Kennedy-Nixon Debates Essays - Richard Nixon,

Kennedy-Nixon Debates In the Presidential Election of 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Richard Milhouse Nixon were in a series of debates that were different from past debates. The three biggest national television networks arranged for the debate to be televised on all three stations. The Democratic candidate, Senator Kennedy from Massachusetts, and Vice President Nixon both agreed on the televised debates. Each debate was given a subject matter that the candidates agreed to correspond their answers with the subject. The first debate was for the issues concerning domestic questions, the second was centered around the area of foreign policy, and the third and fourth debates were basically a repetition of previous topics. During each debate four news representatives asked questions to each candidate. On September 26, 1960 the first debate took place in Chicago. The moderator was Howard K. Smith, and his job was to introduce the candidates and controlled the question and answer segments of the debates. He instructed the candidates to give their 8 minute opening speech and their three minute closing speech. The first introduced by Smith was Senator Kennedy. Kennedys concept throughout his opening statement was that the world would move in the same direction that the U.S. moved. That was in regard to how the U.S. moved ahead toward freedom. He also stated that the American people should be aware of the communists, Khrushchev in the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists, how they were on the move and America had to counter and move towards freedom. Kennedy said that America had to be a strong as possible to keep the world moving in the right direction. Another point he made was the lack of American progression, and the way we werent utilizing our natural resources. I believe in effective governmental action. And I think thats the only way the United States is going to maintain its freedom. Its the only way that were going to move ahead. I think we can do a better job. I think were going to have to do a better job if we are going to meet the responsibilities which time and events have placed on us. We cannot turn the job over to anyone else. If the United States fails then the whole cause of freedom fails. (The First Kennedy Nixon Debate, p.2) After Kennedy was finished Smith announced for Vice President Nixon to give his opening statement. Nixon agreed with Kennedy about the U.S. having to move. Nixon compared his thoughts on Communism to a deadly competition, and that the U.S. was ahead and needed to stay that way. He disagreed with Kennedy because Kennedy said that the U.S. had been standing still, and Nixon pointed out that we had been moving. He stated that our gross national product was the highest in the world, that more schools had been built, we had developed more hydroelectric power, and the wages of people had gone up. Nixon said the programs he supported would give all Americans an equal chance for education, better medical care for elders, and more housing. He quickly shot down Kennedys programs and said that with Kennedy the U.S. would quit moving and go stagnate. One of Nixons major points was the spending of each of the political platforms. He showed that with the Democratic platform would spend eighteen billion more dollars a year than what was currently being spent. Nixon and his Republican platform would only spend five billion dollars more than was being spent. In the final part of his opening he said the difference between he and Kennedy was the means of reaching the goals that the two proposed. After the opening statement the questions then were asked by the news correspondents. One question was, Why do you think people should vote for you rather than the Vice President? (The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate, p.4). Kennedy responded by saying that the programs that he advocates compared to the programs advocated by Nixon was the reason that people should vote for him. One question that was posed for Nixon was, Would you tell us please specifically what major proposal you made in the last eight years that have been adopted by the Administration? (The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate, p.5) Nixon answered by giving very specific examples of what recommendations he made to the President about policy making. Then both candidates gave an answer to the question regarding Communism. Kennedy simply said that they needed to watch and be continually alert to what the communists were doing. Nixon agreed and also stated that the way to fight Communism was to