9. The Power of Television?
Before the 1960 presidential election between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon, candidates would reach their supporters through the power of radio. And the people who tuned into the debate between the two candidates on the radio on September 26, 1960, felt that Nixon came out on top.
However, those who tuned in to the debate on television, the first-ever televised presidential debate in history, were greeted with a tanned and relaxed Kennedy debating a pale and sweaty Nixon. In a closely contested election, Kennedy would end up victorious with many seeing the power of television as one of the main reasons for his victory.
