ELECTIONS - Debates Flashcards
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
When are they held
There are usually three presidential debates and one VP debate held in late September, and early October.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
History of the presidential debate
1960s - first debates held.
1987 - non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates was established which sponsored all the debates since 1988
Traditional debate: candidates stand behind podiums and are asked questions from a moderator.
1976 - Non-participatory audience introduced.
1992 - town hall style of debates where the candidates are seated on bar stools in front of an audience of swing voters who ask them questions directly.
2000 - Round table discussion become the new format. The candidates talk with each other rather than at an audience
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Do’s: Good sound bites
2008 - John McCain
John McCain got a good soundbite at Obama’s expense when Obama tried to compare McCain to the unpopular George Bush -
‘Senator, I am NOT President Bush… if you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago’
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Do’s: Ultimatums
2016 Trump V Clinton
In this first debate between Clinton and Trump, he says ‘I will release my tax returns against my lawyer’s wishes as soon as she releases the 33,000 deleted emails’
The crowd erupted.
People didn’t care about Trump’s fraud because the white male voter is impressed by Trump’s ability to make money.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Do’s: Not accepting the premise of a question you don’t like
Final 2020 Presidential debate - Biden:
‘He says people are learning to live with it, people are learning to die with it. You folks at home will have an empty chair at the table’
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Do’s: Looking presidential
Mitt Romney V Obama 2012
Romney was animated, coherent, and a little aggressive - he enjoyed the moment and looked presidential while doing so.
72% of Americans believed he had won with only 20% making Obama winner.
Within a week, Romney was leading in the Gallup seven-day tracking poll website.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Don’t: Make forgettable remarks
1980 Jimmy Carter V Ronald Reagan
They both met for their only head-to-head debate less than a week before the Election Day. At the end of the debate, each candidate was given 3 minutes for a closing statement.
Democrat Carter went first and made well-meant but forgettable remarks:
‘I think when you make that decision, it might be well if you ask yourself, are you better off than you were four years ago?’
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Don’t: Prioritise substance over style
Gore V Bush 2000
Gore appeared overly made up.
He interrupted Bush frequently, and rolled his eyes.
He was ridiculed on SNL for being a ‘smarty pants’/
In the second Town Hall style debate, Gore strode across the stage to stand next to Bush while the latter was still speaking to him so Bush gave him a quizzical glance.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Don’t: Have verbal gaffes
2016 Trump and the third debate. Towards the end, he repeatedly refused to say that he would respect the result whether he won or lost. This resulted in a lengthy exchange between the moderator (Chris Wallace of Fox News) - ‘I’ll keep you in suspense’
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Don’t: Be an incumbent
Trump and the ‘pussy’ comments 2016
incumbents have to defend their every move, and anything they have said can be thrown back at them.
In the second debate of the 2016 election, Trump had to say: ‘this was locker-room talk… I’m not proud of it’ referring to how Trump said ‘grab em by the pussy’
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
Don’t: Be too interruptive
Trump and Biden 2020 September First Debate
Trump and Biden kept interrupting each other:
‘Will you shut up man’ - Biden.
‘Mr President can you let him finish sir…’
‘He doesn’t know how to do that’ - Biden
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
They ARE influential in the result of the election
Following the 2016 debate, when asked in exit polls whether or not the debates were important to their vote, of the 64% that said they were important, Clinton bested Trump by only 4%.
Since 1976, the expectation for candidates to take part in the televised debates set against each other has been prominent… the candidates polling at an average of 15% of the national polls are eligible to take part in the presidential debates.
