acceptance speech atdemocratic convention. >>drif too long. we havet leadership too long. deadlocked government, too long. we hatch historic convention speeches on american history tofhe 2024 republicn july 20 for teen-18, and the democratic convention>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by thtelevision companies and more, including comcast. >> is just a community center? it is more than that. >> comcast is creating wi-fi some families c portsers giving you a front row acy. mitchell mckinney is with the university of aberrant -- the university of he joins us now

on washington journal. good to be with you. host: i want to a this day and age, why do you think bates still matter? >> we see that they still draw a great deal o've been in the range of 75 million80 million viewers. had a general election presidential debate this early b they do draw quite a lot of voters. and i think tt sense that many of those voters most of those viewete in to cheer on their chosen candidate. is always a small slice of undecided weakly committed yet quite sure. and when you are in a close race, we are in one right now and also there's a number of questions a that we have a number of those questions about both candidates. if they are influential in helping those votersdecision, and again, we've seen a number of presidential debate

cycles where voters will point to the debate at the time they made their mind up. and in a close election, debates can be very consequential. host: you thi these are more events of style or of substance? guest: certainly both. and what we find, i s learning. learning their demeanor, their temperament and particularly a debate moment. the only time we see the major partes side-by-side. we are assessing that comparative assessment. how do they how do they attack one another?and so i think a greatt also in terms of the issue discussion. said in the previous segment, a number of questions, questions and in a 90 minute debate there is al of discussion of those issues that are most important to voters. learning happens on multiple host: one of theelves

get the most from it? guest: we certainly see and hear a lot of c the candidates themselves are i actually think the best way to well be to tune cdiscussion that we've just had this morning. what are those things that are most important to me, what where to know more haven't i heard? i want the candidates to address abcs. and usually, those are the issues for most, but also going inquestions itidates. whether the question is heard from viewers this morning president, how will the address that in the debate? questions about donald trump's commitment and his execution of presidency january 6 following his commitment he address those issues? i think it is a from the potential leader of the

and are they willing to address that in a straightrw we are going to go back and tied a look at some of those historical debates. are there stand out debates in history of presidential debates? >>-going back to 1960 and drawing some parallels whenour televised general election presidential debates. edy met together in studio. and ways, what was senior in is back to the future. we to have this debate the first one in atlanta. the two candidates themselves with the journalists questioning them. tly what we did in 1960. we can talk a great d of how do we learn from these debates. if you go back and you look at those first debates they are veryflective discussions between the two candidates. none of theatrics the playing f hjeering.

i think that removal of the studio is going toeffect on the type of discourse . again, what we had another thing we might point to is from the dynamic, the close race. questions about candidates. so a lot tha we can learn from the history of previous debates. host: aircast is with us to ask them questions about the history of debates and how they might relate to tomorr republicans. (202) 748-8000 fourrats. an independent, (202) 748-8002. mitchell mckinney joining us for this discussion. let's to 1960 to show you a little bit of that debate between john kennedy and richard nixon.>> vice president campaign has said that you are naive. as raised the question of leadership. why rather than the vice president? >>d i came to congress together. there now for 14 years, the same time that he has.

so our experience in government is comparable. secondly, i think the question is what other programs that wewhat is the party record that we lead? it democratic party in this century has produced, supported and sustained these programs which are discussed tonight.mr. nixon comes out of the republican party. and for most of these last 25 ship has opposed care for the aging, development of the tennessee valley, development of our natural resources. i think mr. nixon is an effective leader of i hope he would grant me the same. the question point of view and which party do we want to leave the united states? >> mr. nixon, would you like to comment? host: so that is a little bit from 1968.give us a little peek into what we might expect tomorrow night. we'll see. that was the very first question from journalists in the very first presidential in 1960 to john kennedy. gl we may hear

some discussion on this topic tomorrowit age. is h young, his inexperience. and i would also invite as i said, but rather reflective, somber tone. kennedy praise his opponent as an effective leader of his party. richar nixon didn't wish to follow-up. there wa of praisingwe've come a long way in our presidential debates and i think there arens we could be learned as we look back at that very first q first presidential debate. host:in you added the audience to the mix is that a n the audience? >> i think what we analysis of the kind of debate candidates, some of the analysis tha in termse attacks, the ridicule that has

increased exponentially in our presidential debates. and even more when i think of the one line reaction and certainly for those caeswe saw a lot of this ind also in 2020. this is what we see in the most recent election where joe biden did want a live audience. donald trump did. almost turning the debate stateand that is where i think that we've from a focus on issue discussion as opposed to the kind of theatrics >> i want to take you back to the debate between mr. biden and mr. trump. as far each other and then i'm going to ask you how muted microphone are you willing to tellpport either ending the filibuster or the court? >> whatever position i take, that will become the i the issue is the american people

