Presidential debates are a staple of the election cycle, but in recent years the drama of deciding who gets to host a debate and when can often be more exciting than the event itself. In a world where news is instant and everyone is connected, do they have the same impact and influence on elections as they once did? So in this episode, I want to know… who cares about Presidential debates?
Special guest for this episode:
Emma Long, Associate Professor of American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.
Highlights from this episode:
(02:18) The first Presidential debate
(07:44) Behind every great President is a great First Lady
(09:45) How many millions watch the JFK / Nixon debate?!
(13:45) The Trump effect
(17:25) How has social media changed debate strategy?
(23:10) How much control do the parties have over debates?
(27:13) Are debates too boring?
(32:42) What lessons were learnt from the Biden / Trump debate?
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