bush vs Kerry Debates 2004 (The Jim Heath Channel)
Presidential Debates: Why the Little Things Matter (The Wall Street Journal, 9/28/12)
A look back at memorable moments of past debates (CBS News, 9/25/16)
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