The 1960 US presidential contest, which saw Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy square off on television for the first time, altered American history and decided the outcome of the race. Its significance was so great that it continues to crop up in presidential debates, such as the one between Donald Trump and Joe Biden today.
When John F. Kennedy approached Richard Nixon in 1950 to support his US Senate campaign against Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas, he offered him $1,000 USD. Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father, thought so highly of Nixon's anticommunist stance and sent him this gift. The men had no idea how they would confront one another in the first-ever televised presidential debate in US history, which took place nine years later. The history of the United States would likewise be altered that evening.
On September 26, 1960, a live television broadcast of the presidential debate took place. It was the first time that John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Richard Nixon, the two presidential contenders, had debated on television.
JFK requested Nixon not to disclose their 1950 meeting to the public before the TV debate. Nixon fulfilled his word. However, in a single evening, the presidential debate on television would drastically alter their lives.
It would also influence TV presidential debates for many years to come. Its influence was evident even as Republican competitor Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden traded barbs at Thursday's (June 27) first presidential debate, which was broadcast live by CNN from Atlanta, Georgia.
In One Night, Everything Changed In Kennedy Vs. Nixon.
The entire country would watch US Vice President Richard Nixon and Democratic Party opponent Robert Kennedy on television. Kennedy was brash, self-assured, and forceful. Nixon appeared anxious, perspiring, and even ill.
According to media historian and associate professor Alan Schroeder of Northeastern University, "it's one of those unique moments in the timeline of history where you can say things changed very dramatically—in this case, in a single night," as he told Time Magazine.
The cards were stacked against Kennedy. In the Protestant US, where age and experience were considered for the top position, he was young and Catholic.
But the fate of America was ultimately decided by the televised debate. Numerous analysts claim that the discussion swung the elections in Kennedy's favor.
Max Frankel of The New York Times stated that "Nixon lost a TV debate, and the Presidency, to John F Kennedy in 1960 because of a sweaty upper lip."
Kennedy was ready to turn around and face the lights and camera. By contrast, Nixon was harshly captured by the cameras.
Ted Sorensen, Kennedy's speechwriter, revealed to Time Magazine how he assisted him in going through a stack of note cards and even asked Kennedy potential questions while the president was sunning on a hotel patio.
"We were aware that the first televised debate would be significant, but we were not prepared for how significant it would actually be," he added.
In addition to having an immediate impact on the US presidential election, the first presidential debate also had a lasting one.
Even today, presidential contenders take great care in preparing for the debate. Particularly in this day and age of social media criticism.
Public opinion and the Nixon-Kennedy controversy
Under the glaring studio lights, Nixon was perspiring. He had just returned from the hospital, unwell and underweight. Kennedy exuded calmness and confidence. The way people looked mattered. Individuals were making notes.
Americans who saw the discussion live on television awarded Kennedy the victory, but those who heard it over the radio thought Nixon had won.
The primary distinction was that most Americans had never watched a presidential debate on television before. By 1960, almost 88% of American homes were equipped with a television.
Kennedy's group quickly realized they had triumphed—and triumphed handsomely.
At a campaign stop in Ohio the next day, "his motorcade drew far larger crowds than he had ever seen." Kennedy's speechwriter Sorensen stated, "At that point, we knew that Kennedy had solidified his support inside the Democratic Party, if nothing else.
In the next debates, Nixon fared significantly better. However, impressions had been formed.
Kennedy was ready to admit that the discussion had helped him win.
More than anything else, JFK stated, "the TV was what turned the tide."
According to a 1979 US task force assessment, "the Nixon-Kennedy debates made televised encounters between candidates the hottest thing in electioneering since the campaign button."
The debate, according to Larry Sabato, political analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, made appearance, voice, body language, and audience connection crucial.
All of the presidential contenders must have been aware of these facts during their first TV discussion of the 2024 election, including Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Democrats were terrified of Biden after the debate because he "looked and sounded terrible".
Commentators Said That Cameras Were Hard On Nixon
Not every pundit at the time shared the modern interpretation of the Kennedy-Nixon controversy. According to The Conversation, many had noticed that both candidates seemed anxious about being in front of the camera and studio lighting.
