The American president has a very important job. He or she leads the United States and controls the military. Americans vote to pick that person. How can they know which will be the best? The presidential debates help them choose.
At least two candidates take part in a debate. Some debates have more. The candidates answer questions about important topics. Those include schools and jobs. Candidates share their plans for the nation. And they try to convince people to vote for them!
Debates are part of the election process. However, they weren’t always. Some early debates took place in 1858. They were between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The men were running to be a senator of Illinois.
Douglas was a senator for Illinois. Lincoln was challenging him. The candidates debated seven times across Illinois. Douglas won the election. But the debates helped Americans learn about Lincoln. Lincoln then won the election for president in 1860.
The first debates for president took place 100 years later. They were between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. The candidates had four debates in 1960. Voters saw them speak on TV. About 60 million Americans tuned in. The debates helped Kennedy win the election.
The next presidential debate was in 1976. President Gerald Ford faced Jimmy Carter. They debated three times. Nearly 70 million Americans watched. Carter won the election.
Ronald Reagan challenged President Carter in 1980. More than 80 million people saw their debate. Reagan won the election. In 1984, Reagan was 73 years old. That year, Walter Mondale ran against him. In their debate, Reagan was asked if he was too old to lead.
“Not at all,” responded Reagan. The president made a promise: “I will not make age an issue of this .” And he said he would not “ my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Reagan won the 1984 election.
Americans kept tuning in for the debates. Now many watch online. And debates still affect the election. In 2016, about 84 million Americans watched Donald Trump debate Hillary Clinton. Fewer saw Trump and Joe Biden in 2020. But their rematch in 2024 is making history.
For the first time, a U.S. president will debate a previous U.S. president. The dates for the 2024 debates are:
• June 27
• September 10
Election Day is November 5. Will the debates change the outcome? Time will tell.
Updated June 26, 2024, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
