Kennedy-Nixon Debate Analysis

Even before John Fitzgerald Kennedy began his presidency in 1961, he viewed foreign policy as one of the most important aspects of our lives. In one speech he said, “Foreign policy today, irrespective of what we might wish, in its impact on our daily lives, overshadows everything else. Expenditures, taxation, domestic prosperity, the extent of social sciences — all hinge on the basic issue of war or peace” (JFK Library). As the first president born in the 20th century, the youngest president to be elected to office, and the youngest president to die in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s time in office was brief, but full of difficult challenges in foreign affairs. I feel that he

Communication is everywhere. We, as interactive human beings, spend the majority of our time corresponding with others to satisfy our physical, identity, social, and practical needs (Adler, Rodman, & Sevigny, 2011). Often, this is consciously done; we search our minds for the accurate linguistic means to express our experiences, and use them to communicate with those around us. However, communication is not as straightforward and effortless as we may believe. It is, in fact, often unintentional, with 65% of it occurring as a result of non-verbal cues (Matsumoto, Shibata, Seiji, Mori, & Shioe, 2010). As mentioned by Marta Dynel (2011) in a study done on nonverbal communication, “Non verbal signs and signals ... are prevalent practically in

During the Vietnam War, Americans were greatly influenced by the extensive media coverage of the war. Before the 1960’s and the intensification of the war, public news coverage of military action was constrained heavily by the government and was directed by Government policy. The Vietnam War uniquely altered the perception of war in the eyes of American citizens by bringing the war into their homes. The Vietnam War was the first U.S uncensored war resulting in the release of graphic images and unaltered accounts of horrific events that helped to change public opinion of the war like nothing it had ever been. This depiction by the media led to a separation between the United States government and the press; much of what was reported flouted

I am originally from Puerto Rico, which is a country in which communication is an integral part of society. The cultural norm of the Puerto Rican culture is to speak up when necessary and communicate clearly if we want things to be done. At the same time, I believe that in order to produce results, the manner in which communicating takes place, is an extremely important component. My culture also showed me how the emotions used when communicating, such as the use of the hands and body language, will dictate the tone and flow of the communication. The literature suggests that the majority (as much as 76%) of the message we gibe to another person during conversations is carried by non-verbal or para-verbal communication. Thus, we must be very careful and strategic in our use o non-verbal communication (Van Acker, 1997).

Kennedy was a democrat. Ronald Reagan’s vice president was George H. W. Bush for both of Ronald Reagan’s terms. Ronald Reagan once said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help”. I found it particularly interesting that he said this because he was the president of the United States and he still had no faith in the government. John F. Kennedy did not have a vice president. John F. Kennedy once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them”. I liked this quote from Kennedy because it says we should never fear things too much to the point where we can’t appreciate them. Ronald Reagan was married twice, first married to Jane Wyman and then he was married to Nancy Reagan. John F. Kennedy was married once to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for ten years since he was assassinated. They had four children together; John F. Kennedy Junior, Arabella, Caroline, and Patrick. John F. Kennedy was also known to be called by the name “Jack”. Together Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy impacted America in multiple ways in their time

President Richard M. Nixon’s administration had to face many international and domestic challenges in the United States between 1968 and 1974, some positive and some negative. His achievements in expanding peaceful relationships with both China and the Soviet Union are contrastingly different with his continuation of the Vietnam War. In the end, Nixon’s scandals and abuse of presidential power caught up to him, and his administration did much to corrode America’s faith in the government.

The United States presidential election in 1960 marked the end of the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower who spent two terms in office. His vice president, Richard Nixon was the Republican candidate, while Democrats nominated Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. It should be noted that, this election was the closest vote in a presidential election since 1916 . In the popular vote, the margin of victory of Kennedy, was one of the closest in American history.

