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Presidential debates matter, but not always in the way participants think. Seven years after the first debate in 1960, richard nixon He admitted that he thought his lack of proper makeup was a big factor in his losing the 1960 election to JFK. In fact, there was hardly any makeup that could have helped Nixon overcome the dazzling clarity of his opponent.
In perhaps the most famous moment of the presidential debate, President ReaganIn a conversation with the 73-year-old Reagan and former Vice President Walter Mondale, Reagan said, “I also want to tell you that I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to take advantage of my opponent’s youth and inexperience for political purposes.”
What can easily be overlooked in this Key moments in the history of the debate It’s not just the manner in which Reagan turned a disadvantageous situation into an advantage, but the charm, humor, and ease with which he did it. I’ve always believed that Reagan’s acting skills are underrated, and they always served him well as president.
Exclusive: Trump brings debate prep to campaign trail, calls it a winning strategy
Then-President Ronald Reagan, speaking at a press conference on August 12, 1986, uttered the now-famous phrase, “The nine most frightening words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” (Screenshot/Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute)
Moving on now, and heading to the CNN Presidential Debate that airs on Fox News this week among the former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. If Rally in Philadelphia last weekend If any indication, where Trump made cognitive comparisons between his unscripted dynamic teleprompter-free style and Biden’s more wooden, halting manner of speaking (Trump also said Biden fell off the stage, etc.), it’s clear that Trump intends to use both humor and intimidation to directly attack his opponent.
But should the mental acuity or cognitive ability of President Biden or President Trump be considered fair during the CNN presidential debate, and what about their ages? (Trump is 78, Biden is 81).
The answer is that mental acuity should be taken into account, but not age. Ability and fitness to serve in leadership positions are important, but not always in direct proportion to age. Keep in mind that we are talking about the highest office in the country, and despite the multitude of presidential advisers, mental readiness is high on the list of quick decisions needed to protect this country, especially in times of crisis.
I think Trump is right when he says his unscripted expressions speak to the extent of his cognitive prowess. When I interviewed him in 2020, he had no notes, he hadn’t asked questions in advance, and in fact it was his complex, nuanced answers that impressed me, far more than the self-proclaimed results of his cognitive test of remembering, “person, woman, man, camera, TV.”
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When it comes to President Biden, the concerns come not from age or what the White House calls “manipulated videos” or “cheap fakes,” but from a sense of increasing hesitation, periods of confusion or recall problems where he temporarily forgets the names of leaders, including most recently at the Department of Homeland Security. Secretary Mayorkas,
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaking on Capitol Hill. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
Should debates be a platform to test cognitive ability and executive function, should two debaters directly debate what each other has said, or should debates only take place in the context of dialectical monologues? I think the answer is obvious. We need to look at candidates in a completely different way, the more direct the conversation, the better.
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President Biden is a good debater, as is former President Trump. President Biden’s last physical examination a few months ago described him as being in excellent physical condition, but it did not specifically include cognitive testing or an MRI of the brain, and Trump has not recently released any such tests. But debates are a good forum for assessing readiness, agility, command, intelligence, and yes, humor and wit.
Charisma and personality have always swayed voters, from the days of Reagan to JFK, where no amount of makeup could have helped a sweaty Nixon. And then, as now, the voters will decide.
