News

WASHINGTON -- When President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry step onstage tonight in Miami for the first of three presidential debates, they will be engaging in a campaign ritual ushered in nearly 45 years ago as the television age changed the face of American politics. Since 1960, when then-Vice President Richard Nixon faced then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, the televised verbal showdowns that come in the waning weeks of the quadrennial race for the White House have evolved into make-or-break showcase opportunities for challengers and incumbents alike. "You might want to, but you really can't duck them," said David Mark, editor of Campaigns and Elections magazine. "It's become part of the ritual, and we Americans expect it." But it wasn't always that way, said Bruce DuMont, president and founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. The 1960 debate came on the heels of the quiz show scandals, when the television networks were desperate to look like good corporate citizens, he said. Then there were no TV debates for three election cycles.