The first 1980 presidential debate featured former Sen. John Anderson of Illinois, running as an independent, and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, the Republican nominee. Incumbent President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, declined to participate in this debate. The first debate was an hour long discussion on a variety of topics, moderated by Bill Moyers of PBS, with questions posed by a panel of journalists. It took place on September 21, 1980, in Baltimore.
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