The United States Presidential Election’s style of debating is such that it has been replicated across the globe and not just in the political circle but also in the debating circuit across schools and colleges. The style is such that it poses 2 people one against another and on key issues ranging from social to economical to people related.
Through the years, US Presidential elections have had their fair share of truly “winning” moments and for those of us who have debated; there’s nothing like destroying the argument of the opposition and coming out as a more sought after debater.
We look at some of the finest moments down the history lane in the US Presidential debates.
Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney
- The Barack Obama of 2008 and the Barack Obama of 2013 are 2 different debaters, with the latter already occupying white house as president for 5 years and that probably increasing the confidence with which he was able to communicate his strong opinions on subjects that matter.
- The 3 debates between the two were hands down in favor of Obama who not only destroyed Romney’s arguments but also showed his inapt knowledge on some very critical issues.
To get a sense of what transpired, the key moments from their Presidential debates are these :-
source: YT / The Young Turks
George W. Bush sr vs Bill Clinton
- In the year of 1992, George W Bush Senior and Bill Clinton came face to face in one of the most heated Presidential debates of all time.
- Came a question in the debate that probably just as it was being read made Bush and Clinton keen to answer it with all that they had got, as it clearly was to become the talking point of the Presidential debate, the question was about recession.
- Clinton answered the question with his one eye on the white house and the other eye on the people, workers and the voters of the United States.
A truly winning moment.
source: YT / Seth Masket
Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump
- Coming from the past debates to the most recently concluded ones, the 3 debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been nothing short of controversial and headline grabbing.
- Each of their arguments and remarks have faced either great slag from the other side or great criticism from the media and the voters – it has been an odd debate but Clinton has come forward as a better of the two.
- Be it Trump’s allegations of Clinton being a liar, embarrassing her on the email leaks and her attitude towards the pro-corporate approach of America which doesn’t go down too well with some people.
- On the other hand, we’ve Trump embarrassing himself more individually as opposed to Clinton having to do much.
- The very statement from Trump that “global worry for environment is a hoax” reflects how poorly Trump is able to analyze world problems.
- Adding to this statement, were his tape leaks demeaning women and not to forget the allegations of Trump having not paid his workers (builders and his office staff) for not being satisfied by their work; something to which he admitted and shockingly didn’t even reflect upon to defend or apologize about.
We give you a bite of this war of words from their first of three Presidential debates :-
source: YT / Rekt Feminist Videos
There you go again – Carter and Ronald Raegan
- The debate of 1980 was historic for many reasons, for one it had 2 great politicians coming head to head and fight for the ultimate post of US Presidency.
- The debates were understandably heated but through the years the remembrance for the same has been through the epic line of Ronald Raegan “there you go again”, which he used whenever he was misquoted on his stance on issues by Carter.
- During one of the debates, Carter expressed that Raegan has a very destructive view of healthcare for the elderly to which Carter said “there you go again”.
There you go again
source: YT / MCamericanpresident
Kennedy and Nixon, 1960 debate
- Considered by many as the most riveting moment in the history of global politics, this was the first televised debate in the history of American politics.
- The impact of it was visibly different on people in terms of visually and what they heard on the radio, thus proving that visuals and sounds may tend to make different impacts on people.
- It was observed that while the TV audience preferred Kennedy as the viewer; the radio audience went ahead with Nixon.
Eventually, it was Kennedy who came into power and became the President of the United States.
source: YT / JFK Library
Contributors:- Aditya Jha
