Debates and Persuasion

I'm a bit of a student of history.  I try to keep things in perspective.  As I've previously posted, I'm also very interested in and study in some depth the American Civil War.  As my friends and family have expressed disgust and anger at the tone of the campaign and the tenor of the debates, my response has been that in the history of the US, there have been many more rancorous times and more heated debates.

I came across  "The Purpose of Presidential Debates  (republished with permission of Stratfor.com) in my email this week and it puts the debates in historical context and provides a sense of what the debates are really for.  It's a bit of a long read, but well worth your time.  Check it out.