Kennedy Vs. Nixon

Most people know that the first televised Presidential campaign debate took place between JFK and Richard Nixon. On TV Kennedy looked good. Medication for his back problem gave Kennedy a good complexion, and he used an excellent makeup person. Nixon was ill, haggard and badly made up. When polled after the debate, television viewers thought Kennedy had won; radio viewers opted for Nixon. The often repeated explanation for this discrepancy was that Kennedy had won on TV because he looked better. What is interesting in retrospect was what a weird explanation that was.

We know today that Presidential debates have at best a small impact on how people vote. Losers of debates--George W. Bush, for example--often win the Presidency. Ask yourself how many times you have decided whom to vote for based on his appearance in a debate. The huge majority of voters make up their minds before a debate begins.

There is little doubt that Kennedy was a more charming man than Nixon. In fact, Kennedy's political career was in great part built on charm. He was tall, handsome, commanding, cool, witty, amusing. His press conferences were treats. After he won the Presidency, he became about as well liked as a politician can be. I happened to meet him once. He was someone men and women, including Nixon and Eisenhower, took to immediately. But that is probably not the reason for the discrepancy between those who watched TV and those who listened (a small number) on the radio. In those days, like today, most of the people who followed politics on the radio were old Republicans. Of course old Republicans listening to the radio thought Nixon had won. But the weirder explanation (better makeup) caught on, which shows how easily we get misled when it comes to cause and effect.