Defining Moments, Presidential Debates, and the Dynamics of Quotability

News coverage of presidential debates often focuses on a single defining moment which is taken to epitomize the debate in its entirety. This is a case study of the central defining moment of the 1988 vice presidential debate—the dramatic exchange culminating in Lloyd Bentsen's assertion that Dan Quayle is “no Jack Kennedy.” The study documents the degree to which this particular excerpt dominated news coverage of the debate, explains why it received so much attention, and explores how it has survived and evolved in the media over time. More generally, it is argued that journalists select quotations and sound bites by reference to three basic considerations: (a) narrative relevance, (b) conspicuousness, and (c) extractability. These considerations guide processes of extract selection generally, and they can explain the genesis and survivability of prominent defining moments.