1 00:00:00,355 --> 00:00:01,715 [lively band music] 2 00:00:01,715 --> 00:00:03,211 (male voiceover) Richard Nixon was the favorite to 3 00:00:03,211 --> 00:00:04,707 win the Republican presidential 4 00:00:04,707 --> 00:00:07,117 nomination in 1960. 5 00:00:07,771 --> 00:00:10,173 Just 14 years after he was tapped by a 6 00:00:10,173 --> 00:00:12,576 group of small town businessmen to run for 7 00:00:12,576 --> 00:00:15,275 Congress in California, Richard Nixon 8 00:00:15,275 --> 00:00:17,495 stood at the top of his party. 9 00:00:17,495 --> 00:00:18,967 As he mapped out an ambitious 10 00:00:18,967 --> 00:00:20,440 50-state campaign, 11 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,065 he was challenged by his opponent, 12 00:00:22,065 --> 00:00:24,477 John F. Kennedy, to a series of televised 13 00:00:24,477 --> 00:00:28,040 debates; the first in American history. 14 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:29,560 Even when hospitalized for two 15 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,080 weeks with a knee injury, 16 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,020 Nixon remained confident, 17 00:00:33,020 --> 00:00:34,960 anxious for the debates to begin. 18 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:36,940 Eager once again to use television 19 00:00:36,940 --> 00:00:38,920 to talk directly to the voters. 20 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:40,615 (moderator) The Republican candidate, 21 00:00:40,615 --> 00:00:42,310 Vice President Richard M. Nixon and 22 00:00:42,310 --> 00:00:43,955 the Democratic candidate, 23 00:00:43,955 --> 00:00:45,600 Senator John F. Kennedy. 24 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,049 According to rules set by 25 00:00:47,049 --> 00:00:48,499 the candidates themselves, 26 00:00:48,499 --> 00:00:49,325 each man shall- 27 00:00:49,325 --> 00:00:51,305 (male voiceover) The Nixon-Kennedy debates would forever 28 00:00:51,305 --> 00:00:52,867 change the way Americans 29 00:00:52,867 --> 00:00:54,430 chose their presidents. 30 00:00:54,430 --> 00:00:56,515 Political rallies and old-fashioned 31 00:00:56,515 --> 00:00:58,600 hand shaking became much less important 32 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,090 than the image on the television screen. 33 00:01:01,090 --> 00:01:02,965 (Ted Rogers) You must understand that Nixon himself 34 00:01:02,965 --> 00:01:04,840 had said, I don't want any makeup on for 35 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:06,710 these particular debates. 36 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:08,375 What I tried to explain to Dick was 37 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:10,180 he has a certain characteristic 38 00:01:10,180 --> 00:01:12,540 of his skin where it's almost transparent. 39 00:01:12,540 --> 00:01:14,282 And it was a very nice thought to say, 40 00:01:14,282 --> 00:01:15,796 you know, I don't want any makeup, 41 00:01:15,796 --> 00:01:17,310 but that he really needed it 42 00:01:17,310 --> 00:01:19,040 in order to have what we would call 43 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:20,770 even an acceptable television picture. 44 00:01:20,770 --> 00:01:22,035 And of course, JFK here, 45 00:01:22,035 --> 00:01:23,742 he'd been riding in motorcades all 46 00:01:23,742 --> 00:01:25,450 over California with the top down. 47 00:01:25,450 --> 00:01:27,195 He looked like a bronze warrior when 48 00:01:27,195 --> 00:01:28,940 he came into Chicago, he really did. 49 00:01:28,940 --> 00:01:30,355 (Richard Nixon) I know what it means to see 50 00:01:30,355 --> 00:01:31,770 people who are unemployed. 51 00:01:31,770 --> 00:01:33,665 I know Senator Kennedy feels as 52 00:01:33,665 --> 00:01:35,561 deeply about these problems as I do. 53 00:01:35,561 --> 00:01:37,433 But our disagreement is not 54 00:01:37,433 --> 00:01:39,886 about the goals for America, but only 55 00:01:39,886 --> 00:01:42,910 about the means to reach those goals. 56 00:01:42,910 --> 00:01:45,590 (male voiceover) The first debate was costly to Nixon. 57 00:01:45,590 --> 00:01:47,550 The radio audience thought he had won. 58 00:01:47,550 --> 00:01:49,360 But the largest television audience in 59 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,170 history had seen the Vice President 60 00:01:51,170 --> 00:01:53,694 haggard and drawn, and had been given its 61 00:01:53,694 --> 00:01:56,239 first sustained look at the Kennedy style.