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1980 United States presidential debates

← 1976 September 21, 1980 October 28, 1980 1984 →

Nominee Jimmy Carter (October 28) Ronald Reagan John B. Anderson (September 21) Party Democratic Republican Independent Home state Georgia California Illinois

1980 United States vice presidential debate

October 2, 1980 (canceled)

Nominee Walter Mondale George H. W. Bush Patrick Lucey Party Democratic Republican Independent Home state Minnesota Texas Wisconsin

The 1980 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held during the 1980 presidential election.

The League of Women Voters sponsored two presidential debates: the first on September 21, and the second on October 28. The second presidential debate is the second most-watched debate in American history. Republican nominee Ronald Reagan participated in both debates. Independent candidate John B. Anderson only participated in the first presidential debate, while Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter only participated in the second presidential debate.

No vice presidential debate was held in 1980. Anderson's running mate Patrick Lucey was the only one who agreed to participate, while Carter's running mate Walter Mondale and Reagan's running mate George H. W. Bush both refused.

League of Women Voters-sponsored debates

Negotiations

The tentative schedule for the debates, reported in August 1980, was as follows:

• September 18, in Baltimore, Maryland
• October 2, in Louisville, Kentucky (Vice Presidential debate)
• October 13, in Portland, Oregon
• October 27, in Cleveland, Ohio

The 1980 election featured a major third-party candidate, John B. Anderson. The League of Women Voters allowed for Anderson to participate in the debate if he polled above 15%.

The Carter campaign, believing that a three-way debate between Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Anderson, would boost Anderson's campaign, tried to push for an earlier debate only featuring Carter and Reagan. This plan was supported by the chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committee. The two-person debate did not materialize, and Carter declined to debate alongside Anderson.

The vice presidential debate was canceled on September 29, days before it was scheduled to be held. George H. W. Bush and Walter Mondale refused to attend, leaving only Anderson's running mate Patrick Lucey accepting the invitation.

Debate schedule

September 21: First presidential debate (Baltimore Convention Center)

The first presidential debate took place on Sunday, September 21, 1980, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The three invitees were Carter, Anderson and Reagan, though Carter refused to attend due to the presence of Anderson.

Following a strong performance by Reagan, Anderson's poll numbers began to drop. Consequently, Anderson would not be invited to the second debate.

Format

The debate started at 10:00 p.m. EDT, and lasted for one hour. Anderson and Reagan both received six questions. They were given two and a half minutes to answer each question, as well as one minute and 15 seconds to rebut. Closing statements could be as long as three minutes.

October 28: Second presidential debate (Music Hall)

Second presidential debate
Date(s)	October 28, 1980 (1980-10-28)
Duration	90 minutes
Venue	Music Hall
Location	Cleveland, Ohio
Participants	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Moderator(s)	Howard K. Smith of ABC

The second presidential debate took place on Tuesday, October 28, 1980, at the Music Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. Carter and Reagan were the only invitees. Reagan's most notable moments include using the phrase "There you go again" and asking whether or not Americans were better off than they were four years ago. CNN attempted to include Anderson from the Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. CNN's Daniel Schorr read the same questions to Anderson. They then aired Anderson's live responses along with tape delay of Carter and Reagan's responses, despite technical difficulties.

Format

The second presidential debate started at 9:30 p.m. EST, and lasted for 90 minutes. The debate consisted of two halves, and panelists were only allowed to offer follow-ups in the first half. Candidates Carter and Reagan both received the same 12 questions and the ability to rebut twice for one minute each.

Viewership

According to Nielsen Media Research, the debate garnered 80.6 million viewers. It was the most-watched debate in American history until the first presidential debate of 2016.

Reaction

An unscientific televote poll carried out by ABC immediately after the debate received about 650,000 responses, two thirds in favor of Reagan.

Aftermath

In 1983, Reagan's campaign came under fire for having access to Carter's internal debate briefing materials.

Other debates

A minor party debate was held by the New York Committee for Marxist Education on October 9. The debate was moderated by Bill Henning, and attended by representatives of the Communist Party USA, Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Party USA, Citizens Party, and Workers World Party. The only candidate to attend in person was Workers World's Deirdre Griswold.

