
According to Fox News, Abraham Lincoln debated abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1858.
It may not be accurate, but as long as it's fair and balanced, that ought to be good enough for anyone.
Hat Tip to Abi
Update: It could have been worse.
The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.
~Noam Chomsky