US presidential debate is a tradition that has taken roots

It has been held since 1960; only twice debate was not held

LAHORE: Although it is not constitutionally mandated, it has become customary for the main candidates of the American presidential elections to engage in debates on the most burning and controversial issues of the time.

The history of these televised Presidential debates dates back to September 26, 1960 when Nixon and Kennedy had engaged in this exercise. The presidential election of 1960 was one of the closest in American history.

John F. Kennedy won the popular vote by a slim margin of approximately 100,000 votes. Richard Nixon won more individual states than Kennedy, but it was Kennedy who prevailed by winning key states with many electoral votes.

While the first televised debate for the 1960 election drew over 66 million viewers out of a population of 179 million, making it one of the most-watched broadcasts in American television history, the 1980 debates had attracted 80 million viewers out of a 226 million.

Some 46 million viewers had watched the 2000 Presidential debate, and the number had rested at 67 million in 2012. No presidential debates were held in 1964, 1968 and 1972 though.

Lyndon Johnson had turned down requests to debate in 1964, as did Nixon in the 1968 campaign. Once elected, Nixon had then used his presidential veto power to override a bill that repealed the equal time provision of the Communications Act of 1934, which required that candidates in national elections must have equal exposure in the media.

During the 20th century, candidates used the equal time provision to their advantage. By refusing to debate, any candidate could effectively cripple a proposed debate. Certainly, there was a measure of bad press associated with turning down an invitation to debate.

Quite recently, a record-breaking audience of over 84 million people watched the first 2016 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This number, however, does not reflect online streaming.

Since 1976, each presidential election has featured a series of vice presidential debates. The Vice presidential debates have been held regularly since 1984.

The year 1992 featured the first debate involving both major-party candidates and a third-party candidate, billionaire Ross Perot running against President Bush and the Democrat nominee Governor Bill Clinton.

(References: The Huffington Post and CNN Money)

Not long ago on September 26, 2016, the prestigious “Forbes” magazine had viewed: “While the first American TV station began broadcasting on July 2, 1928, the first debate between major party presidential candidates wasn’t shown on TV until 1960. More than 1 in 3 Americans, or 66.4 million viewers, tuned in for that first televised presidential debate, making it one of the most-watched broadcasts in television history. The U.S. population at the time was 180.7 million; today, the U.S. population is estimated to be 324.7 million. The 1960 Presidential debate series proved to be fatal for Nixon, who was said to be ill and declined stage makeup for the first debate. When he returned as a presidential candidate in 1968, he declined to debate his opponent, then serving VP Hubert Humphrey. Nixon won the presidential election that year.”

The magazine had maintained: “Following the skipped debates in 1968, voters wouldn’t see another televised presidential debate until 1976 where eventual President Jimmy Carter debated then serving President Gerald Ford. Presidential debates have been held in every presidential campaign since that time. The year 1976 also marked the introduction of vice presidential debates which have regularly been held since 1984. Let’s be honest: rarely do voters pay attention and rarely are these debates memorable. There is, however, one exception.”

The “Forbes” had gone on to write: “In the 1980 presidential debate against then President Jimmy Carter, former President Reagan delivered the infamous line, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Voters answered, ushering Reagan in for two terms. Variations of that line has since been used by a number of presidential candidates since. When incumbent President Reagan debated former Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984, there was concern that Reagan was too old. At age 73, some voters were concerned that he was too old. Reagan countered by saying, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” making even Mondale smile.”

The media house further said: “Many folks believe (falsely) that former President George H. W. Bush uttered the memorable phrase, “Read my lips: no new taxes” during the presidential debates. He did not. He made that promise at the 1988 Republican National Convention when he accepted the Republican Party’s nomination. In 1992, the debates also featured a third-party candidate, Independent candidate Ross Perot. He debated against then serving President George H. W. Bush and then serving Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton. Clinton won the presidency that year.”

The magazine had gone on to write: “The most-watched presidential debate ever was said to be the Reagan-Carter debates of 1980 – 80.2 million individual viewers had tuned in. The 2012 debate between President Barack Obama and then Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney drew just 67.2 million viewers, but the debate was watched by 46.2 million households, slightly more than the 45.8 million who tuned in during 1980.”

However, the CNN had once stated: “In the United States, Presidential debates were actually born out of a well-publicised Illinois senatorial debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858. This debate, with no moderator or panel, was the result of Lincoln following Douglas on his campaign trail around the state, goading him from the audience during campaign speeches. The pair eventually took the stage together for three hours to debate the moral and economic quandaries posed by slavery. The effects of their senatorial debate (Douglas won the seat) wouldn't be seen immediately: Lincoln didn't debate at all during his successful campaign for president two years later in 1860.”

The premier US media outlet had added: “All remained quiet on the debate front; 15 election cycles passed without much public argument between candidates -- the dialogue was separate, usually in the form of campaign speeches. In 1948, the presidential debate would get a boost with a radio broadcast of a debate between Republican primary contenders Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen. Between 40 and 80 million listeners tuned into the radio broadcast of the pair's debate over outlawing Communism” in the United States.”