Desc: The Debate Starts Here: Directed by Matthew Graves. On September 25, 2008 the eyes of the world turned to the University of Mississippi as it hosted the first Presidential debate between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. This is the story of how a small town in northern Mississippi prepared for one of the biggest political events of the 2008 Presidential election and a celebration of the enormous effort of thousands of individuals to make this historic debate a success.