The last presidential debate I am certain I watched was in 1992 between Bush, Clinton, Perot. I remember it quite well as I was on location working with one of the campaigns and standing behind the cameras at Washington University in St. Louis. I may have also watched one of the Bush-Gore debates as well.
However in the last twenty years or so, it seems that the debates have slowly declined in importance and information content. Wouldn't it be nice to have a thoughtful discussion between our former Vice-President and our current President on say; HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the various territorial claims to Antarctica, foreign relations with Venezuela (to pick three important topics that no one is discussing today)?
Take a moment and read the transcripts of the 1980 Carter-Reagan debates. I prefer reading the transcripts to watching videos as it forces one to think about their words over the style of their delivery. What you find are two men who disagree very strongly with each other. They probably didn't like each other. Yet, they presented their views with dignity, in a gentlemanly fashion, with respect for their opponent.
Their different views made sense. Each position had some value and merit. In their time they were considered important, but no one would have thought in 1980 that the voters of 2020 would look back on them with admiration. Yet we do, not because they were that great, they weren't, but because of how far the tone of current public debate has declined.
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