A Variety of Factors Led To No Televised Debates For Three Straight Presidential Campaigns

US Presidential hopefuls are not required to engage in debates when they are running for the highest office in the United States. If a Presidential hopeful decides that they don't want to debate, there is nothing that can be done to force them to do so.

There is nothing in the Constitution that requires a party nominee to engage in a debate - it's purely optional.

Case in point: there were no Presidential debates in 1964, 1968 AND 1972.

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Lyndon B. Johnson won the 1964 US Presidential election in a landslide. He ended up with 486 electoral votes, while Barry Goldwater received just 52.

Johnson took over as President of the United States following the assassination of President Kennedy, and was eventually forced into campaign mode a short while later. The country, still reeling from the death of JFK, threw their support behind Johnson.

Johnson, the incumbent, had nothing to gain from a debate, while Goldwater had everything to gain. No debates were scheduled in 1964, and President Johnson won an easy victory.

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The 1968 US Presidential election saw Richard Nixon take on Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

Nixon, who arguably lost the 1960 Presidential election due to a disastrous first debate performance against JFK, refused to debate in 1968. Again - you can't force somebody to debate, so nothing was scheduled.

President Nixon would go on to win the election.

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The 1972 US Presidential election saw President Nixon square off against George McGovern.

Nixon, the incumbent, enjoyed a massive polling advantage over McGovern.

Not only did Nixon not want to debate because of what happened in 1960, but he didn't have to as well, as he was way out in front in the polls.

Again - everything to lose for Nixon in a debate, and nothing to gain, so he never agreed to a debate.

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Presidential debates returned in 1976, when Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford agreed to three debates. In addition, Bob Dole and Walter Mondale squared off in a Vice Presidential debate as well.

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