Back in September 1960, millions of Americans tuned in for a real "TV first" this week.  They watched a debate by the two major presidential candidates running for president in 1960.

Who won?  Did the debates impact the vote?

It was super-close, and Senator Kennedy won by 114,000 votes out of 70 million cast that day.  It was 49.72% vs. 49.55%.

The conventional wisdom is that JFK won "the video" and Nixon won "the audio."

Your guess is as good as mine.  It's like losing the pennant by one game and arguing about which "one loss" made the difference.

What impact did it have?  We will never know.

What do we remember from the 1960 presidential debates?  First, Senator Kennedy looked better on TV than V.P. Nixon.  Second, Cuba was an issue, but no one would have believed then that the U.S. would allow the USSR turning the island into a Soviet satellite.  Last but not least, Senator Kennedy sounded awfully different from today's Democrats.  I would encourage you to watch the video and see if there is any "JFK" in AOC!

Yet the biggest oversight was Vietnam.  It was not an issue at all, but it consumed the nation in the 1960's.  In 2000, Iraq was hardly mentioned, but we were in a war in 2003.

Presidential debates teach an important lesson.  Debates are important, and we should continue the tradition.  However, the reality of the presidency often overwhelms campaign promises or "tough talk" at the debates.

My guess is that something will be a hot issue over the next four years that won't be mentioned at all in the Biden-versus-Trump debates.  Why?  Because debates are about the past, and governing is about dealing with those surprises that happen to presidents.

This is what I plan to vote for President Trump.  He's proven to be a strong executive capable of making decisions.  These are the qualities I want in a president dealing with whatever hits the front pages over the next four years.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.