Presidential contenders George W. Bush and Al Gore faced each other last week in the first of three nationally televised and closely watched debates. What can you learn from these debates and how can it affect your view of the candidates?

The two main presidential candidates, Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush, finally met face-to-face on Tuesday night, October 3. The occasion was a televised 90-minute debate at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. They will meet two more times before Election Day—on October 11 at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and on October 17 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

For the past 40 years, debates like these have been widely considered the turning points in presidential elections. Why they might be the turning points is itself a matter of debate.

• Some view presidential debates as "beauty contests," in which the candidate who looks "presidential" or sounds the best gets the biggest boost.

• Others say that debates provide the best opportunity for millions of viewers to understand where the participants stand on important issues.

• Still others think of these debates as gladiatorial contests of wit and language.

Whatever the effect of the debates, most observers agree that Vice President Gore and Texas Governor Bush each held his own in round one. In the chart below, list what you think debates can tell you—and not tell you—about a presidential candidate.

What Debates Can Reveal	What Debates Cannot Reveal

The day after the initial Gore-Bush debate, one newspaper headline declared, "First debate is a clash of words and issues." That headline speaks volumes: What the presidential candidates say and how they say it can be equally important to the press and in the minds of voters.

• Get a transcript of this year's first presidential debate.

In the table below, read excerpts from what the two candidates said on several issues during the debate.

• For each issue, which candidate shows the most substance?

• For each issue, which candidate shows the most verbal skill in expressing himself?

• Pick one of the responses below and identify what you liked about it. What specific information, language, and phrases were particularly effective?

Issue	Bush	Gore
Economy	There is a huge difference in this campaign. He [Gore] says he's going to give you tax cuts; 50 million of you won't receive it. He said, in his speech, he wants to make sure the right people get tax relief. That's not the role of a president to decide right and wrong. Everybody who pays taxes ought to get tax relief.... It is a huge difference. It's the difference between big, exploding federal government that wants to think on your behalf and a plan that meets priorities and liberates working people to be able to make decisions on your own.	Now, [our] priorities are just very different. I'll give you a couple of examples: For every new dollar that I propose for spending on health care, Governor Bush spends three dollars for a tax cut of the wealthiest 1 percent. Now, for every dollar that I propose to spend on education, he spends five dollars on a tax cut for the wealthiest 1 percent. Those are very clear differences.
Education	Let me give you a story about public education, if I might. It's about KIPP Academy in Houston, Texas. It's a—it' s a charter school run by some people from Teach for America, young folks that said, "Well, I'm going to do something good for my country. I want to teach." A guy named Michael runs the school. It's a school full of so-called at-risk children. It's how we, unfortunately, label certain children. It means basically they can't learn. It's a school of strong discipline and high standards. It's one of the best schools in Houston. And here are the key ingredients: high expectations, strong accountability. What Michael says is, "Don't put all these rules on us. Just let us teach and hold us accountable for every grade." And that's what we do. And as a result, these young, mainly Hispanic youngsters are some of the best learners in Houston, Texas. That's my vision for public education all around America.	I'd like to tell you a quick story. I got a letter today, as I left Sarasota, Florida. I'm here with a group of 13 people from around the country who helped me prepare, and we had a great time. But two days ago, we ate lunch at a restaurant and the guy who served us lunch sent—got me a letter today. His name is Randy Ellis, he has a 15-year-old daughter named Kailey, who's in Sarasota High School. Her science class was supposed to be for 24 students. She is the 36th student in that classroom, sent me a picture of her in the classroom. They can't squeeze another desk in for her, so she has to stand during class. I want the federal government, consistent with local control and new accountability, to make improvement of our schools the number one priority so Kailey will have a desk and can sit down in a classroom where she can learn.

Televised presidential debates have been a part of the American political landscape for 40 years. The first ones—between then Vice President Richard Nixon and Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960—were perhaps the most famous.

For starters, they demonstrated the difference that appearance can make. Nixon was recovering from the flu and had also just finished a hospital stay for an injured knee. He refused to put on the face makeup that is standard for television appearances.

JFK, on the other hand, appeared youthful and tanned. His wittier responses to his opponent contrasted with Nixon's more aggressive-sounding tone. And although the debates focused on important issues, from the threats posed by communism to the state of the U.S. economy, Kennedy's ability to look and sound appealing on television is believed to have contributed to his victory in a close election.

The importance of these qualities was not lost on Ronald Reagan 20 years later, and more recently on Bill Clinton. Both went on to become president, helped by their abilities to make the most out of their appearances on television.

Learn More

• Prior to debating, presidential candidates first speak to a national audience at their party's political convention. Read the recent Riverdeep Today article, "Conventionally Speaking."

More Links

• Visit the Commission on Presidential Debates, which is sponsoring the three debates between presidential candidates Bush and Gore.

• Debating Our Destiny visits key moments in print, audio, and video of presidential debates over the past 40 years.

• Get a CNN summary of past presidential debates.

Related Resources

• Get Presidential Debates, by Alan Schroeder.