AdvertisementPresidential Debates Can Be Great Theater, But How Much Do They Matter?September 16, 2012Elise HufacebookEmailThis is the first of two 1988 debates between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. In the second debate, the answer Dukakis gave to a question about whether he would support the death penalty if his wife were raped and murdered was considered a huge blunder. (AP)