Which Candidate Did Not Wear Makeup In 1960 Presidential Election

Scholarly Analysis of the Kennedy-Nixon Debates

The scholarly analysis of the Kennedy-Nixon debates covers how scholars have debated the significance and ideas of the 1960 election year and how those ideas and perceptions have inverse over time.

Background

The iv 1960 presidential debates with John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were the get-go televised general-election presidential debates and brought new criteria to the presidential candidates campaigning. The beginning Kennedy-Nixon debate captured over 65 million viewers resulting in a major impact in the election'southward outcome and outreach. All the same, the hope of alluring more than potential voters and increasing education of the issues was overcome by the interest of politicians catering to public image and using media exposure to build credibility and create more than personality.

The idea that these debates are a crucial indicate in political history and were the catalyst to the role in idiot box and use of debates in the balloter process is still a contend that many scholars fence over.

The Impact of Television

One of the about discussed issues with the 1960 debates was the notion that people who listened to the radio were more probable to vote for Nixon while people who watched the debates on television were more likely to vote for Kennedy. I of the explanations to this phenomena was presidential candidates physical appearances during the debates with Kennedy appearing better on television than Nixon.

Both candidates not only used television for the debates, simply they besides aired commercials to concenter more than voters. The Kennedy Campaign aired over 200 commercials using footage from the debates, rallies and even Jackie Kennedy speaking Spanish to attract more hispanic voters. Kennedy too used glory endorsements, such every bit Henry Fonda.

Nixon'due south use of tv was different than Kennedy's personality based ads. He chose to film in a formal office setting with himself leaning on a desk to focus more on policy and go along things professional person. Contrary to pop thought, Nixon did know how to use media to his reward for example, his 1952 "Checkers" telecast that won over the American people.

Advent

Forth with the role of television, the desire for a candidate to await as good as they speak became more relevant. Nixon learned this the hard manner during the showtime debate on September 26, 1960.

Demonstrated in this video from C-Bridge's 50th Anniversary of the 1960 Debates, William Wilson, old media adviser for the Kennedy Assistants, remembers the important role appearance on television played in these debates and the candidates reluctance to want to use makeup.

Nixon showed upwards wearing petty makeup and a low-cal grey suit, which composite into the background. He was constantly wiping sweat off his face and co-ordinate to the audience looked wearied and stake. Not only was Nixon'south physical advent an event, just Nixon kept looking at a clock, which television viewers could not see making him appear shifty-eyed. Unknown to the general public at the time, Nixon's extensive candidature left him physically exhausted, disheveled and fabricated him lose well-nigh 15 pounds. After the devastating effects from the first debate, Nixon slowed down his campaigning and regained his healthy advent.

The Calculated Responses

Each presidential candidate had a premeditated and self-conscious campaign during the 1960 elections with the aspect of Kennedy wanting to build momentum and Nixon wanting to step abroad from the "tricky Dick" persona. Nixon wanted to focus on foreign policy and wished to step abroad from his reputation as sneaky, while Kennedy, only 43, was trying to gainsay the ideals he was too young or politically immature.

Kennedy would get in into the studios to prep for the debate hours before to check out the weather, lighting and even the temperature of the room. Before the second debate Kennedy arrived earlier to admission the studio and noticed that the temperature had been set up to 64 degrees, to assist with Nixon's sweating, and more lights shined on Kennedy than Nixon. After some compromise the conditions were inverse. The audience did notice that Nixon's physical epitome was much meliorate for the second debate compared to the first. However, the residue of the debates were written off every bit ties with no declared winner. Being more concerned with appearance, both Nixon and Kennedy relatively had the same experience and stance on bug. Leading the debates to have some artificial personal attacks; nevertheless, they were both too concerned with personable likeableness to get into "gutter politics."

Television and Beyond

Over the years, scholars have adapted and changed their ideas of the debates based on new information. They learned exactly why Nixon looked exhausted and how much effort was exerted into the campaign on both ends. The Kennedy-Nixon debates were just aired once at a time when DVR was not fifty-fifty in concept yet, so this brings into question the validity of the touch on of the debates on the viewers. Some scholars accept a technological determinism approach to the debates referring to them every bit television's inevitable takeover of politics, while others say that it was the candidates reaching out to new mediums and taking advantage of the publicity opportunities. Regardless, the question of the infamous touch on of these specific debates will continue to be a widely discussed topic among scholars.