See also

• Jimmy Carter 1980 presidential campaign
• Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign
• 1980 United States presidential election

References

1. Bitzer, Lloyd F.; Rueter, Theodore (August 24, 1980). "The 1980 Debates". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
2. ^ "Presidential Debate Plan Appears to Be in Jeopardy". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 24, 1980. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
3. Clymer, Adam (August 25, 2020). "G.O.P Joins Carter Plea for Debate Without Anderson; League's Plans in Doubt Important to Anderson". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
4. Smith, Hedrick (September 10, 1980). "Carter Declines to Debate After Anderson Is Invited". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
5. "Voters League Cancels Vice-Presidential Debate". The New York Times. September 30, 1980. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
6. ^ "CPD: 1980 Debates". www.debates.org. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
7. "League sends debate tickets as souvenirs". The Courier-Journal. October 29, 1980. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
8. ^ "1980 Presidential Debates". CNN. 1996. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
9. "Carter Bars Debate With Anderson". The Washington Post. May 28, 1980. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
10. ^ "1980 Debates". Commission on Presidential Debates. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
11. "September 21, 1980 Debate Transcript". Commission on Presidential Debates. September 21, 1980. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
12. Shipp, Randy (October 27, 1980). "Anderson to debate, too, via cable-TV network". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
13. Weaver Jr., Warren (October 29, 1980). "A CARTER 'FLIP-FLOP' IS SEEN BY ANDERSON; Responding to 2 Debaters' Views, He Says on Cable TV That Tax Cuts Are 'Irresponsible' Carter's Earlier Position Repeating Charges of Past Service in World War II". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
14. Schroeder, Alan (June 2016). Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail. Columbia University Press. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-231-54150-3.
15. "October 28, 1980 Debate Transcript". Commission on Presidential Debates. October 28, 1980. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
16. "Highest Rated Presidential Debates 1960 To Present". Nielsen. October 6, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
17. Kennedy, Merrit (September 27, 2016). "Clinton-Trump Showdown Was The Most-Watched Presidential Debate Ever". NPR. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
18. O'Connor, John J. (October 30, 1980). "TV: Instant Poll Steals Post-Debate Scene". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
19. Lanoue, Daniel J. (1992). "One That Made a Difference: Cognitive Consistency, Political Knowledge, and the 1980 Presidential Debate". Public Opinion Quarterly. 56 (2): 168–184. doi:10.1086/269309. JSTOR 2749168. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
20. Kondracke, Morton (July 17, 1983). "Debategate". The New Republic. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
21. Dionne Jr., E. J. (October 12, 1980). "5 Parties of the Left Conduct a Presidential Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2020.

v t e Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States (1977–1981) 76th Governor of Georgia (1971–1975) Georgia State Senator (1963–1967)
Presidency (timeline)	Transition Inauguration Timeline 1977 1978 1979 1980 January 1981 Political positions Judicial appointments controversies Executive Actions Executive Order 12036 Executive Order 12086 Executive Order 12148 Executive Order 12170 Executive Order 12172 Carter bonds Rabbit incident Catoctin Mountain Park Run Carter Doctrine Camp David Accords Egypt–Israel peace treaty Torrijos–Carter Treaties Iran hostage crisis Operation Eagle Claw Canadian Caper Engagement with Ruhollah Khomeini 1979 oil crisis Support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War Diplomatic relations with China Goldwater v. Carter Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 Senior Executive Service Strategic Arms Limitation Talks International trips 1980 Summer Olympics boycott Cannabis policy Community Reinvestment Act Airline Deregulation Act Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977 Clean Water Act of 1977 Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act Federal Reserve Reform Act of 1977 Electronic Fund Transfer Act Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Financial Institutions Regulatory and Interest Rate Control Act of 1978 Right to Financial Privacy Act Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act Superfund Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 Solar power at the White House Three Mile Island accident Presidential transition of Ronald Reagan
Speeches	Moral Equivalent of War Island of Stability A Crisis of Confidence State of the Union Addresses 1978 1979 1980 1981
Elections	Georgia gubernatorial elections 1966 1970 Presidential campaigns 1976 1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries 1976 1980 Democratic National Conventions 1972 1976 1980 Presidential debates 1976 1980 Presidential elections 1976 1980
Post-presidency	Carter Center Presidential Library and Museum Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project The Elders Jimmy Carter National Historical Park Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter House Nairobi Agreement, 1999 One America Appeal Continuity of Government Commission Death and state funeral
Books	Everything to Gain (1987) The Hornet's Nest (2003) Our Endangered Values (2006) Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2006) reaction and commentary Beyond the White House (2007) We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land (2009) White House Diary (2010) A Call to Action (2014) A Full Life (2015)
Awards and honors	Nobel Peace Prize Presidential Medal of Freedom Freedom of the City Silver Buffalo Award Philadelphia Liberty Medal United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights Hoover Medal Christopher Award Carter–Menil Human Rights Prize Grammy Award
Legacy	Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue (1976) USS Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter National Historical Park (1987) Georgia State Capitol statue (1994)
Related	Plains, Georgia Birthplace Home Mary Prince (nanny) UFO incident Jimmy Carter (2002 television documentary) Man from Plains (2007 documentary) Eradication of dracunculiasis "Mush from the Wimp"
Family	Rosalynn Carter (wife) Jack Carter (son) Amy Carter (daughter) Jason Carter (grandson) James Earl Carter Sr. (father) Lillian Gordy Carter (mother) Gloria Carter Spann (sister) Ruth Carter Stapleton (sister) Billy Carter (brother) Emily Dolvin (aunt) Hugh Carter (cousin)
← Gerald Ford Ronald Reagan → Category

