PHILADELPHIA (WSVN) — As Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris prepare to face off in Tuesday’s historic first presidential debate, we are taking a look back at other past debates in the modern era that proved to be a shift in the election.
On June 27, 2024, it was the debate performance that changed the dynamic of the 2024 presidential race. The debate performance by President Joe Biden ultimately ended his candidacy for reelection.
“I’ve been proposing that everybody, they pay, the millionaires pay one percent,” Biden said in the debate. “For what I’ve been able to do with the, uh, with the COVID, excuse me, with, um, dealing with everything we had to do with, uh, look, if – we finally beat Medicare.”
Biden, after he offered a poor performance, left top Democrats looking for a way to get him out of the race, while openly questioning his fitness for office.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode, or is this a condition?'” said Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Analysts said the early June debate changed the race entirely.
“The debate changed the race. The debate just laid bare for the American public — and more importantly, Democratic members of Congress — that Joe Biden could not be their nominee,” said Axios Politics reporter Hans Nichols.
Looking back over 60 years, from Biden to Richard Nixon, some moments in debates have often been decisive.
In the very first televised presidential debate, Nixon, who was sick at the time, was seen visibly sweating, while his opponent, John F. Kennedy, looked youthful and composed.
“When the two were viewed side-by-side, and you asked yourself, whose finger would you like to be on the nuclear button, it became clear you didn’t want the sweaty guy from California,” said presidential historian Tim Naftali.
In the vice presidential debate in 1988, Dan Quayle characterized himself as a Republican version of a young John Kennedy. The notion teed up his opponent, Lloyd Bentsen, perfectly.
“Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy,” said Bentsen.
Also during that election season, Bentsen’s running mate, Michael Dukakis, in his debate with George H.W. Bush, was asked a fateful question referencing his wife by CNN’s Bernard Shaw.
“Governor, if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?” asked Shaw.
“No, I don’t, Bernard, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life,” said Dukakis.
Historians said Dukakis’ response to the question was not the right one.
“It was terrible. This was the opportunity to show humanity, and instead he made himself look like more of a humorless, emotionless robot than he had seemed before,” said Naftali.
There were also the wordless missteps and the body-language gaffes at a debate during the 2000 presidential race.
“There’s differences,” said George W. Bush.
In another debate that year, Al Gore got a little too close to Bush on stage.
Tuesday night’s debate marks just the second time in 50 years that a presidential debate has been held in Pennsylvania. Both Harris and Trump have set their sights on this state, which Biden only won by some 80,000 votes in 2020.
The presidential debate between Harris and Trump will air on Channel 7. Coverage begins at 8 p.m.
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