JFK lives scenario: do town hall GE debates become the norm?

Before JFK's death, he and Goldwater had agreed that should Goldwater be nominated, they would conduct a series of joint town hall-style debates nationwide in the fall. If JFK lives, which becomes standardized? The 1960 format which is still used today, or town halls?

Question also applies to primaries, BTW.

If a Mod thinks this should be in Chat, feel free to move it.
 
No. Less opportunity for zingers, and too much uncertainty for control freak politicians. And it's more boring.
 
It really depends on how they turn out in 1964. The town hall format will certainly benefit both JFK and Goldwater, as they were quite affable. Kennedy is disarming and handsome, as well as highly knowledgeable. On the other hand, Goldwater will have the opportunity to concisely explain his more controversial views directly to the people. Nonetheless, I doubt that there will be ten or a dozen debates. Simply too much for the candidates and media to handle.

Going forward, I doubt that they would be universally popular. In a 1968 race with LBJ, Nixon, and Wallace, only one of the three candidates would have any interest in such a debate. If that trend persists 1964 would serve as more of an anomaly than as a watershed moment.
 
I think after two televised GE debates, the norm will already be established, and candidates who refuse participation would take hits as a result. That said, if neither GE candidate want such a debate in 1968, that could change.

For the record then, how would Rockefeller feel about them? Or Humphrey? I'd guess Reagan (if he somehow gets the 68 nod) would be in the pro-debate camp. What about other potential 68 candidates?
 
'68: I'm sure the Democratic candidates would agree to have their primary debates done that way. RFK, McCarthy and HHH were all comfortable with a town hall format. The only one who would never do it is Nixon for obvious reasons.
 
Wait, so 1968 would also see the first televised primary debates, as well?

They did IOTL, but only two: RFK v. McCarthy in LA and HHH v. McCarthy in Chicago. Both were in the regular format. Ironically Nixon had done a joint press conference with Pat Brown in '62, but that's the closest he ever came to a town hall that wasn't rigged on his behalf.
 
They did IOTL, but only two: RFK v. McCarthy in LA and HHH v. McCarthy in Chicago. Both were in the regular format. Ironically Nixon had done a joint press conference with Pat Brown in '62, but that's the closest he ever came to a town hall that wasn't rigged on his behalf.

Ah, gotcha. I'm also guessing, on the GOP side, Reagan and Rocky would be comfortable with the format?
 
From what I understand, the townhall idea was never formalized. It was something Goldwater and Kennedy had sort of discussed and after his death Goldwater made a big deal out of it, but it's quite likely nothing would have come of it had JFK not been assassinated. Especially if JFK had been leading Goldwater handily, he probably wouldn't have seen much reason to risk his standing with debates.
 
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