The debate season is now on for the American presidential election.Let’s look back at the history of presidential debates.
The history of the debates in the USA are long and important. From the days of a senatorial debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, to 2024. American presidential elections have been forged with these platform debates between candidates.
Presidential debates can be a big gain for either candidate. In essence, Candidates have to face their opponents in front of big audiences of their campaigns. This is a way to either win or lose an election. For example, around 84 million people saw the first Trump Clinton presidential debate in the 2016 election.
A debate can have a lot of weight in an election. Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump had a debate for their first presidential debate matchup. This was a momentous occasion in the election runup to election day.
1. The First American Presidential Election was in 1789
American history has often been criticized for having less tradition and longevity but there is a long lineage in the USA. For example, for presidential elections, the need for elections was new and fresh by the end of the 1700s.
The first U.S. presidential election was in 1789. The selection process was being developed and in a way literally a “boys club,” because only white men who owned property could vote. However, the choices between candidates needed to be worked out.
Debates were a way to differentiate and sell candidates. All in all, the United States was a place that had stipulations, which prohibited 94% of the population from getting and turning in a ballot. Debates became a model for future elections.
2. Debates in the USA come from “Elections” which originate from Ancient history
Ancient Greece is very important to European and American history. Historically, any debate needs an election. The word “election” is from the Latin eligere, which means, “to pick out, select” and is related to the word “lecture.
This word election comes from the word eleccioun, which means the “act of choosing” someone to occupy a position, to be given or risen to office.” Voting has a lot of history in the west and Europe. When people voted in Ancient Elections it may be a bit more dramatic. For example, in Athens and Rome, voting could include a variety of things. You may see shouting contests, secretive stone ballots and an election system with a preference for the rich and powerful.
In the past, elections in the democratic process were limited to men. the dēmos, which were free, male citizens. Women and enslaved people did not have a vote, which shows how long the process of inclusion and debate helps voters today.
3. The Most Important Debate in history was with John F Kennedy
The first debate between Kennedy and Nixon may be the most important presidential debate of presidential American history. John F Kennedy is a legendary president for good reason.
In American history, it is Kennedy’s debate that was the initial debate event that was nationally televised. This was a big event in many ways for TV and politics. In 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon had debated in the first televised debates in US history. These debates had a massive impact on the election’s outcome. THe debates meant that public image and the advantage of media exposure was to be very important for presidential success and wine. Television has continued and remained to be in the democratic process.
It was very important as debates go because the USA was involved in a tense Cold War with the Soviet Union. Also, these debates led to crucial American periods of history like the space race.
4. The first debates required an act of Congress
Debates were not originally allowed. For example, it took an act of congress to bring about the permission of debates for a presidential election. Moreover, the Communications Act of 1934 had made it a law that broadcasters in the USA needed to offer all candidates for public office a space to debate. So, this meant not only from the major parties in general. This would create problems of course for giving equal airtime.
Laws did not make things easy for debates. For example, in order to allow in a legal way the 1960 presidential debates there had to be a change. For example, for the Kennedy and Nixon election, Congress needed to temporarily suspend that provision of the law.
It has only been in the last 40-50 years that debates became more normalized. So, it was by 1975 when a change or revision by the Federal Communications Commission. This change had allowed presidential debates to take place between major party nominees like the Democrats and Republicans. From then on past 1975, these debates could be staged without any special acts of Congress.
5. Voters and Americans in general find debates as Useful and Attractive
People in the USA love debates. It gets people to talk about the candidates and it starts trends on social media. Debates attract headlines and people talk about them for a long time. The recent Trump debate with Harris proved that very well.
Many networks from Fox to MSNBC to independent journalists offer their opinions about the debates. For example, many journalists and commentators and vloggers then debate the debate. Also, in general, voters and the people interested in voting find the debates useful, but not necessarily needed or crucial but very telling of how a candidate seems overall. Trump seemed a bit defensive and angry in the second debate while current president, Joe Biden, seemed less alert and at times slow. These are impressions that really affect how voters look at each candidate.
In the USA, a Pew Research Center had completed a post-election survey from 1988 through 2016. The data was telling. In summary, in most cases, around 6 or 7 out of 10 or more voters had claimed the debates were very helpful in deciding and giving voters an idea who to vote for in November.
6. Presidential Debates are now expected every 4 years before the election
It is now a part of the presidential cycle every 4 years, a debate that includes the future president and vice president. For presidential election campaigns in the USA, it has become a part of the necessary steps of the election process.
