Great Debates, the

The term Great Debates was commonly used for the Lincoln-Douglas Debates during the 1858 Senate race in Illinois. Since then, the term has been extended to apply to several presidential debates, especially during the television era. Most famously, the presidential debates of 1960 were the first televised debates and included John Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

It is often contended that these debates were harmful to Nixon's campaign because several problems related to the medium were unkind to Nixon and made Kennedy look more credible. Nixon appeared to be tired and unwell during the debates due to excessive lighting that caused heat and makeup problems. Kennedy appeared well rested, energized, and healthy. Some speculate that Nixon “won” the voters who listened to the debates broadcast on radio while Kennedy “won” the voters who viewed the debates on television. However, the analysis of this data, as well as the data itself, was questionable, and the accuracy of this conclusion is still questionable.

The 1960 debates offered a chance for every voter with television access to watch both presidential candidates. This was the first time in history that voters were afforded this opportunity without having to attend a convention or debate in person. The candidates were pitted against each other in a setting where questions focused on domestic and foreign issues; they were given time to respond to each other as well as to questions posed by media representatives. These debates differed from current presidential debates in format, length, and topics, but they were the first introduction of debates as a campaign forum.

Over the course of the past 40 years, presidential debates have been used strategically during campaigns. Sydney Kraus (1962, 1977), along with others, reviews the debates and provides suggestions for how campaigns might strategize further with this campaign forum. In a series aptly titled The Great Debates, Kraus and contributors have dissected and analyzed not only candidates participating in debates, but how debates function.

As a book and the subsequent series, The Great Debates offers a solid report, a close analysis, and careful critique of the presidential debates since 1960. First published in 1962, the original book is now out of print, but Kraus's critique of televised presidential debates continues. In addition, online resources provide samples from the debates and commentaries from those who participated in them. The greatest contribution of the reflections in The Great Debates series is not only that it serves as a reminder of the importance of media in campaigns, but that it chronicles change over four decades of presidential debates.