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In 2016 Donald Trump wore enough makeup during the presidential debates to decorate a clown college. But in 1960 Richard Nixon refused it, not understanding how the relatively new medium of television was going to make his undecorated face look the same as his soul: dead.
--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: September 26, 1960--
Richard Nixon was vice president serving under the popular war hero Eisenhower for the previous eight years. John F. Kennedy was a junior senator from a wealthy family. It was a closely contested election; many believe the results hinged on the performance of a single night.
Eisenhower probably would have destroyed Kennedy in 1960, but this was the first U.S. election post ratification of the 22nd Amendment: the one that says presidents can serve a maximum of two terms. But with Nixon, the lead was only slight going into the first-ever televised presidential debate on September 26, 1960.
It was thought Nixon’s knowledge of foreign policy and experience with radio debates would hand him victory, but image is important. Nixon had suffered a serious knee injury and spent the previous two weeks in hospital, losing significant weight. He looked drawn and his shirt was ill-fitting. His refusal of makeup made his five o’clock shadow visible against his pale face, and his tan suit blended into the background.
To the 70 million people tuning in, Nixon looked like shit. Conversely, Jack Kennedy had spent the previous two weeks campaigning in South Carolina and was sporting a tan. He wore a darker suit and had wisely taken the advice to wear makeup. He was also a handsome devil. Nixon next to Kennedy was like comparing those sarcastic “Nailed it!” baking fails against what it’s supposed to look like.
Nothing more clearly displays the importance of image than the post-debate polling revealing that those who listened to the debates on the radio thought Nixon won the debate, and those who watched the debates on TV said Kennedy was the victor. After the debate, Kennedy took a jump in the polls.
There were three more TV debates, and Nixon had learned his lesson. He regained the weight and wore makeup. Polls showed he won the second and third debate, and the fourth was declared a draw. But the viewer ratings were far lower during the subsequent three than for the first debate, so for Nixon the damage was done.
JFK narrowly won the popular vote, garnering 49.72% to Nixon’s 49.55%. More important, he took 303 members of the Electoral College to Nixon’s 219. After his victory Kennedy himself said, “It was TV more than anything else that turned the tide.”
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