At times it is important for the candidates to engage in one or more debates. The topics talked about in the debate are more stressed to be the more controversial issues of the day. The debates are targeted mainly at undecided voters primarily.
Elections have been nearly decided and won by these debates. However, it is important to note that candidate debates are not constitutionally mandated or needed legally. Debates are now considered an essential part of the election process.
7. Debates attract big TV and Network ratings and viewership
Viewership of the debates is big business in the USA. Overall ratings for the presidential debates have been getting higher. But, it can at times even fluctuate instead of rise. Overall, according to Nielsen data, in the US market, the debates are big business and attract many viewers who are curious.
For example, the four 1960 debates had amounted to lots of interest and big ratings. The ratings were so big that about 6 to 7 out of ten households with TV sets were watching and tuned in to watch the debates. Simply incredible! More later on when the debates had gone away and returned the debates were a little less popular by 1976.
The recent debates with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have been very popular. So far, in the past, ratings for the debates trended up and down, but they are picking up again. The level of interest in the candidate grows based on how much someone wants to see a debate. So, the initial Biden-Trump debate in 2020 had gained a 40.2 rating, which meant attracting about 4 out of 10 viewers.
8. Presidential Debates can make a big difference in Elections
An election can be swayed by a bad or good showing in a debate. However, there are some things that may not be known about debates. A lot of research has shown debates have a negligible or little effect on outcomes. Clearly, a presidential debate can also greatly debate an election especially if the debate happens closer to the election date.
All in all, many have noticed that presidential debates do shape voter narratives and attitudes. This has been observed by experts who have seen the effect of Trump mentioning the issue of Haitian migrants in Ohio.
In general, media coverage is shaped and pushed by debates. The prime example can be given with the news coverage in regards to the issue of pets and their safety among the Haitian community in the state of Ohio. This story that Trump brought up in relation to pets, especially cats, has sparked a lot of controversy.
9. Vice Presidential Candidates need to Debate as well
Vice presidential debates are not only needed but more popular than expected. The vice presidential debates are not as viewed but just as vital. Starting around 1976, the then presidential candidates for vice president had completed a debate.
The last time there was a big show was in 2020. What happened? For example, up to almost 58 million people watched the debate between Vice President Mike Pence and former senator and now vice president Kamala Harris. Clearly, this is big news and ratings for the networks and just as much interest.
In comparison, this was a little less than the lowest-rated Biden Trump debate. Also, what the vice presidential candidates say can be just as impactful and prone to influence voters overall. Debates matter in general to reflect what a potential president and vice president may do in the future.
The highest rate vice presidential debate was between then Senator Biden and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. This debate produced a lot of controversy and visibility as well.
10. Most of the US Debate moderators have been broadcast journalists.
There is a common link between most of the moderators. Media plays a big role in the USA and so the news media and journalism have become one and the same. Many if all have been journalists or broadcasters. In summary, all but two of the debate moderators since the 1960s have been notable and bigger broadcast journalists and TV personalities.
The recent moderator, David Muir is the anchor and managing editor of ABC News' “World News Tonight, which is a massive news media station. Muir has worked at this big network since 2003. His history with the candidates and as well with the debates has been very deep overall.
In terms of networks and TV stations, PBS journalists have moderated the most debates in terms of everything in comparison. Some other notable journalists have included Jim Lehrer. As well, another who has moderated more than two debates is Bob Schieffer of CBS News. Clearly, there is a strong news media and broadcaster connection to the debates, politics and the future presidential elections of the United States.
11. Moderators in Debates can be controversial
Recently, there was a controversy in the debate about the moderator for the Trump and Harris debate. Why? There were leaked reports and claims from a reported ‘ABC News' whistleblower who accused the news outlet of bias regarding the recent groundbreaking debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
According to an American publication, ‘Newsweek,' the last debate which aired Tuesday night was criticized by Trump for being unfair. Why? Mainly because of the hosts. For example,some networks like ABC or NBC or MSNBC may have a preference to be more for or against the Democratic or Republican party. All in all, many of Trump’s supporters and allies have maintained that the two moderators present, David Muir and Lindsey Davis, had unfairly targeted and tried to shame Trump. Some have gone on to say that the hosts went out of their way to block and keep Trump on the sidelines especially in terms of the issue of migrants and pets in a small Ohio town.
As of now, the controversial Republican, Trump, is not on board for another debate. However, many would like to see another debate that does not favor Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee and current vice president.
