When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face off in a presidential debate Tuesday in Philadelphia, the atmosphere will be much different than what’s taken place at Washington University for more than 30 years.
The Harris-Trump showdown won’t feature a live audience and won’t be at a higher education institution. That’s because the candidates chose to negotiate with the television networks, as opposed to the Commission on Presidential Debates.
This was a disappointing development for Mark Wrighton, who served as Washington University’s chancellor when the school hosted presidential debates in 2000, 2004 and 2016 and a vice presidential debate in 2008. Wrighton said in an interview for the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air that the debates were invigorating for the school’s students and staff.
“I would say that there were tangible benefits,” Wrighton said. “The reason I say that is that when we recruited students, we often were asked: ‘Are you going to host a presidential debate when I'm there?’ And it was a great interest, and many people who were on campus were able to actually go to the debate and see the candidates live, and that was very interesting for those students who could attend.”
The first debate in 1992 came together extremely quickly. Wrighton said the debate commission needed to move a debate from California. Then-U.S. Sen. John Danforth got in touch with his brother, then-Washington University Chancellor Bill Danforth, about whether his institution would be accommodating.
President George H.W. Bush, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton and independent candidate Ross Perot debated at Wash U. But Wrighton said it was “very, very challenging” to prepare for the event in roughly a week’s time.
“In 1992, people didn't have cellphones, so we had to work with many people to set up all the communications for the media that were coming to St Louis,” Wrighton said. “It was extraordinary. It was energizing for our staff, and it created a great deal of morale.”
Wrighton said the successful execution of the 1992 debate under difficult circumstances made the university a competitive possibility to host future debates. Chancellor Andrew Martin chose not to vie for a debate in 2020, citing cost concerns.
Key moments from Wash U debates
Veteran political reporter Jo Mannies recounted some of the memorable moments from Washington University debates.
She described the 1992 showdown as having something of a “carnival” atmosphere, complete with a rousing watch party for Bush at the St. Louis Arena.
“This whole atmosphere, if you were in the vicinity, almost overtook what was happening inside the debate hall,” Mannies said.
The 2000 presidential debate between George W. Bush and Al Gore was more subdued, primarily because it occurred shortly after Gov. Mel Carnahan’s death in a plane crash. The town hall-style debate did feature a memorable moment where Gore got into Bush’s personal space. Bush nodded slightly, provoking laughter from the crowd.
Even though Wash U didn’t end up hosting a presidential debate in 2008, the school landed the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. Until the 2016 presidential debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton, the Biden-Palin showdown was the most watched event that took place at Washington University.
That debate was also a turning point in the 2008 presidential election. Palin’s selection as presidential nominee John McCain’s running mate elicited a burst of excitement for Republicans. But Biden’s convincing win in the debate helped knock the wind out of McCain’s presidential hopes.
“Everyone was fixated on her. The whole speculation was how well Biden would do,” Mannies said. “Spoiler alert: He did really great and really weakened the McCain-Palin ticket.”
The Trump-Clinton debate occurred shortly after a video emerged of Trump making derogatory comments about women. Relations between Trump and Clinton were so strained that the two candidates didn’t shake hands before the debate started.
Editor's note: Rosenbaum is an adjunct instructor at Washington University, and his wife works at the university.
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