Past presidential debates in history

The televised presidential debates have played a key role in many of the US election campaigns since the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon contest. Here are some of the dramatic moments which changed the course of election history.

Kennedy-Nixon 1960 Ford-Carter 1976 Carter-Reagan 1980 Reagan-Mondale 1984

Dukakis-Bush 1988 Bentsen-Quayle 1988 Gore-Bush 2000

The first televised presidential debate took place on 26 September 1960.

Vice-President Richard Nixon was widely expected to win the debate against the more inexperienced Senator John F Kennedy.

But the cameras favoured Mr Kennedy, who looked calm and composed throughout, while Mr Nixon appeared unshaven and flustered.

President Gerald Ford raised eyebrows in his clash with Jimmy Carter when he insisted there was "no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe".

His gaffe came on 6 October, in the second of three debates between the contenders in the 1976 presidential race.

Mr Ford lost the subsequent election. He had assumed the presidency in 1974 when Richard Nixon resigned after the Watergate scandal.

Ronald Reagan challenged voters to reflect on President Jimmy Carter's time in office as time was called on their 1980 debate.

The two men went head-to-head on 28 October, in the only debate of the election race to feature them both.

With inflation soaring and huge lines at petrol stations as a result of the energy crisis, Mr Reagan went on to defeat the sitting president.

President Ronald Reagan showed age had not dulled his sense of humour with a well-timed quip as he clashed with Walter Mondale.

His remarks came on 21 October, in the second of two presidential debates during the 1984 election race.

President Reagan went on to win re-election in a landslide victory.

Michael Dukakis was put on the spot with a question about capital punishment during one of his debates with Vice-President George HW Bush.

The incident came on 13 October, in the second of two presidential debates during the 1988 election, and helped Mr Bush to victory.

One of the few memorable vice-presidential debates took place in October 1988 between Democratic Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Republican nominee Dan Quayle.

Senator Bentsen attacked Mr Quayle for invoking the memory of President John F Kennedy.

But despite his success in the debate, it had little effect on the outcome of the election, which was easily won by Republican Vice-President George HW Bush.

Al Gore took a dismissive stance during the first of his three presidential debates with George W Bush in 2000.

Mr Gore was seen shaking his head and rolling his eyes during their clash on 3 October - a move that did not go down well with some of those watching.

The 2000 election turned out to be one of the closest in history, with victory declared only after the Supreme Court ruled on the contested Florida vote.

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