The first televised debate

The first televised presidential debate in U.S. history may be the most consequential.

Political mythology holds that Americans who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon was better, while those who watched it on television thought Kennedy was better.

The contest between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon marked another precedent: the first time that presidential debates were televised.

• Nixon had recently been hospitalized. He refused to wear makeup, giving him a thin, sickly appearance. He wore a gray suit that made him blend int...

Ever since the first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon, back in 1960, television has been playing an essential role in influencing people's political choices. After sixteen years of break, starting with 1976, televised debates have become standard practice in politics. 

What...