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Television was also useful to combat scandals and accusations of impropriety. Republican vice presidential candidate Richard
Nixon used a televised speech in 1952 to address accusations that he had taken money from a political campaign fund illegally. Nixon laid out his finances, investments, and debts and ended by saying that the only election gift the family had received was a cocker spaniel the children named Checkers.
Lee Huebner, “The Checkers Speech after 60 Years,”
The Atlantic , 22 September 2012. The “Checkers speech” was remembered more for humanizing Nixon than for proving he had not taken money from the campaign account. Yet it was enough to quiet accusations. Democratic vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro similarly used television to answer accusations in 1984, holding a televised press conference to answer questions for over two hours about her husband’s business dealings and tax returns.
Joel K. Goldstein, “Mondale-Ferraro: Changing History,”
Huffington Post , 27 March 2011.
In addition to television ads, the 1960 election also featured the first televised presidential debate. By that time most households had a television. Kennedy’s careful grooming and practiced body language allowed viewers to focus on his presidential demeanor. His opponent, Richard Nixon, was still recovering from a severe case of the flu. While Nixon’s substantive answers and debate skills made a favorable impression on radio listeners, viewers’ reaction to his sweaty appearance and obvious discomfort demonstrated that live television had the potential to make or break a candidate.
Shanto Iyengar. 2016.
Media Politics: A Citizen’s Guide , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton. In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was ahead in the polls, and he let Barry Goldwater’s campaign know he did not want to debate.
Bob Greene, “When Candidates said ‘No’ to Debates,”
CNN , 1 October 2012. Nixon, who ran for president again in 1968 and 1972, declined to debate. Then in 1976, President Gerald Ford, who was behind in the polls, invited Jimmy Carter to debate, and televised debates became a regular part of future presidential campaigns.
“The Ford/Carter Debates,” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/spc/debatingourdestiny/doc1976.html (November 21, 2015); Kayla Webley, “How the Nixon-Kennedy Debate Changed the World,”
Time , 23
September 2010.
Visit American Rhetoric for free access to speeches, video, and audio of famous presidential and political speeches.
Between the 1960s and the 1990s, presidents often used television to reach citizens and gain support for policies. When they made speeches, the networks and their local affiliates carried them. With few independent local stations available, a viewer had little alternative but to watch. During this “Golden Age of Presidential Television,” presidents had a strong command of the media.
Matthew A. Baum and Samuel Kernell. 1999. “Has Cable Ended the Golden Age of Presidential Television?”
The American Political Science Review 93, No. 1: 99–114.
Some of the best examples of this power occurred when presidents used television to inspire and comfort the population during a national emergency. These speeches aided in the “rally ’round the flag” phenomenon, which occurs when a population feels threatened and unites around the president.
Alan J. Lambert1, J. P. Schott1, and Laura Scherer. 2011. “Threat, Politics, and Attitudes toward a Greater Understanding of Rally-’Round-the-Flag Effects,”
Current Directions in Psychological Science 20, No. 6: 343–348. During these periods, presidents may receive heightened approval ratings, in part due to the media’s decision about what to cover.
Tim Groeling and Matthew A. Baum. 2008. “Crossing the Water’s Edge: Elite Rhetoric, Media Coverage, and the Rally-Round-the-Flag Phenomenon,”
Journal of Politics 70, No. 4: 1065–1085. In 1995, President Bill
Clinton comforted and encouraged the families of the employees and children killed at the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Clinton reminded the nation that children learn through action, and so we must speak up against violence and face evil acts with good acts.
“William Jefferson Clinton: Oklahoma Bombing Memorial Prayer Service Address,” 23 April 1995, http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wjcoklahomabombingspeech.htm.
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