Radio VS. TV: Shaping A Presidential Campaign
When the 1960 Presidential Debate rolled around, many had opposing opinions. This was the very first debate to be broadcasted nationally on television and our candidates were Nixon and Kennedy. Before now, radio and newspaper were the leading medium for the debates. Because of this change in medium, a change in how an audience perceived different media was made. Those who listened to the debate or read about it argued that Nixon had won the debate. However, those who had watched the debate, some 70 million, claimed that Kennedy had won the debate.
So, why was there such a divide?
Before the debate, Nixon was generally the more favored candidate. He had already been vice president, had strong republican views, and was a Protestant, something that set him ahead of Kennedy and his Catholic faith. Those who couldn't see Nixon believed that he had won the debate. On the other hand, those who watched the debate could truly see the difference in the two men. Nixon, who had been in and out of the hospital, looked weak and pale. What didn't help was his refusal to wear stage makeup. Contrastingly, Kennedy, who had been on a sunny campaign trail, appeared tan, lively, and more charismatic. Kennedy allowed for stage makeup to be applied and he charmed the audience with his words, looks, and personality. Nixon was lacking in all of those areas. Although Nixon might have had a better political argument, he lacked the aspects that made Kennedy 'TV-ready'.
Through this debate, we see a huge shift in how media affects politics, specifically campaigning. It's no longer about your views, opinions, or arguments, but also about your personality, looks, and how you use them to appeal to a larger audience.
Source: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-debate-that-changed-the-world-of-politics
I remember learning about this debate in middle school, so it is interesting to study it more with more knowledge. It is fascinating to me how listeners believed Nixon won the debate based off how he spoke and what he said whereas watchers were captivated by Kennedy's appearance. I do agree that a good appearance and charismatic approach is important but it is not everything. This debate definitely changed the way campaigns were designed and still holds true today especially with today's use of social media.
ReplyDeleteHi Zoe,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that somebody touched on this. If you ask, many historians will tell you that the 1960 Presidential debate was one of the most influential moments in the formation of the modern President's office. Moreover, it became clear to would-be Presidents that the manner in which they campaign would be changed forever. Nixon performed so poorly in the debates that his political career would take a while to recover, and at the time it was the most watched television program in American history. Moreover, the length of the debates I think says a lot about how the average American's attention span has decreased over the years. Each candidate's opening statement was 8 minutes long; nowadays I'd be shocked if the leader of the free world could command America's attention for more than one minute.