Margaret O’Mara

BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and American History Chair Margaret O’Mara discuss the powers and limitations of the US President, transitions between administrations, concerns of power abuse, and the unpredictability of the 2024 election.

Margaret O’Mara, an American History Chair at the University of Washington, discusses the impact of TV debates on US presidential elections, focusing on the visual presentation's influence since the Kennedy-Nixon debate. The evolution of these debates emphasizes candidate preparation strategies and memorable moments like Reagan's charisma in 1980. The role of social media, Gen Z, and millennials in shaping electoral strategy and the possibility of candidates skipping debates in future elections are also explored.