Everything in American politics changed on the evening of September 26, 1960.

More than half of all American households, tuned in on black-and-white TV sets, watched U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice-President Richard Nixon in a televised presidential debate. While Nixon prevailed in the perception of radio listeners, the sweaty and flu-stricken vice president was at a disadvantage before the cameras, which favored the younger, freshly tanned Kennedy.

Style over substance? Maybe. But that seminal event let the American voting public witness the whole picture — every well-honed point and every grimace — in one of the closest presidential races in U.S. history.

Since then, TV debates have become an integral part of presidential contests — a tradition that has trickled down to state and local races. Every Houston mayor for five decades has answered tough questions for a television audience. Such face-offs heighten interest in candidates and help voters choose.

Unfortunately, the expectation of a prime-time TV duel isn’t a given in Texas politics. Governors have vacillated, sometimes making lame excuses to avoid giving exposure to their opponents. In 1998, Gov. George W. Bush met his doomed Democratic challenger, but only once in El Paso. On a Friday night. During high school football season. Gov. Rick Perry debated in two elections, but sidestepped the formidable businessman and former Houston Mayor Bill White in his last gubernatorial campaign.

It’s welcome news that Gov. Greg Abbott has agreed to meet his badly underfunded Democratic challenger in a televised debate. But like Bush, he has offered to face Lupe Valdez only on a Friday night during football season. Valdez, a former Dallas County sheriff whose speaking skills and knowledge of statewide issues are lacking, has countered by accepting an invitation to a livestream webcast debate on a Monday, with some Spanish questions.

Bickering about debate terms is a political sport of its own, so we’re optimistic both candidates ultimately will work it out. Likewise, we hope U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a distinguished alumnus of Princeton University’s debate team, will finally face his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Indeed, the whole slate of incumbent statewide candidates - from Attorney General Ken Paxton to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller - should agree to debate their challengers. TV debates should be more common in an age of internet live-streaming — especially as candidates duck other traditional forums. Voters are entitled to witness the top Texas candidates make their cases and take questions in front of opponents, journalists and, yes, rolling cameras.

Americans in 1960 got the whole picture. Sixty years later, Texas politicians need to catch up.