The presidential debate myth: not the 'game-changer' you might think

[n2doc]

Michael Cohen


Quick: name the most memorable moment from the three presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain?

Nothing coming to mind? (And no, Sarah Palin saying "you betcha" in the vice-presidential debate doesn't count.)

How about the 2004 debates between John Kerry and George W Bush? Well, there was that line about a "global test" and then that great internet rumor that Bush had a radio receiver on his back. But anything else ring a bell?

This isn't just a memory test for Guardian readers – it's a perhaps less-than-subtle reminder that even though presidential debates are often viewed as the most important part of a campaign (aside from the national conventions), they actually affect the final election results a lot less than you might think. If Mitt Romney is hoping that the debates turn the tide in what is an ever-widening polling gap between him and Barack Obama, he might want to think again.


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http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/27/presidential-debate-myth-gamechanger

[HopeHoops]

1. McCain's zombie "Bleah" grab for Obama's ass. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.