should speak. you should go out and vote. you are in voting now. vote and let your senators know. >> you're going to back to court. >> let people know. i'm not going to enter the question. >>the radical left. >>ilyo who is on your list joe gentlemen -- weended the segment, we are going to move on to the second segment. >> very productive segment, wasn't it? [laughter] >>47 years, you've done nothing. they the second subject is covid-19. host: imagine the same environment this time, muted microphones added to the mix. guest: certainly. i'm thinking about that 1960 clip that we saw saw. imagining kennedy and nixon going back-and-forth in that mannerafter that first debate in 2020 wh again, the research we we8urethat and the recall of the issue

discussion we were hearing more from viewers as well, there was just so much chaos weekly couldn't tell was or what their intention was. debate commission in the second debate to impose the turning off of the microphones. 20/20 was a bit more focdiscussion at the policy we saw in the first debate and of rule will be followed by cnn tomorrow night. as we think about this on a sort of broader lf e weare, we have our presidential candidates on stage in a debate dialogue, but we got to control the micl themselves. that also speaks to sort of the evolution of our debates. ho mitchell mckinney joining us for this conversation with university of, the dean of the college of arts and sciences on the history of debate. patricia in arizona, democrats

line. the guest, go ahead. caller: thank you for having me. this is what is going on all over the united, call the patriotic act. is no congressman, no politician saying anythi400,000 americans in this countryrorists and we are not. so what are you doing ithat you call the patriotic act? host: let me askclearly not every topic will be discussed in the but i expect certain ones to emerge. should the candidates tackle that or in least, what does >>orte certainly and again, the number of issuraised, that might be raised in the debate. for it seems that the important job of those journalists are tasked with interrogating, with questioning theandidates, sometimes i refer to it as setting the agenda for the debate. now i can imagine as the raised, issues

related to that we will have discussion of tomorrow night. budget. other matters to international affairs. and so tomorrow the role will be to select those for the candidates and i think debate, one of the moments we see the side-by-side, but one of the very few unscripted of what they will be askede there to see how they respond. issue that was just raised is by the important set of the journalists of whated it debate and we have a critique as asked with this issue is not raised. think that for me, at least, do we have a of those most important matters in public and are those issues raised in the debate? host: fail in minnesota, and

ended line. caller: good morning, gentlemen. i won't be watching the debates,watch -- because i am 100% moderate. i don't see either candidatele to drive the country forward because they both kind of have a past tense. one says make america great agaianother is build back better. an phil. usually as does command affairs. what about this idea of addings to the mix and what is history tell us about that? guest: certainly it is typically a contingent matter as we get to third in the partyda times in 1992, the only third independent

party candidate that. there single debate with ronald reagan and john anderson in 1980 butso that battle continues every four years. the sponso debate, the debate commissionl apply their rules and willhave any candidates that meet a certain threshold in the polling states at the time that the debate takes place to to 270 electoral votes? and if that issue of adding additional voices to the debate stage think is just so great for independent host: here's a bit of a memory 1992, one of those things that you may remember from watching it. the incredible number o my effort because

they are that we have taken the american dream from them. i think it's fitting thaton the campus of the university tonight. these young people whenl university will have difficulty finding a job. 've got to clean this mess up, leave this country in good shape to them. we've got tthe taxes to do it. if there is a fair way, i am all ears. [laugh[applause] host: again, let's hear from line. caller: good morning. i have a couple things. out the bottles. they give you t says something and stock on one topic for five to 10 minutes. but the other question i have hereat the media, most of it is very skewed. and i am concerned that cnn, but what i'd like to see is fairness , givethat debate that everybodying

trump interrupted, they lied. they lied. when 51 intelligent people that the computer, that the laptop, that was russian chris wallace let that go. so let's hope there is honesty. let's hope that somebody says the truth because every station is going to have and i am hoping they are honest. just be. the truth. host: dean mckinney, let me ask you this is far what are the best practices going into tomorrow? gu you know, i've written that i think this could be the hardest job in all of i say that knowing in harm's way and danger zones around the world. but certainly those that are selected to be moderators ofrecently they've had

threats on their life, attacks. at seems to be par for thethe notion of are they biased are they against other that has who they selected to interrogate the candidates in debate. pre-debate strategy is then to attack those journalists to question their legitimacy. a difficult job in terms of preparing. going back to our previous question there is no way to issue, every matter to every voter. those journalists need to decide ok issues, and then also knowing the decisions the candidates have taken, how do i get them to respond the information c question? the follow-up and the rebuttals. and that is important incontinue to press

candidates to provide e. a number of journalists in debates weighing and they are then open to just a barrage off they attempt to do fact checking -- and with 80 million people watching, that is a difficult task. when a false claim is made inaccuracy, when a candidate makes a claim that is simply not and the journalist with their understanding of the this, some have said hey, it is and that is also a feature of debate. the fact checkers is one's opponent when they have the ability to respond to aanswer all of matters i think are important and the influence of the debate dialogue that will take journalists have such a significant role in setting the agenda, guiding the and interacting with the candidatesto educating the voters.

