If anyone has any doubts, they should set aside a few weeks to read the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates. Unthinkable in our day and age, Lincoln and Douglas toured around Illinois, their arguments evolving over time, yet remaining polite, and they went in depth to the issues of the day.
The amount of brain power involved in that effort was staggering, but the end result was extraordinary. At the time the debates were published in newspapers around the country and made Lincoln a star.
Yes, it was almost entirely about slavery.
Because of the debates, Douglas became senator from Illinois, and Lincoln, president.
After losing the senate race, Lincoln did a pretty fair edit and published the debates in a book.
I’m puzzled by your argument. First of all because Lincoln and Douglas were both Northerners. Or debating in the North, anyway. More importantly, since when is what everyone’s talking about the real, underlying issue? I fully expect Obama and Romney to talk around what’s most pressing in their forthcoming debates.