Ahead of showdown #1 at Hofstra University in New York, Celeste and John preview the upcoming trio of presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

Presidential debates are a big part of American political culture, and they've given us plenty of memorable moments — even if their ultimate effect on the outcomes of elections are, well, debatable. They're also fairly unique on the world stage.

Former Sen. and New Hampshire Gov. Judd Clegg shares an insider's take he earned by virtue of having played both John Kerry and Al Gore in Republican debate prep sessions. And Jeremy Cliffe of The Economist speaks about the relatively new phenomenon of televised prime ministerial debates in the U.K. and how they stack up with the way America handles these face-offs.

This episode was produced by Alan Haburchak. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy