Politics

9 things to know about the 1st presidential debate; how to watch tonight

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will take part in their first presidential debate on Tuesday.

The debate will air at 9 p.m. on Channel 9. Before it starts, here are nine things to know about the debate:

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1. Recent phenomenon: While most people are familiar with the Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960, regular presidential debates did not become standard until 1976. Before 1976, whether there would even be a single debate was up to the candidates and the campaigns. In many presidential years, the two sides could not agree and there was not a debate at all.

2. Nonpartisan: The Commission on Presidential Debates selects the venues and the moderators for the three presidential debates and the one vice presidential debate. This means neither candidate nor party has an advantage while also ensuring that candidates are aware of how many debates will be expected once they secure their party’s nomination.

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3. First debate of 2020: FOX News anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the first debate from Cleveland, Ohio. The topics will be: candidate records, Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence, and the integrity of the election. The order of the topics has not been released.

4. COVID-19: The first debate was originally supposed to be at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. However, the school withdrew due to the coronavirus pandemic. The second debate, which will be held in Miami, had to be moved as well. Initially, the debate was to take place at the University of Michigan, but it had to be moved.

5. Format: The 90-minute debate will be broken up into six 15-minute segments covering the topics listed. Wallace has said he will not be fact-checking the candidates in real time, instead allowing President Donald Trump and former Vice President Biden to interact.

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6. More to come: There will be three more debates: one vice presidential debate and two more presidential debates.

7. Audience: It is estimated that nationwide some 100-million people will watch the debate, which will be aired on Channel 9 at 9 p.m.

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8. Impact: Will the debate matter? A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found 70% of people said the debate would have no impact on their choice for president. This tracks with other polls that have shown more than 9 out of 10 voters say they have already made up their minds.

9. State of the race: According to the Real Clear Politics average, Joe Biden holds a 6.9% lead over Donald Trump in national polls. On the day before the first debate in 2016, Hillary Clinton held a 3.1% lead. In 2012, Barack Obama had a 4% lead over Mitt Romney. In 2008, Obama had a 4.2% lead over John McCain.

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