History is filled with tantalizing what ifs. What if World War II’s D-Day invasion had failed? What if President Ronald Reagan had been assassinated in March 1981 before the Reagan revolution began? Both will be forever unanswered.

A lesser-known “what if” is also fascinating to contemplate, especially given the verbal food fight that was the first Trump-Biden presidential debate. Because except for one history-altering event, the way presidential contenders face one another might be vastly different today.