"Mr. Nixon's performance was undoubtedly the more polished of the two. At the time, The Washington Post said, "He is a skilled debater with professional polish, and he managed to convey a slightly patronizing air of a master instructing a pupil."
Later, even Howard K. Smith of ABC News, who moderated the debate, stated that Nixon "was marginally better" than his opponent.
However, numerous pundits had noted that Nixon seemed harshly on video.
TV cameras "had a really rough time with Mr. Nixon. Walter Lippmann, a well-known critic at the time, stated, "They made him look sick, which he is not, and they made him look older and more worn than he is."
The vast majority of analysts believe that JFK won the election because of the televised discussion, and that it only took place on September 26, 1960.
Tv Sports Changed American Politics Forever
There is broad agreement among campaign historians on the enduring influence of the 1960 televised presidential debate.
Prior to the senator and vice president [Nixon] being filmed, Kennedy was the young man who was being attacked and criticized by the vice president for being immature, inexperienced, and youthful. He was clearly the vice president's equal in both appearance and conduct, as Theodore H. White noted in his book "The Making of the President, 1960."
Kennedy quickly leveled up against Nixon in the discussion. He was going to be the President of the United States of America very soon. Thanks to television, everything is possible.
The 1960 election would not be the last to witness the effects of television and televised debates. The change of events was so drastic that it deterred presidential contenders from participating in TV debates. For the following four presidential elections (so sixteen years), there would be no televised presidential debates.
In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was unwilling to challenge Barry Goldwater. The outcome of the Nixon-Kennedy debate scared him.
In 1968 and 1972, Nixon declined to appear before the glaring lights. When then-President Gerald Ford made the decision to face-to-face with Democratic opponent Jimmy Carter in 1976, the television debates returned.
Historian David Greenberg stated that "the perception of television's influence went on to transform American politics, shaping the behavior of leaders and candidates for decades."
Read Also : How does the media coverage of Kim Kardashian's nude photo controversies influence public opinion about her?
Kari Pettersen
The 1960 US presidential contest, which saw Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy square off on television for the first time, altered American history and decided the outcome of the race. Its significance was so great that it continues to crop up in presidential debates, such as the one between Donald Trump and Joe Biden today.
When John F. Kennedy approached Richard Nixon in 1950 to support his US Senate campaign against Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas, he offered him $1,000 USD. Joseph Kennedy, JFK's father, thought so highly of Nixon's anticommunist stance and sent him this gift. The men had no idea how they would confront one another in the first-ever televised presidential debate in US history, which took place nine years later. The history of the United States would likewise be altered that evening.
On September 26, 1960, a live television broadcast of the presidential debate took place. It was the first time that John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Richard Nixon, the two presidential contenders, had debated on television.
JFK requested Nixon not to disclose their 1950 meeting to the public before the TV debate. Nixon fulfilled his word. However, in a single evening, the presidential debate on television would drastically alter their lives.
It would also influence TV presidential debates for many years to come. Its influence was evident even as Republican competitor Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden traded barbs at Thursday's (June 27) first presidential debate, which was broadcast live by CNN from Atlanta, Georgia.
In One Night, Everything Changed In Kennedy Vs. Nixon.
The entire country would watch US Vice President Richard Nixon and Democratic Party opponent Robert Kennedy on television. Kennedy was brash, self-assured, and forceful. Nixon appeared anxious, perspiring, and even ill.
According to media historian and associate professor Alan Schroeder of Northeastern University, "it's one of those unique moments in the timeline of history where you can say things changed very dramatically—in this case, in a single night," as he told Time Magazine.
The cards were stacked against Kennedy. In the Protestant US, where age and experience were considered for the top position, he was young and Catholic.
But the fate of America was ultimately decided by the televised debate. Numerous analysts claim that the discussion swung the elections in Kennedy's favor.
Max Frankel of The New York Times stated that "Nixon lost a TV debate, and the Presidency, to John F Kennedy in 1960 because of a sweaty upper lip."
Kennedy was ready to turn around and face the lights and camera. By contrast, Nixon was harshly captured by the cameras.
