Sunday, September 30, 2012

Curt quips, gaffes and stumbles: Debates have history of memorable moments

Voters, pundits and political junkies will be glued to Wednesday night’s presidential debate to see more than just a back-and-forth on national defense, the economy and other issues.
Of equal interest will be the potential zingers, one-liners, jokes, gaffes and screw-ups that have made past debates timeless pieces of political pop culture.
Few remember who technically won the 1984 debate between incumbent Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Walter Mondale, but Reagan’s famous quip — “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience” — is viewed as arguably the single greatest line ever uttered during a presidential contest and is by far the most memorable moment of that year’s debate circuit.
Then-Senator Lloyd Bentsen likely would’ve gone down in history as just another unsuccessful vice presidential contender were it not for his “You’re no Jack Kennedy” quip, aimed at Republican Dan Quayle, who often countered shots at his youth by boasting he had as much experience as the late President John F. Kennedy when he took office.
The 2000 contests aren’t remembered for their policy content, but rather for then-Vice President Al Gore’s audible sighing as his Republican challenger, eventual President George W. Bush, answered questions.

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