Debate is the subject...

The Lincoln - Douglas debate that I had to research in particular was their very first debate. This debate took place in Ottawa, Illinois, and these senatorial candidates where debating on slavery and popular sovereignty. There were many people there that day who wanted to listen to what these two men had to say about slavery. In the beginning of this debate the first to speak was Douglas and he started it off by saying a bunch of things that Lincoln had done, which was kind of an attack to Lincoln. When Lincoln got his turn to speak the first thing he said was that he did not like when people misrepresented him and that is what Douglas had done something good about this action was that he said what he wanted to say and then he clarified any false information that was given.
In this debate Lincoln and Douglas had different views on the topic at hand. Lincoln felt that slavery should be abolished and he stated this clearly in the debate. He hated slavery just for what it was a human without rights, I would have to say that is what he thought about it.

Lincoln: " I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself."

In that quote he basically states that he is not for slavery, he thinks that it is something that is not good for anyone to be in. On the other hand Douglas never really explicitly says that he is for slavery, but he says that a country should be able to decide for themselves whether that country would have slavery or not, this was called popular sovereignty.

Douglas: ".... each state to state perfectly free to do as it pleased on the subject of slavery."

These are two different views on slavery, which clash and that's why it is a debate. Two opposite opinions and they candidates argue their view on a question, and the people I think are the one's who ultimately decide who wins in these debates

In the Presidential debates now the format is very different to that of the debates back in the day. Now the candidates are asked several questions instead of one and they have to answer them in like 90 sec instead of ninety minutes.

The presidential debates now are going good so far. I think that sometimes both candidates make valid points on what they are talking about whether it be about the economy, taxes, or the war in Iraq. There is always one better than the other in these things. I think that Barrack Obama does a very good job in stating his ideas. Something else he does is that if Mccain says something about him , he clarifies it and that is kind of like what Lincoln would do in his debates against Douglas. So far in the debates that have occurred I have learned a lot even though at times i get bored and doze off, I still seem to get stuff out of it. I can here what these men are proposing to do for our country as president.