Has a candidate ever made as positive a debate impression as Kerry and not won?

Factual Questions
1

Kennedy in '60, Carter in '76, Reagan in '80, Clinton in '92. . . has any televised presidential candidate made a great impression that people talked about in one or more debates and not won the election? Notice I say “made a great impression,” not “won the debate.” Gore was thought to have won at least his first debate with Bush in 2000, but it turned out more people came away with a better impression of Bush.

Thought this question might be more factual than philosophical, thus my posting it in General Questions.

2

Perhaps not.
Er. . . requesting a mod move this to Great Debates (?)

Not that I doubt my ability to bore folks, if that’s simply the case!

3

I think the question is too vague, and the data too limited, to give any kind of factual answer. There’s only been a rather small number of televised debates.

However, I’d say that Ross Perot certainly left a big impression in his first debate. Dan Quayle certainly left a large impression on the American people, too, that people still talk about: he came across looking like a dolt.

So, whether either of those fit your definition of “a great impression” is really a matter of opinion, so I can’t imagine there’s a straightforward answer to your question.

4

Many who watched the 1984 debates between Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan felt that Mondale won the debate. Reagan’s spin after the debate was pretty strong and very effective afterward, and as we all know, Reagan went on to win reëlection with one of the biggest landslides in American history.

Abe Lincoln lost the Lincoln/Douglas debates, and lost the Senate race that year. Of course, two years later, Lincoln was president, so obviously losing debates isn’t the end of a political career.

5

To somewhat quibble with Chance- Mondale won the first debate with Reagan, I don’t think that’s disputed; it was how Reagan came back in the second debate and laid out killer quips that washed away the whole thing.

It’s important to realize, though, that there have been very few debates in Presidential campaigns. Kennedy and Nixon in '60 had 4; then no more were held until Carter and Ford had 2 or 3 in '76. Carter only agreed to a debate with Reagan at the last minute in '80. The idea of 2-3 regular debates between the candidates is something that’s only been going on since '84.