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BOOK EXCERPT PASSAGES The Kennedy-Nixon debates: television comes to politics Conrad Black In this excerpt from The Invincible Quest: The Life of Richard Milhous Nixon, Conrad Black weaves a narrative of the Kennedy-Nixon debates, the seminal event of the 1960 presidential campaign, which vaulted modern politics into the television age. Who won? Kennedy on appearance on television, Nixon on substance on radio. Though Nixon lost, barely, he would be back eight years later and finally won the White House. Dans cet extrait de The Invincible Quest: The Life of Richard Milhous Nixon, Conrad Black retrace les faits entourant les débats Kennedy-Nixon, événements décisifs de la campagne présidentielle de 1960 qui aura marqué le passage de la vie politique moderne à l’âge télévisuel. Le vainqueur ? Kennedy au petit écran pour l’image, Nixon à la radio pour la substance. Ce dernier allait rater de justesse la Maison-Blanche avant d’y faire son entrée huit ans plus tard. he first presidential debate was Kennedy found it so refreshing, he that the Eisenhower years had shown a in Chicago on September 26. insisted on the same preparatory therapy good deal more progress than had the T Nixon prepared the day before for all the debates. As is notorious, Truman years. The fifties were not and flew to Chicago, touring the wards Kennedy won the battle of appearances. slow-motion times, he pointed out, in a motorcade when he arrived and He wore a dark suit, was tanned and con- but in fact the greatest years of speaking to the Carpenters’ Union in fident, while Nixon seemed haggard and progress and generally improving liv- the morning. He studied the issues in at times a little nervous. Nixon’s five ing standards in the country’s history. the afternoon and arrived at the studio o’clock shadow, jowls, dark eyes, and ten- Nixon extolled Republican faith in the in a light suit with a shirt collar too dency to perspire under television lights private sector and unlocking America’s large, which made him appear drawn were all in evidence. Both candidates creative energies, and only lightly and fatigued, as his clothes seemed to knew the material, and the contrast broke out the violins on the issue of hang on him like a bat. He had light between the 1960 encounters and future the poor, saying that he had been poor makeup only. Nixon had bumped his presidential debates, which have been himself, but having the taste to avoid knee again as he got out of his car (per- sound-bite exchanges circumscribed to saying that Kennedy had not. haps if he had not eschewed Cadillacs superficial treatment of subjects, is strik- for reasons of image, he would have ing. Yet they were not so much debating ixon handled very competently had the legroom to spare his knees the as answering reporters’ questions that N the inevitable questions about severe battering they suffered). He was they had addressed many times before. whether he had really done anything standing uncomfortably as a result of They had an unprecedented audi- in the administration or just been an the bump he had sustained. Kennedy ence of over 80 million people. observer, referring to the reports he had prepared in his own fashion, Kennedy opened with his “get America gave on returning from foreign trips, relaxing on a sun deck and enjoying moving again” theme. “I am not satis- the setting up of the inter-American the pleasures of a professional woman fied, as an American, with the progress lending agency, the admission of procured for him by the specialists on we’re making.” He wanted faster Hungarian refugees, his role in various his staff who supplied him in this progress on everything from steel pro- foreign exchange programs, and his regard before, during, and after the duction to civil rights to teachers’ pay. work on the Cabinet Committee on campaign. Nixon replied defensively, but argued Price Stability for Economic Growth. POLICY OPTIONS 109 JULY-AUGUST 2007 Conrad Black PASSAGES To the follow-up question of Sander lost Cuba. Nixon denied that it was lost, administration. Nixon pointed out Vanocur (who was intermittently paid reminded Kennedy that there was a non- that the Democrats had expended a by the Kennedys while working for intervention treaty in the Americas great deal of effort claiming that he NBC) about Ike’s inability the month (which the United States frequently vio- had played almost no role in it. before to think of an initiative of lated and which had not received much Kennedy attacked the Quemoy- Nixon’s that he had adopted, Nixon consideration as Eisenhower and Nixon Matsu policy and said the islands, which said that Ike was “facetious” and that planned the invasion of Cuba by exiles), were only five miles