The Economist.

It's often thought that the first televised presidential debate

was between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.

That's not quite right.

This is Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Margaret Chase Smith face the nation.

That was the first televised debate between candidates,

but four years earlier, two surrogates took part

in what was technically the first ever televised

presidential debate on CBS's Face the Nation.

Today we have two charming ladies, both top campaigners for their parties in the closing days of this campaign.

Shot in black and white in a small TV studio, a panel of newsmen sat ready to grill the charming ladies.

Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith, standing in for President Dwight Eisenhower,

and representing Democratic challenger Adelai Stevenson, the former first lady,

Ellen Roosevelt.

And I think anyone who has watched the situation in the Middle East growing

has been longing to see some kind of constructive action on the part of the administration

for some time.

It was the height of the suis crisis, so foreign policy dominated the discussion.

Roosevelt, then probably the most famous woman in America,

commanded much of the debate.

Smith saved her fire for the end.

Democratic presidents, together with leaders of our allies, chose Dwight D. Eisenhower to lead

...