Presidential debate coach Brett O'Donnell looks back at the biggest game-changing moments from past presidential debates
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
A busy day in Louisville,
thank you,
Ainsley
Ainsley. Thank you, Steve
final preparations underway
ahead of tomorrows, first
presidential debate, which will
be moderated by our own Chris
Wallace
here to break down the biggest
dos and donts learned from past
memorable debates is
presidential debated, coach, Brett
Odonnell, who has previously
worked with George W Bush, Mitt,
Romney and others
good morning to you
good morning, Ainsley
Ainsley great to have you on
again
lets go through some of these
memorable moments,
the first one, one thousand nine hundred and eighty Reagan vs
Carter. When Reagan said there,
you go again
watch this.
These are the kind of
elements of a national health
insurance important to the
american people.
Governor Reagan, again,
typically, is against such a
proposal.
There you go again
Ainsley Brett. How did that
help him?
Well, it was a memorable line
that enabled RON Reagan to turn
back the argument that Jimmy
Carter was making
up to that point in the
campaign. First of all, this was
the only debate that Carter and
Reagan had in the nineteen. Eighty election
and Ronald Reagan had been
complaining about Carter. Miss
appropriating Reagans position
on issues,
so he used a very memorable
library that highlighted the
fact that Carter was wrong on
reagans positions.
It was what captured the
imagination of the press in the
debate and effectively allowed
Reagan to say you are
mischaracterizing what im
saying
Ainsley it went over so well
that he did use that line in
several debates in years to come
as well.
This in twenty twelve, when Romney was on
stage with President Obama or
actually on a platform. They had
an audience.
He used that phrase binders full
of women
watch this.
We took a concerted effort to
go out and find women who had
background that could be
qualified to become members of
our cabinet.
I went to a number of womens
groups and said: can you help us
find pokes and they brought us
whole binders full of women
Ainsley? That was about payee
quality
guy? That hurt him
because it was a gaffe.
It was one of those negative
moments in the debate that can
sort of wipe out the rest of
your performance.
Thats. Why? You have to be very
careful what you say on the
stage its important for both
the candidates to be rehearsing,
how they are going to answer
questions on positions.
If you make that sort of
mistake, it has the ability to
sort of wipe out everything else
that happens and causes the
press to focus on a negative
moment.
Its the kind of moment that you
dont want to have
it was a mischaracterization in
the coming days. After that
debate,
Romney was executed by the
press for saying binders full of
women. It
looked out of touch,
and so it was a negative moment
that really hurt him
Ainsley. It can make or break
you.
This is probably the most famous
one from nineteen eighty four Ronald flipped, the
switch on the Mondale.
He was talking about Mondales,
youth and inexperience. Watch
this I will not age an issue of
this campaign.
I am not going to exploit for
political purposes. My opponent, I
was youth and inexperience
laughter,
Ainsley, Brett, even Mondale is
laughing.
That was very good.
Mondale knew he had been had
at that moment. It was game over
not just for that debate, but the
campaign,
the question of the campaign was
whether or not Ronald Reagan was
up to the task.
He had had a poor performance in
their first debate and everyone
was questioning whether or not
Ronald Reagan was too old for
office
that one line made it effective
argument.
It was the moment of the debate.
It was a the message that
they wanted to push in the
debate, and so Reagan was able
to capture both the message and
the moment of the debate to
drive what they needed to, which
was. He was very much up to the
task and he went on to defeat
Mondale very handily in the nineteen eighty four
election
Ainsley Brett Odonnell. Thank
you so much for being with us.
Transcript generated on 2020-09-28.