During this time period, the use of television boomed, and for the first time was depended on and trusted significantly more than newspapers. “[Even though] the coverage of the war was significant, a relatively small portion of the coverage was actually combat footage (Anderson). Although producers captured thousands of hours worth of combat footage, they could not push out all of the coverage they captured, “The purpose being not to avoid showing the ugly side of war, but rather to avoid offending families of war victims" (Hallin). The media did not intentionally try to turn america against the war, to the contrary the media saw the war necessary to national security. However, as the war continued on in vietnam and watched daily in living rooms across the country, both the american soldiers and the public became disillusioned as they did not see an end to the war

Nixon’s first term of presidency was full of accomplishments. Once in office, Nixon and his staff faced the problem of how to end the Vietnam War. Nixon made a nationally televised address on November 3, 1969, calling on Americans to renew their confidence in the government and back his policy of seeking a negotiated peace in Vietnam. Earlier that year, Nixon and his Defense Secretary Melvin Laird had unveiled the policy of “Vietnamization,” which entailed reducing American troop levels in Vietnam and transferring the burden of

The American people were looking for a strong leader and with Nixon serving as the Vice President he was obviously the better candidate. Not to mention, JFK was a young senator of Catholic faith from Massachusetts who lack the experience of foreign policy. Of course, what many thought JFK lack changed the night of the first presidential debate. Once the debate ended many radio listeners felt Nixion had won but those who watched on television, 74 million viewers, agreed that Kennedy won the debate (Webley, 2010). The television captured Nixon as a pale and sweaty candidate while JFK appeared confident and calm. The way JFK communicated on television amplified his political influence with the public. JFK preparedness allowed him to connect with the audience, which was a major turning point for the election. JFK would go on winning the popular vote 49.7 percent to 49.5 percent, with polls revealing that voters claimed the debate influence them (History.com Staff,

Just by standing next to Nixon on stage, Kennedy received instant credibility. He appeared as Nixon’s equal. However, Kennedy separated himself in other ways. His dark suit and blue shirt stood out against the gray backdrop of the set. His tan and athletic appearance resembled that of a movie star. ONE MORE SENTENCE DESCRIBING KENNEDY. Viewers loved the way that Kennedy discussed domestic issues - with composure, confidence, and charisma. He was nerveless on stage, challenging any thoughts of his immaturity or inexperience with a dynamic performance. Following the debate, one southern viewer claimed that Kennedy was no longer a politician but a “thing”, and that he blended “the best qualities of Elvis Presley and Franklin D. Roosevelt.” According to one housewife who watched the debate, “[h]e is a magnetic person, with much polish and a great deal of sex appeal. He’ll make a good appearance and will greatly appeal to the younger female voters.” Viewers likened Kennedy to the greatest personalities of his time and pointed out his polish and attractiveness. This was the power of television. With one exceptional performance, Kennedy established his image in the minds of the American

Both were veterans of the second world war. Both had come to congress together in 1947 and both were strident anti-communists. Both supported Civil Rights, but each did so cautiously. Both favored greater defense spending, one publicly, the other privately. Nixon, running as the heir to President Eisenhower, had to keep quiet about his wish for a larger military and go along with the president’s parsimonious defense budgets. Kennedy, as the challenger, was free to sound the alarm about falling behind the Soviet Union, to warn about “missile gaps,” and to promise “to get this country moving again.” For the first time in an American presidential election the two candidates faced each other in a series of

In 1946, JFK worked as a reporter for the Hearst newspaper until he got elected to the U.S. congress. He then served three terms in the House of Representatives causing him to earn a reputation as a “conservative democrat”. In 1956, he started to head for a spot as vice president. Unfortunately, he lost the spot but the exposure he gained from the 1956 Democratic Convention gave him a good chance to run for the following, 1960 Presidential election (John F. Kennedy: Life Before the Presidency). Two years after the convention, he was reelected to senate which was his last job before becoming President of the United States in 1960. John F. Kennedy’s political past had

country, at the time; Similarly, “the Drums of Washington” looks at Kennedy’s death, but on

It is difficult enough to interpret words accurately, in fact, there are no doubt more misinterpreted messages than not (Cherney and Tynan, 1990). When the element of nonverbal is incorporated, the rate of misinterpretations increases dramatically (Elgin, 1980).