The most memorable moments in debate history

Sam Koukoulas

Debates are a time for the public to truly get a sense of their nominees. It is believed that debates can truly make, or break a candidate.

Here are some of the most iconic moments from debate history:

SEE ALSO: Polls show Clinton leads Trump ahead of first debate

1960: Kennedy v. Nixon
This was the first-ever televised debate and nearly 70 million Americans watched. Television viewers thought Kennedy won, while radio listeners thought Nixon won the debate. It is controversially believed that Kennedy won based on physical appearance since Nixon was suffering from the flu and wore no makeup.

1976: Carter v. Ford
Gerald Ford lost the '76 election and some believe it was because of this flub: "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe." The comment didn't go over well because there was already a heavy military presence in the area with three Army divisions in Poland alone.

1980: Reagan v. Carter
Carter challenged Reagan on his Medicare stance prompting Reagan to fire back with, "There you go again."

Reagan spoke to the audience of 80 million closing the debates with his infamous line, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

1992: Clinton v. Bush v. Perot
President George H.W. Bush questioned Clinton's participation in Anti-Vietnam protests. Clinton responded: "You were wrong to attack my patriotism. I was opposed to the war, but I love my country. And we need a President who will bring this country together, not divide it. We've had enough division. I want to lead a unified country."

Click through the gallery for more of the most influential debates in history:

Advertisement