But some matter more than others. TIME spoke to several historians about the most important presidential debates and their impacts on the course of American history.
This Oct. 28, 1980, photo shows President Jimmy Carter (left) and Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan shaking hands after debating in the Cleveland Music Hall in Cleveland. Madeline ...
is a long-time political consultant and now political science professor at the University of California, San Diego. He played Ronald Reagan when incumbent Jimmy Carter was preparing for the 1980 ...