DEBATES 2008

Campaign 2008's debates are history - but that doesn't mean they're not important. This is the place to check out what was promised, what was proposed, and learn more about the arguments on both sides. The new administration and 111th Congress, even before swearing out their oaths of office, already have full plates: they're going to need a lot of help from us - the citizens - on what path to take on a host of critical public policy issues. Here are some great tools to use when checking back to see what was said in the 2008 debates.

Oct. 15, 2008: Presidential Candidate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York

Video of the debate including frame-by-frame commentary by Public Agenda's Scott Bittle, visible simultaneously as you watch the candidates compete for votes on the issues of the economy, health care, and energy independence, as well as a lot of byplay on who said what on the campaign trail. A roundtable discussion moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.

Complete transcript of the debate

Hofstra University's debate site

Oct. 7, 2008: Presidential Candidate Debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee

Video of the debate including frame-by-frame commentary by Public Agenda's Scott Bittle, visible simultaneously as you watch the candidates square off on the economy, health care, Iraq and Afghanistan.

A town hall meeting-style debate, moderated by Tom Brokaw, with additional questions submitted by citizens participating via the Internet.

Complete transcript of the debate

Belmont University's debate site

Oct. 2, 2008: Vice Presidential Candidate Debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

The vice presidential candidate debate was moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS.

Complete transcript of the debate

Washington University in St. Louis' debate site

Sept. 26, 2008: Presidential Candidate Debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi

BloggingTheDebates.com posting by Public Agenda's Scott Bittle: frame-by-frame comments on portions of the debate, visible simultaneously as you watch the video of the debate which very nearly did not happen, with Sen. John McCain agreeing to the debate with Sen. Barack Obama only about 12 hours before its scheduled beginning. Moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.

Complete transcript of the debate

University of Mississippi's debate site

More Great Candidate Debate Resources

Commission on Presidential Debates

This nonprofit nonpartisan organization, which sponsored all the presidential and vice presidential debates since 1988, has a lot for concerned citizens including a look at the 150-year history of the political debates and information on how to hold your own debate on the issues.

Great Moments in Presidential Debate History

Belmont University's Election 2008 lecture series takes you behind the scenes of the presidential debates of the past few decades, with observations from political strategists and commentators who were there.

Take It To The Next Level

Public Agenda's collection of links to the candidates and the positions they endorse, plus the latest news from the campaign trail, information on voter registration, absentee ballots and more.

FacingUp.org

Straight talk about the burgeoning federal budget, why it matters, and what can be done about it.

Election 2008 Countdown Clock, Budget Deficit Clock, and Smash The Spin!

Public Agenda's free widgets to put on your own web site, to link your site visitors to the latest news on the big issues in this critical election.

Get Widgets!

Our gallery of free election widgets from all over, to spread the word to other voters as time runs out to make a choice at the polls on Election Day.

Scholastic.com's Election 2008 Kids Newsroom

Wondering what America's future voters are thinking? This site includes debate coverage by Scholastic's Kid Reporters, as well as an ongoing student vote and many other interactive features.