that is such a difficult task and it is made more so by candidates, i think increasingly so that we've seen the past several rounds were unwilling to respond to theg to make any claim on the debate knowing that, well, if i am corr be under attack. it is quite a tall order for those journalists in charge of these debates. host:of debates is there a standout moderator in your mind, someone who has met all those requirements? >>t is really hard. that before his passing pds and i think he stil does, i at one point had a tally on this, holds the record for moderating the most presidential debates. what i appreciate about his approach to presidential debates a very fact-based approach to his questioning.asking candidates you said this, when you please explain.

when you please expand on.a very issue-based approach to his question as opposed to inviting candidates to comment on your or your opponent has set this value, how do you respond? that is questioning at seems to sibley want to more attacks and theatrics. that on the debate stage by journalists. i think in our most recent rounds, we've had several journalistsmselves very well. under very difficult circumstances. host: mitchell mckinney joining us for this conversation. let' carolina, republicans. caller: thank you for calling. hello? host: jay in baltimore, maryland, democrats line. caller: all, i'm so glad that they are muting the and also not having a live audience.

because these debates have turned into such reality shows. it really should become more low-key as much as we possibly can. ink that even having moderators, jakeeat, i think they are good journalists, but cnn and cnn in my opinion is a higher caliber news course, but is still left-leaning. i would prefer someone who is not even a celebrity in their own right. maybe they should have people like c-span radioosts, news that is not direction or the other or people who are not as famous. that is my opinion. host: anything to offer? guest: is certainly yes, the difficulty of identifying journalists one would find questionable or would object to. emise of the league of women voters the

first independent debate sponsors then after the leak we had the commission on presidential debates but at one point, they constructed a list of approximately 100 possible for the candidates to that -- vet and outone was that acceptable. ways, particularly media where almost every outlet anjournalist seems to be either left-leaning or right-leaning, it is going what comes to mind in the college question -- we have had the town hall d 1992 where a ll poll selected citizens randomly from a city that the de was hosted in and then those citizens would stand ask questions of the candidates. we drop a town hall debate last

cycle andbe allel to the issues of greatest concerthat was finding. when you questions, they are going to ask questions related to the issues tbut we alsto least bombastic today. in other words, when candidates were answering questions for citizens, they were not atthe most recent iteration of the 2016, and started to break down a bit. but back to m selected to for the debate. were asked the question, why are not presidential debates actually realood in high school and college?

guest: get that question a lot and sometimes there is a reference to the lincoln douglas debate and i say you mean the debate where a candidate spoke for one hour, the other candidate replied for 30 minutes. cally, the collegiate debate model onpic. we had discussion here where they've addressed more of the issu tit would be quite difficult for someone to decide what is the most important issue facing the nation, facing concerned the american public. think there are several weaknesses there is no perfect debate if we can address we have a windowand

withn them and what will be the question, no perfect debate format. host: illinois, republican line. caller:the last presidential election in 2020, it -- host: me ask you this. we mentioned the commission on you were an advisor to that. round of debates outside of that commission. what did you think aboutt? notfollowed the commission and the work that they had done since i've been the organizer and sponsobut do i think of that movie? thatour debates are not codified in election process for law. it is totally at the willingness

of the candidates to come together and debate. we add an in sponsoral debates. going back to 1960. this 1960 is when the tv networks together and brought the candidates to the debate stage. and debatesindependent debate sponsor and now we are goain back away from that based on the candidates desire to engage in commission-sponsored debates. republicans who said that they on. andhe commission was unfair to them, biased. most recently biden and biden campaign engaged with cnn and negotiated the rules.

thought that the debate and the be more favorable to what they wanted in the debate. so that is how we got to cnn, i believe. then it is abo -- i often say it is about control. the candidates attend to control . to deal with a cable network to host the debate. host: as far as the future of the? guest: i'm anxious to see if this cycle will be a one-off, if we will return. some of itn driven by the particular candidate. initially, commissionan campaign saw an opening to engage cnn in a debate that meets their needs.

that may or may not continue insii see the need for independent arbiter of our debates to organize. for example, if the candidates are working with the there journalists will set the agenda, will control, will ask the questions. that network will set some of the rules for the rest of the broadcast network. and so i think in that process there debates that are available to the wider all in a manner that is possible. so i do see a need for an independent group that would organize and host debates. mitchell mckinney serves as the dean at the university of akron here to talk about their history presidential debates.

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