The Presidential Debates Between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon

The Presidential Debates Between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon

In the Presidential Election of 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard

Milhouse Nixon were in a series of debates that were different from past

debates. The three biggest national television networks arranged for the

debate to be televised on all three stations. The Democratic candidate,

Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts, and Vice President Nixon both agreed

on the televised debates.

Each debate was given a subject matter that the candidates agreed to

correspond their answers with the subject. The first debate was for the issues

concerning domestic questions, the second was centered around the area of

foreign policy, and the third and fourth debates were basically a repetition of

previous topics. During each debate four news representatives asked

questions to each candidate.

On September 26, 1960 the first debate took place in Chicago. The

moderator was Howard K. Smith, and his job was to introduce the candidates

and controlled the question and answer segments of the debates. He

instructed the candidates to give their 8 minute opening speech and their three

minute closing speech. The first introduced by Smith was Senator Kennedy.

Kennedy's concept throughout his opening statement was that the

world would move in the same direction that the U.S. moved. That was in

regard to how the U.S. moved ahead toward freedom. He also stated that the

American people should be aware of the communists, Khrushchev in the

Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists, how they were on the move and

America had to counter and move towards freedom. Kennedy said that

America had to be a strong as possible to keep the world moving in the right

direct...

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...es of the 1960 Presidential election were written as a new precedent for

political candidates, and the candidates involved showed courage and

character to give their words in front of a national audience.

Bibliography:

"Sources Cited"

The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate. Information Press.

www.debateinfo.com/hall_of_fame/kennedy-nixon/01.html

The Fourth Kennedy-Nixon Debate. Information Press.

www.debateinfo.com/hall_of_fame/kennedy-nixon/04.html

Goldman, Martin S. Richard M. Nixon: The Complex President. New York:

Facts On File, 1998.

Roseboom, Eugene H. A History of Presidential Elections. New York:

Macmillan, 1970.

The Second Kennedy-Nixon Debate. Information Press.

www.debateinfo.com/hall_of_fame/kennedy-nixon/02.html

The Third Kennedy-Nixon Debate. Information Press.

www.debateinfo.com/hall_of_fame/kennedy-nixon/03.html