US: One-liners, rehearsed performances and mammoth audiences expected as Biden, Trump gear up for debates
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The debates are undoubtedly important for deciding the fate of Biden and Trump, but, over the years we have seen that winning these presidential face-off doesn't always translate into winning the election
A little over a month is left when the United States will elect its president and at this stage, all eyes have set upon probably the most-anticipated events: the presidential debates.
US President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden will set the ball rolling on Tuesday, which will likely to have audiences only surpassed by Super Bowl championship.
The debates are undoubtedly important for deciding the fate of Biden and Trump, but, over the years we have seen that winning these presidential face-off doesn't always translate into winning the election.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton was the winner of all three debates, but she ultimately lost the election to Trump.
Similarly, Democrat John Kerry performed better than George W. Bush in 2004 debates but was unable to win the election.
John Koch, a professor specialised in debates at Vanderbilt University, describes these debates as important not because they influence the voters, but as "it's the only time we see both candidates together and the two major parties ostensibly debating, outside of Congress", as quoted by news agency AFP.
Also, when the face-off will begin, there will be rehearsed performances by Biden and Trump, which makes these events less relevant, but still significant.
A Pew Research study found that only 10 per cent of voters finalised their voting choices after or during the debates in 2016.