COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) was established in 1987 to ensure, for the benefit of the American electorate, that general election debates between or among the leading candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States are a permanent part of the electoral process. CPD’s primary purpose is to sponsor and produce the quadrennial general election debates and to undertake research and educational activities relating to the debates. The organization, which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) corporation, sponsored all the presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.

2008 Presidential Debates Venues

September 26, 2008 First Presidential Debate, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS | Viewership: 52.4 million | John McCain (R), United States Senator (AZ) and Barack Obama (D), United States Senator (IL)

October 2, 2008 Vice Presidential Debate, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO | Viewership: 69.9 million | Joe Biden (D), United States Senator (DE) and Sarah Palin (R), Governor (AK)

October 7, 2008 Second Presidential Debate, Belmont University, Nashville, TN | Viewership: 63.2 million | John McCain (R), United States Senator (AZ) and Barack Obama (D), United States Senator (IL)

October 15, 2008 Third Presidential Debate, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY | Viewership: 56.5 million | John McCain (R), United States Senator (AZ) and Barack Obama (D), United States Senator (IL)

(Data provided by Nielsen Media Research)