presidential debates — History News Network

Oct 9, 2022

Ten Years Ago, Barack Obama's Debate Choke Threatened His Reelection

by Cary Heinz

Barack Obama wasn't unprepared for his first debate against Mitt Romney in 2012, but he stumbled nonetheless. Ten years later, his performance offers a warning to incumbents of the challenges they face in coming out winners from the spectacle.

Source: Substack

Jan 18, 2022

Orban and Putin Don't do Debates Either

by Ruth Ben-Ghiat

The news that the Republican National Committee will boycott the Commission on Presidential Debates echoes the actions of authoritarians who reject the principle of political toleration and the very legitimacy of the opposition.

Source: Made by History at The Washington Post

Oct 22, 2020

Will Muting Trump and Biden Save the Presidential Debates?

by Tizoc Chavez

Americans deserve better from the Presidential debates; if the Commission on Presidential Debates can't find a way to elevate substance over style, it should step aside for another organization to meet this civic function.

Oct 4, 2020

A Founding Member Says the Commission on Presidential Debates Needs to Change

by Richard Moe

A founding member of the Commission on Presidential Debates argues that the body must take stock of its rules and procedures after Tuesday's debacle or risk irrelevance.

Oct 13, 2019

What the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Can Teach Presidential Contenders

by Georgiann Baldino

The Lincoln-Douglas debates became pivotal moments in national politics, and their lessons are vital today.

Jul 28, 2019

Dear Moderators of the Presidential Debates: How About Raising the Issue of How to Avert Nuclear War?

by Lawrence Wittner

That question might seem overwrought but, in fact, the U.S. government and others are increasing the role that nuclear weapons play in their “national security” policies.