These political mistakes proved costly. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most significant and embarrassing blunders made by American politicians during debates that had severe repercussions for their campaigns.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 You're the one that was making the comparison, Senator.
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most significant and
00:08 embarrassing blunders made by American politicians during debates that had severe repercussions for
00:13 their campaigns. And the vice president doesn't believe in exploration, for example, in Alaska.
00:18 There's a lot of shut-in gas.
00:19 Number 10. Who is James Stockdale?
00:24 Despite a promising start, the 1992 presidential campaign of independent candidates Ross Perot
00:29 and James Stockdale ultimately suffered for several reasons. One of these was Stockdale's
00:34 appearance at the vice presidential debate. The decorated naval officer was only given
00:38 one week's notice and as such, seemed far less prepared than his opponents.
00:43 When asked to introduce himself, Stockdale opened with a series of existential questions
00:48 that elicited laughter from the audience.
00:50 Who am I? Why am I here?
00:55 Granted, the questions were rhetorical, but that didn't stop the media from relentlessly
01:00 lampooning the moment. As a result, many viewed Stockdale as too old and confused for the job.
01:06 Ultimately, their ticket secured 19% of the vote, a remarkable feat for an independent,
01:12 but not nearly enough to win the White House.
01:15 Admiral Stockdale, it's your turn to go.
01:16 No, I didn't have my hearing aid turned on. Tell me again.
01:19 Number 9. Barack "That One" Obama.
01:24 During the 2008 presidential debates, Republican candidate John McCain faced harsh criticisms for
01:30 his perceived behavior towards his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama. At the first matchup,
01:35 pundits noticed that McCain rarely looked at or engaged with Obama, a behavior seen as
01:40 disrespectful. Then, to make matters worse, during their second showing, while in a discussion about
01:46 energy, McCain referred to Obama as "that one," a term widely viewed as derogatory.
01:52 It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate, loaded down with goodies,
01:56 billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who
02:01 voted for it? You might never know. That one.
02:04 This choice of words did not endear him to voters. McCain's apparent condescension towards
02:09 then-Senator Obama drew heavy backlash, and was highlighted by the Obama campaign itself.
02:15 While the actual impact of this controversy is unknown,
02:18 McCain ended up losing the election to Obama by a significant margin.
02:22 CBS projects that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois will be the next president
02:28 of the United States. He defeats John McCain, the senator from Arizona and Vietnam war hero,
02:33 and no matter whom you voted for, you'd have to agree this is an incredible milestone
02:38 in the history of this country.
02:39 Number 8. Rick Perry's Great Gaffe.
02:42 Rick Perry's 2012 presidential bid got off to a promising start,
02:46 but eventually faltered during the primaries. However, the moment that would define Perry's
02:51 campaign came during the ninth Republican debate in November of 2011. When discussing how he would
02:57 cut spending if elected, Perry mentioned that he had three federal agencies he wanted to get rid of.
03:02 He successfully named the first two, but completely blanked out on the third.
03:07 "And I will tell you, it's three agencies of government when I get there that are gone.
03:12 Commerce, education, and the, uh, what's the third one there? Let's see.
03:17 Moderator John Harwood pressed him for the missing agency,
03:23 leading Perry to concede defeat to his memory and utter the word that would mark his death knell.
03:28 "The third agency of government I would do away with. The education, uh, the, uh,
03:36 commerce, and let's see. I can't. The third one I can't. Sorry. Oops."
03:43 Ironically, the forgotten agency was the Department of Energy,
03:47 which Perry later headed as secretary under President Trump.
03:51 Number 7. Gerald Ford's Denial.
03:54 Due to his fortuitous rise to the Oval Office,
03:57 Gerald Ford earned the unofficial nickname "Accidental President."
04:01 That label gained further credibility due to this now infamous moment.
04:05 During the second debate between Ford and the relatively unknown former governor of Georgia,
04:10 Jimmy Carter, Ford delivered a major blunder. The incumbent president drifted far away from
04:15 the facts by declaring that Eastern Europe was not under Soviet domination.
04:19 "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration."
04:27 Even after being asked to clarify, Ford doubled down on his initial statement,
04:32 maintaining that Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland were entirely independent nations.
04:37 "Each of those countries is independent, autonomous. It has its own territorial integrity,
04:44 and the United States does not concede that those countries are under the domination of the Soviet Union."
04:52 This significant misstep appeared to solidify the perception of Ford as an unfit leader,
04:57 and arguably contributed to his eventual loss at the polls.
05:01 Number 6. George H.W. Bush checks his watch.
05:05 Presidential debates hinge not only on a candidate's spoken words,
05:09 but also on those that are left unspoken.
05:12 George H.W. Bush's gesture at the second debate of the 1992 cycle certainly spoke volumes.
05:18 Just as he was asked by an audience member how the national debt affected him personally,
05:23 cameras caught the then-president glancing at his watch.
05:26 While this may have been unintentional, the act was interpreted as a sign of Bush's boredom
05:31 and disinterest towards the struggles of everyday Americans.
05:34 Compare that with Bill Clinton's more empathetic response, and Bush was all but done for.
05:39 "I have seen what's happened in this last four years. In my state, when people lose their jobs,
05:44 there's a good chance I'll know them by their names. When a factory closes,
05:47 I know the people who ran it. When the businesses go bankrupt, I know them."
05:51 Years later, the former president admitted that he disliked debates,
05:55 and was indeed impatient for that particular one to be over.
05:59 "There's a certain artificiality to it, lack of spontaneity."
