This study proposes an analysis of televised debates for presidential elections in Romania, in November 2014 and December 2009, from the perspective of functional theory of political campaign discourse (Benoit 2014). Using a functional analysis, this article examines the relationship between discursive functions of televised debates (acclamations, attacks and defenses). The particular mode in which social players use the three discursive functions in the debate can be used by voters to decide which of the candidates is preferred. From this standpoint, the functional theory of political discourse can be regarded as strategic positioning of social actors in the semiotic act of televised debate. The results show similarities in terms of distribution of discursive functions in all of these televised debates analyzed. Our study confirm the results obtained in previous studies and could suggest a political communication culture focused more on attack rather than on defense strategy. The findings of the present study do not fully confirm the assumptions of functional theory. Some cultural particularities–how cultural context defines the rules of the political dialogue, particularities relating to type of acclamations, attacks or defenses in different cultures, the role of the moderator, the quality of the questions submitted to candidates and so on, may cause the cultural variability of the results (Holtz-Bacha and Kaid, 2011). Still, our study shows similarities with the results obtained in other countries, and highlights on potential differences, which challenges the functional theory assumptions. I explain that the functional analysis of political discourse can be regarded as an instrument that helps us diagnose the discursive behaviour of social actors during televised debates, the civilisation of dialogue in the local political life.