You Make a Good Point

But Now Your Time Is Up

Author

The Déjà Digest
June 27, 2024

Background: As the 2024 presidential campaign heats up, the nation is once again glued to the spectacle of presidential debates. These verbal jousts, televised to millions, are a thin veil of policy discourse shrouding what's become essentially a stage for memorable one-liners, one-uppers, and the occasional gaffe. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are set to debate this evening, (the earliest date for any such debate, which are usually held in September and October) and we're sure to hear a few zingers and zangers that’ll make their way through the news cycle until it's time for another debate.

We'll try not to go over our time today as we give a Deja look at debates.

Deja Vu: While modern presidential debates are a relatively recent phenomenon, the roots of political debate stretch back to ancient times. Picture ancient Athens, where Socrates engaged in rigorous public discourse with his fellow citizens in the Agora. These debates weren’t just about winning votes but about exploring truth and virtue.

Similarly, the Roman Republic had its own version of debates within the Senate, where orators like Cicero delivered speeches that could sway the course of history.

Fast forward to the 18th century, where the debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the early United States laid the groundwork for the Constitution.

The modern presidential debate as we know it began with the Kennedy-Nixon face-off in 1960. Unlike today's high-definition broadcasts, this debate was a grainy, black-and-white affair, yet it was a game-changer. Nixon's five o'clock shadow and Kennedy's telegenic charm proved that image mattered.

Debates may evolve, but human nature remains consistent—we're drawn to drama, dazzled by rhetoric, and, occasionally, enlightened by discourse.

Fact:

On November 4, 1956, during the campaign between Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson and incumbent Republican President Dwight Eisenhower, a groundbreaking debate took place. However, Stevenson and Eisenhower were not the participants. Instead, the debate featured surrogates: former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt for the Democrats and Senator Margaret Chase Smith for the Republicans.

By 1956, both Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Chase Smith were well-established and respected figures in American politics. Roosevelt, known for her intelligence and activism, was a passionate advocate for Stevenson. She played a crucial role in securing his nomination and was affectionately known as the “Heroine of the Convention.”

On the other hand, Margaret Chase Smith was a seasoned politician. She gained national attention in 1950 for her courageous stand against Senator Joe McCarthy and became the first woman to serve on the Armed Services Committee in 1953. By 1956, she was a prominent figure in the Senate and a logical choice for the Republican National Committee to counter Eleanor Roosevelt.

The debate took place on CBS's "Face the Nation," a significant program then in its second season.

Number: 70%

In 1992, 70% of voters said the three debates that year between Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot were at least somewhat helpful.

Quote: "Television is democracy at its ugliest."

— Paddy Chayefsky.

Profile: Commission on Presidential Debates

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonprofit organization established in 1987 to oversee and organize the presidential and vice-presidential debates during U.S. general elections.

The CPD was founded by the chairmen of the Democratic and Republican National Committees at the time, Paul G. Kirk and Frank Fahrenkopf. Their goal was to institutionalize the debate process and remove it from the control of individual networks or media organizations.

The CPD operates independently of the U.S. government and political parties, although it works closely with both major parties to facilitate the debates.

  •  1988: The CPD held its first presidential debates between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. This established a new standard for how debates were conducted, with a focus on balanced representation and rigorous format.

  •  1992: The CPD introduced the town hall format, allowing undecided voters to ask questions directly to the candidates. This format became a staple in subsequent debates.

  •  2000: The CPD began to include more interactive formats and stricter rules on candidate responses, aiming to reduce the amount of scripted dialogue and increase spontaneous interaction.

  •  2012: The CPD implemented new rules to ensure more direct exchanges between the candidates, reflecting growing public interest in seeing candidates challenge each other directly.

Despite its efforts to maintain neutrality, the CPD has faced criticism over the years. Some third-party candidates have accused the CPD of being biased towards the two major parties, as the criteria for inclusion in the debates often exclude minor party candidates.

Additionally, some critics argue that the CPD's rules and formats sometimes limit the depth and breadth of discussion on important issues.

Abraham Lincoln quickly rose to fame thanks to his US Senate campaign against the country’s most formidable politician, Stephen A. Douglas. As the prize-winning Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo dramatizes in this stirring narrative, Lincoln would emerge as the leader of his party, and the man who would bear the burden of the national confrontation.