Earliest we can have Presidential Debates?

The first public debate between Presidential Candidates was Kennedy v. Nixon 1960, something that is often said to have given Kennedy the lead in terms of affability and personal charm. In 1948 Thomas Dewey and Harold Stassen has a debate against each other (Radioed out) discussing the idea of outlawing the Communist Party.

What is the earliest we can see two Presidential Candidates getting together and discussing their views via TV, Radio, or even as a live feature only?
 
Live feature only? You could have Lincoln and Douglas rehash their old debates in 1860 if you really wanted to.

Wendell Willkie challenged FDR to a radio debate in 1940, which was refused... I could see Al Smith and Herbert Hoover both being confident enough that they would win a debate. Another one I could see succeeding based off ego alone would be Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson in 1912. I expect that there would be issues over Taft and Debs. And Bryan might have challenged McKinley, though Hannah would never allow such a thing.
 
Live feature only? You could have Lincoln and Douglas rehash their old debates in 1860 if you really wanted to.

Wendell Willkie challenged FDR to a radio debate in 1940, which was refused... I could see Al Smith and Herbert Hoover both being confident enough that they would win a debate. Another one I could see succeeding based off ego alone would be Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson in 1912. I expect that there would be issues over Taft and Debs. And Bryan might have challenged McKinley, though Hannah would never allow such a thing.

hmmm....gives me some ideas:

1896: Bryan and his Oration overshadow McKinley and his less bombastic manners, possibly wins from pure charisma

1912: Taft, Roosevelt, Wilson, and MAYBE Debs, spend twice as long calling each other all kinds of names: "Imperialist Dogs!" "Churchburner!" "Britanophile!" "Lard-ass!" Probably goes to Wilson, with Roosevelt getting an upper hand in personalities.

1928: Al Smith gets to personally connect with people in the way that Hoover is not able to match, less of a landslide, but firmly in Hoover's court.

1940: WW is kinda forgettable, I imagine he'd be more focused on the economy, rather than revealing his Internationalist Foreign Policy. FDR wins.
 

FDW

Banned
I could see him doing one in 1940 if for some reason his position was more precarious.

Yeah, 1940 would be a good point. By that time, Radio was prevalent all across the country, and the reasoning behind the debate would be plausible. (Roosevelt trying to shore himself up, WW trying to make himself heard.)
 
Top