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- Prior to television, presidential debates in the U.S. mostly involved coverage in newspapers. Probably the most famous presidential debates in history are the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858.
- The very first televised presidential debates are also thought to have had the biggest effect on voters. In September of 1960, the Kennedy-Nixon debate resulted in an overnight poll lift of 3 points for Kennedy; Kennedy went on to win the White House by just two-tenths of a percentage point, suggesting the debates helped clinch public opinion in his favor.
- Conductors of political polls believe that presidential debates affect election outcomes, but that remains true only some of the time. For instance, when polls show large leads for one candidate going into the debates--as in 1988 and 1996--then debates have produced little change in polls.
- In addition to showing presidential candidates on a national stage, debates also inform voters about issues. They also occasionally provide a platform for a third party.
- Despite their often high television ratings, debates are limited by their format. Because answers have strict time limits, candidates cannot go into much detail regarding policy proposals. In addition, presidential debates disallow candidates from addressing one another, preventing any true back-and-forth exchange of ideas that might further enlighten voters.