offshore from China, he had suggested a great many things. and said that the Cubans “who want to were militarily useless and should be “Sometimes my advice has been taken. be free are going to be supported and ... abandoned. Nixon scored well on this Sometimes it has not. I do not say that they will attain their freedom.” point that the United States must not I have made the decisions.” oblige its nationalist allies to give They had an unprecedented up territory: “This is the same he candidates repeated their audience of over 80 million people. kind of woolly thinking that led T positions on a number of Kennedy opened with his “get to disaster for America in Korea.” issues, Kennedy generally favor- Nixon a couple of times empha- ing government action to remedy America moving again” theme. “I sized that he did not question all problems, and Nixon favoring am not satisfied, as an American, Kennedy’s sincerity and he the same ends but through the with the progress we’re making.” He hoped that Kennedy would private sector, incentivized, if wanted faster progress on accord him the same courtesy. necessary, by the federal govern- Kennedy did not respond, and it ment. They agreed almost exactly everything from steel production to seemed slightly importunate of on civil rights. When Nixon civil rights to teachers’ pay. Nixon Nixon. The press and the polls returned to his hotel, feeling fair- replied defensively, but argued that concurred in Nixon’s own judg- ly good about his performance, the Eisenhower years had shown a ment that he had done well and he was advised by Rose Mary had a slight edge. The audience Woods and others that he had good deal more progress than had had declined from eighty million spoken well but looked sick. It the Truman years. The fifties were in the first debate to sixty million quickly became clear that he had not slow-motion times, he pointed in the second. lost on appearance but not on out, but in fact the greatest years of content. Those who heard the he third debate was on debate on the radio felt, by a progress and generally improving T October 13, with the candi- slight margin, that Nixon had living standards in the country’s dates on different coasts: Nixon won. For television viewers, there history. Nixon extolled Republican in Los Angeles and Kennedy in was an edge, though not a deci- faith in the private sector and New York. The Quemoy-Matsu sive one, to Kennedy, and this policy was again a big issue, as was more a press consensus than unlocking America’s creative both candidates demonstrated a genuine opinion sampling. energies, and only lightly broke out the brilliance of the Republicans who had expected the violins on the issue of the poor, Eisenhower-Dulles Formosa Nixon to eviscerate Kennedy saying that he had been poor Resolution and Doctrine, which were disappointed, and gave the president authority to Democrats were correspondingly himself, but having the taste to use any means he wished to happy, but the race was still close avoid saying that Kennedy had not. defend Formosa and “closely and all was still to play for. related localities,” a formulation The second debate was in There were frequent references to that enabled Eisenhower, a specialist in Washington on October 7. Nixon did not Khrushchev. Nixon said that the dissimulation, to play poker with Mao rest much before the debate, but had the United States could not allow Tse-tung and Chou En-lai. temperature reduced in the studio, Khrushchev to point to the mistreat- The policy differences between the arranged for minimal lighting in his face, ment of black Americans, and candidates were relatively subtle, and and wore adequate makeup. His clothes debunked Kennedy’s claim that centered on the role of the public sector. fit properly and he was in sharper form. American prestige had sunk. When Both candidates favored construction of The whole tenor of the exchange was Kennedy was asked why he attacked low-cost housing, extension of medical more aggressive. Kennedy started with the administration but not care, and aid to education, but Nixon the allegation that if the Republicans Eisenhower, he replied that he had thought the private sector could be were going to claim that the Democrats been given to understand that Nixon incentivized to deal with the first two had “lost China,” the Republicans had was a prominent member of the and that money should be given to the 110 OPTIONS POLITIQUES JUILLET-AOÛT 2007 The Kennedy-Nixon debates: television comes to politics BOOK EXCERPT states to address educational needs. except for medicine and food, and the case. The trouble was, he did not Kennedy was for direct federal govern- recall of the ambassador from Havana.

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