Televised Presidential Debates in the United States

Introduction:

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today I would like to talk about one of the most iconic traditions in the United States: televised presidential debates.

It was in 1960 that millions of Americans gathered in front of their television sets and radios to watch and ear Kennedy and Nixon face to face in one of the very first presidential debates. This moment marked a real turning point in American political communication.

But where did this new idea of televised debates come from?

Already in 1932, Roosevelt used the radio with his famous fireside chats, the beginning of mass political communication. Then in 1952, Eisenhower hired a communication agency, which gave him a clear strategy and the famous slogan: “I like Ike.”

All these steps prepared the ground for 1960, when television became the main stage of politics. From that moment, image started to matter as much as ideas.

So, the real question is:

Why and how do televised presidential debates influence American voters?

So, are televised presidential debates an advantage or a danger for presidential candidates?

This will be the focus of my first part.

Then, in a second part, we will concentrate on the concrete impact of these debates on voters, and how they can influence their final choice.

Part I – Televised debates: an asset or a danger for candidates

Let’s go back to the very first televised debate in 1960, which opposed Kennedy to ixon.

On one side, Kennedy looked young, smiling, charismatic and confident. On the other side, Nixon was sick, tired, badly shaved and sweating. On television, the image was disastrous for him. Kennedy gave the impression of being self-assured, even though, on substance, both candidates were saying almost the same things. This perfectly illustrates the phrase of the Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan: “The medium is the message.”

Another positive example came in 1984, during the debate between Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale. Reagan was criticized for his advanced age. Yet he completely turned the situation around with a famous humorous line: “I will not exploit my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Everyone laughed, and Reagan looked charismatic and confident.

This proves that a debate can be a real springboard for a candidate.

But sometimes, it can also be a danger.

In 1976, during the debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, Ford made a huge mistake by declaring that “Eastern Europe is not dominated by the USSR.” This was obviously false: his credibility collapsed, and he came out weakened from an election that Carter finally won.

In 2016, against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump adopted a very aggressive attitude. He kept interrupting her, walking behind her with a closed face. His posture was seen as intimidating and hostile. It was embarrassing.

And even if Trump won the election, he kept the reputation of a brutal candidate, more concerned with the show than

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