Great debates in history: Carter V. Ford (1976)

Throughout history, there have been countless high-profile debates that exemplify the innovation and mastery of discourse rhetoric. These iconic volleys encapsulate some of the most significant issues and conflicts in history, portraying a variety of views and interpretations that are thought-provoking and, at times, harrowing in their delivery.

Here is a summary of one such meeting, a presidential debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

Carter V. Ford

The 1960 opening debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon instantly became a relevant moment in debate history, as it was the first political debate of its kind to be broadcasted on national television. However, despite this debate’s significance, the Kennedy/Nixon debates would be the last of their kind for another 16 years, following FCC guidelines that deemed presidential debates to be “impractical because television stations were required to give equal time to all presidential candidates, not just those from the major parties.”

This approach was changed in 1975 after the FCC “ruled that live debates without sponsorship by a broadcaster were legitimate news events and could be carried by television stations without giving equal time to minor candidates.” Thus, televised presidential debates were solidified as standard practice henceforth.

The first debate to take place following the FCC’s change of methodology was a showdown between republican president Gerald Ford and his democratic challenger Jimmy Carter, the first in an intense election cycle that followed Nixon’s Watergate scandal. Ford and Carter debated several major political topics of the time, including the Soviet Union and its presence in Eastern Europe, but the debate was mired and ultimately defined by a series of awkward technical issues unprecedented in televised debate.

The problems began when, as Carter was giving an answer pertaining to “the post-Watergate decline in trust in the American government,” both candidates’ microphones suddenly shut off. This unexpected setback resulted in nearly 27 minutes of silence as both candidates stood awaiting their audio to be restored. This moment was particularly pressing, as both candidates were attempting to avoid the type of visible nervousness and discomfort exhibited by Nixon during the 1960 debate (which essentially led to his election loss).

Carter would go on to win the presidency in a narrow victory, a rare instance stemming from the southern United States, a “republican stronghold” during most of the country’s modern history.

Though the Carter/Ford debate was fairly cumbersome as a result of its technical difficulties, it provided a unique level of tension thanks to its captivating blend of the candidates’ almost paranoid self-awareness and the unpredictable environment in which they were debating. If anything, the debate helped to shape future broadcast debate protocol and still stands as a testament to both adaptability and calmness as standard debate necessities.

Here is a summary of one such meeting, a presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Kennedy V. Nixon

Broadcasted presidential debates are hard to miss in today’s social media-driven landscape — real-time reports of debate questions, contentions, quotes, and controversies are commonplace in their ability to quickly reach a large audience.

But before the internet, there was television alone, and in 1960 the United States experienced its very first televised presidential debate: a showdown between democratic candidate John F. Kennedy and republican candidate Richard Nixon. The debate, the first of several meetings during the 1960 US presidential election, single-handedly changed the face of American politics, as it was also the first time a pair of presidential candidates met face-to-face in such a manner.

Prior to the debate, political analysts favored Nixon to dominate the debate with 9-5 odds. However, Kennedy seemed to defy these odds from the very beginning of the debate, launching into a strong opening statement in which he observed, “the question is whether the world will exist half-slave or half-free, whether it will move in the direction of freedom — in the direction we are taking — or whether it will move in the direction of slavery. I think it will depend, in great measure, on what we do here in the United States.”

Kennedy proceeded to conduct himself in a “television-friendly” calm and collected demeanor, which boded well for him against an already visibly distraught Nixon (Nixon had recently suffered from the flu and had exacerbated a knee injury upon entering the debate venue).

The debate presented a new set of variables that would become standard for succeeding televised political events, including the ways in which the candidates addressed and acknowledged both a television audience and a physically-present group of reporters. With television still a fairly new medium for entertainment and broadcast journalism, both candidates were left to experiment with ways to properly utilize it in an interactive manner. Kennedy is said to have “nailed it” in this regard, looking directly into the camera (and into the eyes of the American public). Nixon, on the other hand, mostly shifted his gaze to the reporters at the side of the venue, giving himself a submissive, distracted appearance to those watching from home.

However, when it came to argument content and substance, both candidates were “remarkably similar” in approach, discussing issues including communism, national security, and the overall future of America. What had started as a predicted one-sided battle resulted in a mostly evenly-matched contest, with Kennedy’s presentation giving him a slight edge.

Nixon improved upon his shortcomings in later debates, but Kennedy ultimately secured the presidency — a victory many historians credit to momentum established during the first debate.