The Obama camp has released a timeline of past events that preceded debates. They start of with 1960:
1960 DEBATES
Sep 26, 1960
Soviets announce ready to put first astronaut into space
Oct 7, 1960
Cuba accuses US of links to invasion
Pentagon curbs spending in light of trade imbalance
Oct 13, 1960
KRUSHCHEV BANGS SHOE ON DESK
Bomb injures 33 in Times Square in 3rd explosion in 11 days
US embargo on Cuba announced
Oct 21, 1960
KRUSHCHEV SAYS USSR HAS NUCLEAR SUBS
Gold price problems in world markets
This is a brilliant move by the Obama camp; they move onto 1976:
1976 DEBATES
Sep 23, 1976
SEC probing US Steel, including Gerald Ford Congressional activities
Oct 06, 1976
Chinese nuke tests fallout on US soil
Oct 22, 1976
Swine flu vaccine leads the news
Oct 15, 1976 (VP)
Castro says CIA involved in crash of airliner of Barbados, won’t renew anti-hijack agreement with US.
Watergate: no investigation of Ford blocking probe
Not big enough for you? How about an economic and foreign affairs crisis?
1980 DEBATES
Sep 21, 1980
Iran/Iraq war developments, including US role
Cutoff of rail access for West Germany to West Berlin.
Follow-up on Titan II Missile explosion earlier in week
Oct 28, 1980
Iranian parliament resumes debate on US hostages. Questions of arms to Saudi Arabia from US
Record loss for car company from Ford
They go onto list all of the problems facing the country prior to the debates all the way through 2004. Hammering home the simple fact: We have faced big problems in the past but we've always had leaders capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time.
I for one, I'm very happy to see Obama pushing back hard.
Obama - The debate should continue: