As over-hyped as televised presidential debates tend to be — historians say even the infamous Richard Nixon-John Kennedy faceoff in 1960 may have had less impact than long assumed — last Tuesday’s match between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris deserves a sequel. That’s not just because this election is shaping up to be remarkably close, with polls suggesting thousands of votes cast in swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin could make the difference.

Given the reality of a close election, a debate is a valuable platform for exploring the issues, far more engaging than the mind-numbing onslaught of campaign ads. President Joe Biden’s late-stage decision not to seek reelection has only elevated the importance of debates, given the compressed campaign season. What better opportunity will there be for voters to compare and contrast the Republican and Democratic candidates at the top of the ticket than for them to meet on stage in a structured format?

Yet the gamesmanship has already begun. The Harris campaign has offered a second debate — a proposal likely reinforced by her slam-dunk win on Tuesday night. And the Republican nominee has so far shown no interest. He has tried to spin this as proof that Harris actually lost on Tuesday, but we don’t think most Americans are buying it. At least not those who witnessed some of Trump’s more bizarre moments in Philadelphia, including his false rant about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating cats and dogs. “They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said in an over-the-top line destined to be enshrined in presidential debate history.

The former president may simply be making the calculation that the former prosecutor is advantaged by the debate format and better to cut his losses than risk another lopsided outcome. Still to come is the vice presidential debate Oct. 1 in New York City on CBS. It’s entirely possible U.S. Sen. JD Vance will fare better against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz than Trump did against Harris. We’re not so certain, given Vance’s campaign miscues so far, but let’s not forget this is also about seconds-in-command. How many swing voters are waiting to hear from candidates for a job as inconsequential as vice president? Surely, not many. Is breaking a tie in the Senate the rallying cry of 2024?

What voters really deserve is to hear more about the state of the U.S. economy — and the Harris and Trump plans to reduce inflation and raise income — than the mere minutes of conversation offered to date. Oh, we can read all the campaign reports they care to offer (or later disown). But there’s something to be said for the give and take made possible by a properly executed debate featuring candidates capable of explaining exactly what they intend to do in office and contesting what the other has to say — and preferably doing both factually.

And that’s just one subject. Add to that list concerns over immigration (a fraught topic with or without false claims of pets served for dinner), abortion, gun rights, health care, violent crime, racial and ethnic inequality, climate change and foreign policy. We’ve heard the platitudes. What’s often missing is detail and nuance. Anyone can have a cursory knowledge of a subject to decide whether something or someone is “nasty” or the “best.” We should expect more from anyone seeking the most powerful office in the world.

Finally, we would caution those who claim that Trump won’t get a fair shake in any debate hosted by a media outlet that isn’t Fox News or that fact-checkers are out to blast Trump. He’s simply more prone to wandering from the truth. From his false claim that tariffs won’t raise prices for consumers to his bizarre claim that liberals wanted Roe v. Wade overturned, the former president is prone to prevaricate. Even his supporters likely understand that. Yet, at this point, blasting the “mainstream” media is likely more a reflex than anything else. Blaming others is also the kind of character trait that undecided voters deserve to see in action — and to judge for themselves whether it’s appropriate for such a high office.

Courage would be a nice trait to see as well. Trump was willing to debate Biden several times. Now, he looks weak backing down against Harris. The stakes are too high to deny voters at least one sequel.