FACTBOX: Notable moments in U.S. presidential debates

(Reuters) - Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama meet in Oxford, Mississippi, on Friday for the first of three debates ahead of the November 4 election.

Following are some notable moments from past presidential debates:

* Democrat John Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon squared off in 1960 on the unfamiliar medium of television, which gave Kennedy a crucial edge in the tight election as he was able to defuse questions about his youth and project himself as a serious presidential candidate.

* In 1976, Republican Gerald Ford said, "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe," despite two decades of history to the contrary. He compounded his problem by saying that Yugoslavs, Romanians and Poles did not consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union. He lost the election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

* In 1984, Republican Ronald Reagan admitted that he was confused during a debate with Democrat Walter Mondale, stirring concerns that the 73-year-old president might be too old for a second term in office. Reagan rebounded in the next encounter by quipping: "I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."

* Democratic hopeful Michael Dukakis was asked in a 1988 debate whether he would favor the death penalty for someone who raped and murdered his wife. Dukakis responded with a statement of opposition to the death penalty, helping Republican opponent George H.W. Bush to paint him as an "iceman" lacking in passion.

* Dukakis's vice presidential running mate Lloyd Bentsen fared better against rival Dan Quayle. When the 41-year-old Quayle pointed out that he had as much congressional experience as Kennedy when he reached the Oval Office, Bentsen responded: "I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy."

* Democrat Bill Clinton used the "town hall" format effectively in 1992 and 1996, empathizing with voters' concerns about the economy and health care and roaming the stage like a talk-show host.

* Democrat Al Gore was criticized in 2000 for sighing and rolling his eyes when Republican George W. Bush was talking during their first debate. Gore was criticized as too passive in the second debate and too aggressive in the third, underlining concerns that he was not as "authentic" as Bush.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan and David Wiessler; Editing by Eric Walsh)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)