Everything you need to know about presidential debate history

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama's clash this week will be just the latest in a long tradition of presidential showdowns

Richard Nixon (left), debates John F. Kennedy (right), during a live broadcast of their fourth presidential debate on October 21, 1960.
(Image credit: AP Photo)

When were the first debates held?

The seven encounters between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas in 1858 are widely considered to be the first "presidential" debates — even though they took place two years before the men were actually running for president. The modern tradition of televised presidential head-to-heads began in 1960, when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated live on air before an audience of 74 million viewers. Since then, presidential debates have become a quadrennial staple of the political calendar, and are consistently the most-watched campaign events. The ability to perform well in the debates has become a key qualification for the nomination, said political analyst Larry Sabato. "When parties are considering their candidates, they ask, 'Who would look better on TV? Who comes across better? Who can debate better?'" he said. "This has been taken into the calculus."

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