On Wednesday night, the first of three Presidential debates will take place.
The debate, which will be held at the University of Denver and moderated by Jim Lehrer, will pit Mitt Romney against President Barack Obama, with the focus being on domestic policy issues.
There is just over a month before voters head to the polls. The debates offer Romney and Obama one last chance to get their message out to undecided voters. Romney and Obama are both hoping to produce memorable moments in the upcoming debates, and they are also hoping to lure their opponent into making a big mistake.
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There have been a number of memorable moments in previous US Presidential debates.
The first general election presidential debate was held on September 26th, 1960, and pitted John K. Kennedy against Richard Nixon. A total of four debates were held that year, and one memorable moment was created in these debates that people still talk about today.
General presidential debates were not held for the next three elections - they returned in 1976, when Jimmy Carter ran against Gerald Ford. Debates have been a fixture of every election cycle ever since.
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As mentioned, there have been a number of memorable moments produced during past Presidential and Vice-Presidential televised debates. Let's look at five of the most memorable:
1. Gerald Ford, the "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe" gaffe:
2. Ronald Reagan - "I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." Reagan 1, Mondale 0:
3. JFK vs Nixon. The first televised debate between JFK and Richard Nixon saw Nixon lose points with voters due to a "drawn and haggard" appearance. Nixon refused to wear makeup and was reportedly sick at the time. JFK, on the other hand, looked like a "bronzed warrior".
4. Al Gore. During a 2000 debate against George W. Bush, Al Gore was heard noticeably sighing while George W. Bush was giving his responses. Gore was on the receiving end of countless parodies thanks to his performance in the 2000 debates:
5. Lloyd Bentsen. "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
In short, those who viewed the debate on TV, thought Kennedy won based on his appearance; those who heard the debate on radio thought Nixon won because of his voice.
So I'd advise the Romney people to do something about the lighting since the dark shading above Romney's eyes made him look sinister. Of course, I think he's sinister anyway.
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On Wednesday night, the first of three Presidential debates will take place. 