06:03 At 41 years, Dan Quayle was a relatively young candidate for vice president at the 1988 election.
06:13 Throughout the campaign, his age and limited political experience were frequent topics
06:18 of discussion, and they expectedly resurfaced at the vice presidential debate.
06:22 When confronted about these concerns, Quayle defended his background by drawing a comparison
06:27 to President John F. Kennedy's early political career.
06:30 "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency."
06:36 While this comparison wasn't necessarily inaccurate,
06:39 Quayle's opponent Lloyd Benson took issue with it, and immediately put him down.
06:43 "Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
06:48 Benson's now-iconic rebuttal garnered a thunderous applause from the audience,
06:56 and became a source of ridicule for Quayle.
06:59 Nevertheless, the Bush-Quayle ticket ultimately emerged victorious in the 1988 election.
07:04 "That was really uncalled for, Senator."
07:06 With decades of experience as a radio broadcaster and screen actor,
07:15 Ronald Reagan was a charismatic public speaker,
07:18 a pivotal attribute that helped him win the presidency in 1980.
07:22 During his sole debate with the incumbent president Jimmy Carter,
07:25 Reagan skillfully employed his public speaking prowess, delivering this famous quote.
07:30 Carter, on the offensive, had taken Reagan to task over his opposition to Medicare in the past.
07:35 Throughout the president's speech, Reagan maintained a sly grin on his face,
07:39 ultimately disarming his opponent with the memorable retort.
07:42 "There you go again."
07:43 Despite the factual basis of Carter's criticism,
07:47 he stood no chance against Reagan's natural charisma and ability to leave a truly unforgettable impression.
07:53 "We're all here but one now, and he was here, but they just took him off stage.
07:57 It's past, it's way past his bedtime."
08:02 The first ever televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon
08:11 yielded polarizing opinions. Radio listeners thought both men did equally well,
08:15 with some even favoring Nixon. However, television viewers overwhelmingly declared Kennedy the victor.
08:21 "I think Mr. Nixon is an effective leader of his party. I hope he would grant me the same.
08:26 The question before us is, which point of view and which party do we want to leave the United States?"
08:32 This discrepancy arose because of Nixon's ignorance of the power of TV.
08:36 The then-vice president had declined using makeup,
08:39 causing him to appear pale and sweat under the studio lights. Additionally,
08:44 his choice of a light gray suit made him fade into the backdrop,
08:47 and his constantly shifting gaze created an impression of duplicity.
08:51 Conversely, Kennedy presented a bronzed and more relaxed appearance,
08:55 maintaining direct eye contact with the camera. As a result,
08:59 he not only won the debate, but ultimately secured the presidency.
09:03 "Mr. Nixon, would you like to comment on that statement?"
09:06 "I have no comment."
09:06 The second presidential debate of the 1988 election opened with an unusual question
09:15 directed at the Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis, who was a staunch opponent of the
09:20 death penalty. The moderator asked Dukakis if he would support executing an individual
09:24 who had sexually assaulted and murdered his wife, Kitty. The Massachusetts governor reiterated his
09:29 anti-death penalty stance before devolving into a textbook discussion of its drawbacks,
09:34 completely devoid of any emotion.
09:36 "I think there are better and more effective ways to deal with violent crime."
09:40 Viewers were shocked by how cold and dispassionate the candidate came across
09:44 while answering such a deeply personal question. It reinforced Dukakis' perceived calculated
09:49 demeanor and played a role in his eventual defeat by the then-Vice President George H.W. Bush.
09:54 Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
09:59 Donald Trump constantly interrupts Joe Biden.
10:02 The incumbent president interrupted his challenger a staggering 73 times.
10:07 "Who is on your list, Joe? Who's on your list?"
10:11 "Gentlemen, I think we've ended this one. He's going to pass it."
10:15 George W. Bush's apparent irritation at John Kerry.
10:18 You know what they say, hurt people hurt people.
10:21 "And I believe President Bush and I both love our country equally,
10:25 but we just have a different set of convictions about how you make America safe."
10:30 Marco Rubio, the robot.
10:33 Chris Christie doesn't let Rubio's carefully rehearsed speech go unnoticed.
10:38 "That's what Washington, D.C. does. The drive-by shot at the beginning with incorrect and
10:42 incomplete information and then the memorized 25-second speech that is exactly what his advisors gave him."
10:50 Mike Pence and the fly.
10:51 The 2020 VP debate was a three-way between Pence, Kamala Harris and the fly.
10:56 "Bias against minorities is a great insult to the men and women who serve in law enforcement.
11:06 And I want everyone to know who puts on the uniform of law enforcement every day."
11:10 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get
11:14 notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or
11:19 all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
11:24 Number 1. Al Gore's condescending behavior.
11:29 If there's anything this 2000 presidential debate proved,
11:33 it's that you can know everything about policy and still fail spectacularly.
11:38 In this matchup, Vice President Al Gore, a seasoned politician,
11:42 faced off against Governor George Bush, who was perceived as less knowledgeable on policy matters.
11:47 Despite a strong command of the actual substance of the debate, Gore came off as pompous and
12:03 condescending. Whenever his opponent spoke, he sighed continuously and frequently rolled his eyes.
12:09 Throw in his repeated use of overly technical terms, and Gore successfully alienated a lot
12:27 of viewers. There's no way to know for sure, but this may very well have been the moment that
12:42 tipped the historically close election in Bush's favor. Which of these political debate fails did
12:48 you watch live? Let us know in the comments below. Did you enjoy this video? Check out
13:08 these other clips from WatchMojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified
13:13 about our latest videos.