The presidential debate is a pivotal moment in any U.S. election campaign. The presidential debates: Their powerOne of the few times candidates can directly communicate with millions of voters before election day in real time is in presidential debates. Political betting markets and how they are affected by debatesLike presidential polling, political betting markets respond to what happens in these debates. That has meant bettors and analysts watch debate performances looking for clues that could shift the 2024 presidential election odds. Even after the most recent debates, early polling data and 2024 presidential election odds indicate it is going to be a highly-competitive race.