v t e Ronald Reagan
40th President of the United States (1981–1989) 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975)
Life and politics	Birthplace Pitney Store Boyhood home Rancho del Cielo Filmography Political positions Governorship of California Presidential Library and Museum Reagan Era Death and state funeral Riderless horse
Presidency	Transition First inauguration Second inauguration Domestic policy Economic policy Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 Tax Reform Act of 1986 Assassination attempt Strategic Defense Initiative Foreign policy Reagan Doctrine Cold War 1st term 2nd term Soviet Union summits Geneva Reykjavík Washington INF Treaty Moscow Governors Island Constructive engagement Invasion of Grenada Iran–Contra affair Libya bombing Cannabis policy International trips The Grace Commission Cabinet Judicial appointments Supreme Court controversies Administration scandals "We begin bombing in five minutes" Impeachment efforts Executive orders Presidential proclamations Bush transition
Speeches	Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine (1961) "A Time for Choosing" (1964) Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech (1980) First inaugural address (1981) Joint session of Congress (1981) "Ash heap of history" (1982) "Evil empire" (1983) Second inaugural address (1985) "Tear down this wall!" (1987) State of the Union 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988
Books	An American Life The Reagan Diaries
Elections	1966 California gubernatorial election 11th commandment 1970 California gubernatorial election Republican presidential primaries (1968 1976 1980 1984) Republican National Convention (1968 1976 1980 1984) 1976 presidential campaign 1980 presidential campaign "There you go again" "Let's make America great again" 1984 presidential campaign "Morning in America" "Bear in the woods" United States presidential election (1976 1980 1984)
Cultural depictions	Bibliography In music Let Them Eat Jellybeans! (1981) U.S. Postage stamps Rap Master Ronnie Ed the Happy Clown (1983 comic series) Spitting Image (TV series) (1984) A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985 game) The Dark Knight Returns (1986) film adaptation Pizza Man (1991 film) The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001 film) Reagan's War (2002 book) The Reagans (2003 film) Reagan (2011 documentary) The Butler (2013 film) Killing Reagan (2015 book) Killing Reagan (2016 film) Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020 game) The Reagans (2020 miniseries) Reagan (2023 film) "What would Reagan do?" Reykjavik (TBA)
Memorials	U.S. Capitol statue USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) Namesakes and memorials Ronald Reagan Day Reagan Day Dinner
Family	Jane Wyman (first wife) Nancy Reagan (second wife) Maureen Reagan (daughter) Michael Reagan (adopted son) Patti Davis (daughter) Ron Reagan (son) Jack Reagan (father) Nelle Wilson Reagan (mother) Neil Reagan (brother) Rex (dog)
← Jimmy Carter George H. W. Bush → Category

• United States presidential debates
• 1980 United States presidential election
• 1980 in American television