People who watched the debate on television overwhelmingly believed Kennedy had won, while radio listeners a smaller audience believed Nixon had won. After it had ended, polls showed Kennedy moving into a slight lead over Nixon.
For the remaining three debates, Nixon appeared more forceful than his initial appearance. However, up to 20 million fewer viewers watched the three remaining debates.
A key factor that hurt Kennedy in his campaign was the widespread prejudice against his Roman Catholic faith. In the south, the central issue in the election was the pro-civil rights stances of both Kennedy and Nixon. Martin Luther King, Jr.
While Nixon refused to become involved in the incident, Kennedy placed calls to local political authorities. As a result, Kennedy received favorable publicity in the black community. The election on November 8, remains one of the most famous election nights in American history. In the national popular vote, Kennedy beat Nixon by just one tenth of one percentage point 0. However, in a speech three days after the election, Nixon stated that he would not contest the election.
Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. The Sixties: — Search for:. The Election of Learning Objectives Examine the presidential campaign. Richard Nixon made the mistake of promising to campaign in every state, and in attempting to make good on this promise, he was unable to focus on the swing states where voters may have helped him secure the win.
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Next post The must-have Christmas gift of Thanks for including this footage, which I had only seen a clip of until now. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Loading Comments The rivals campaigned tirelessly throughout the summer of , with Nixon inching ahead in the polls to gain a slim lead.
When the season began to turn, however, so did the tables. Nixon took a major hit in August when a reporter asked President Dwight D. Stepping out of the car, he banged his bad knee and exacerbated his earlier injury. The vice president had recently suffered a bout of the flu and was still running a low fever; he had nonetheless spent a grueling day on the campaign trail and looked drained.
Each held forth skillfully and presented remarkably similar agendas. Both emphasized national security, the threat of communism, the need to strengthen the U. What accounted for this discrepancy? Kennedy nailed it during the Great Debates, staring directly into the camera as he answered each question. Bronzed and glowing from weeks of open-air campaigning, Kennedy was more than ready for his close-up—though sources later claimed that the naturally telegenic senator still got a touch-up from his team.
But when the candidate started sweating under the hot studio lights, the powder seemed to melt off his face, giving way to visible beads of perspiration. Besides, Kennedy had a secret weapon in his quest to dazzle the American media: an equally picture-perfect wife who would soon charm the nation and the world.
A month and a half later, Americans turned out to vote in record numbers. As predicted, it was a close election, with Kennedy winning the popular vote Polls revealed that more than half of all voters had been influenced by the Great Debates, while 6 percent claimed that the debates alone had decided their choice.
Whether or not the debates cost Nixon the presidency, they were a major turning point in the race—and in the history of television. Televised debates have become a permanent feature of the American political landscape, helping to shape the outcomes of both primary and general elections.
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