- 1984 Presidential Debates S U M M A R Y Two presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate were set in the 1984 general election. The first debate was limited to domestic policy, the second debate focused on international policy and national defense. President Reagan was the incumbent and the polls in late September showed his approval rating at almost 54 percent. The October debates were ...cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1984