Ted Sorensen, Kennedy's speechwriter, revealed to Time Magazine how he assisted him in going through a stack of note cards and even asked Kennedy potential questions while the president was sunning on a hotel patio.
"We were aware that the first televised debate would be significant, but we were not prepared for how significant it would actually be," he added.
In addition to having an immediate impact on the US presidential election, the first presidential debate also had a lasting one.
Even today, presidential contenders take great care in preparing for the debate. Particularly in this day and age of social media criticism.
Public opinion and the Nixon-Kennedy controversy
Under the glaring studio lights, Nixon was perspiring. He had just returned from the hospital, unwell and underweight. Kennedy exuded calmness and confidence. The way people looked mattered. Individuals were making notes.
Americans who saw the discussion live on television awarded Kennedy the victory, but those who heard it over the radio thought Nixon had won.
The primary distinction was that most Americans had never watched a presidential debate on television before. By 1960, almost 88% of American homes were equipped with a television.
Kennedy's group quickly realized they had triumphed—and triumphed handsomely.
At a campaign stop in Ohio the next day, "his motorcade drew far larger crowds than he had ever seen." Kennedy's speechwriter Sorensen stated, "At that point, we knew that Kennedy had solidified his support inside the Democratic Party, if nothing else.
In the next debates, Nixon fared significantly better. However, impressions had been formed.
Kennedy was ready to admit that the discussion had helped him win.
More than anything else, JFK stated, "the TV was what turned the tide."
According to a 1979 US task force assessment, "the Nixon-Kennedy debates made televised encounters between candidates the hottest thing in electioneering since the campaign button."
The debate, according to Larry Sabato, political analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, made appearance, voice, body language, and audience connection crucial.
All of the presidential contenders must have been aware of these facts during their first TV discussion of the 2024 election, including Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Democrats were terrified of Biden after the debate because he "looked and sounded terrible".
Commentators Said That Cameras Were Hard On Nixon
Not every pundit at the time shared the modern interpretation of the Kennedy-Nixon controversy. According to The Conversation, many had noticed that both candidates seemed anxious about being in front of the camera and studio lighting.
"Mr. Nixon's performance was undoubtedly the more polished of the two. At the time, The Washington Post said, "He is a skilled debater with professional polish, and he managed to convey a slightly patronizing air of a master instructing a pupil."
Later, even Howard K. Smith of ABC News, who moderated the debate, stated that Nixon "was marginally better" than his opponent.
However, numerous pundits had noted that Nixon seemed harshly on video.
TV cameras "had a really rough time with Mr. Nixon. Walter Lippmann, a well-known critic at the time, stated, "They made him look sick, which he is not, and they made him look older and more worn than he is."
The vast majority of analysts believe that JFK won the election because of the televised discussion, and that it only took place on September 26, 1960.
Tv Sports Changed American Politics Forever
There is broad agreement among campaign historians on the enduring influence of the 1960 televised presidential debate.
Prior to the senator and vice president [Nixon] being filmed, Kennedy was the young man who was being attacked and criticized by the vice president for being immature, inexperienced, and youthful. He was clearly the vice president's equal in both appearance and conduct, as Theodore H. White noted in his book "The Making of the President, 1960."
Kennedy quickly leveled up against Nixon in the discussion. He was going to be the President of the United States of America very soon. Thanks to television, everything is possible.
The 1960 election would not be the last to witness the effects of television and televised debates. The change of events was so drastic that it deterred presidential contenders from participating in TV debates. For the following four presidential elections (so sixteen years), there would be no televised presidential debates.
In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was unwilling to challenge Barry Goldwater. The outcome of the Nixon-Kennedy debate scared him.
In 1968 and 1972, Nixon declined to appear before the glaring lights. When then-President Gerald Ford made the decision to face-to-face with Democratic opponent Jimmy Carter in 1976, the television debates returned.
Historian David Greenberg stated that "the perception of television's influence went on to transform American politics, shaping the behavior of leaders and candidates for decades."
Read Also : How does the media coverage of Kim Kardashian's nude photo controversies influence public opinion about her?