Presidential Debate Analysis

The presidential debate in 1960 was a stepping stone to how candidates could win a presidential race. This was the first televised debate that anyone had ever seen. It was significant in many ways because these candidates used the media to their advantage. They got to sway the audience into voting for them. Everyone, got to view how these two different men carried themselves. Ultimately, this debate is what sealed their fate. I know very well how a presidential debate can change a person’s perspective. Whenever it’s time to vote for a new president, people start to voice their opinions on who they are going for. They might think that they are going to vote for a certain candidate, but when the presidential debate begins they might change

Even though he was said to have more experience, he came up short in one specific department. That department was nonverbal communication skills. Physical appearance, can be a very important factor as I read and learned from the book Persuasion: Social Influence and Compliance Gaining by Robert H. Gass and John S. Seiter. Appearance can be your body shape, facial appearance, hair, and height (Gass, Seiter, 2016, p.183). In the video, he did look presentable, but the suit made him look pale. The debate was in black and white, therefore he was blending in with the background. Not helping his case was the fact that he seemed to be sweating. To make things worse, he kept wiping his face with what seemed to be a cloth. When someone gives off the vibe of being nervous they don’t seem sure of themselves. Although, he was answering the questions well, this started to hinder him because he seemed uncomfortable. Also, there was the fact that his eye contact was a bit shifty. When someone talks to you, you want them to look you in the eyes. In this case, it would have been the cameras. When someone doesn’t look at you, it makes them seem dishonest. These things might not seem like a big deal, but it’s what doomed

Kennedy, was the opposite of Nixon. He was confident which you could see throughout the video. He stood fearless the whole time in a suit that complimented him in many ways. The suit Kennedy wore was the opposite of Nixon. It was a dark color that made his skin complexion gleam. This also helped him because he was young and good looking. Moreover, he had a confident smile when he would answer the questions. Kennedy, was alluring in a way that drew viewers into him. Another nonverbal skill that he had was his eye contact. When a person expresses with their eyes, they can communicate persuasiveness and credibility (Gass, Seiter, 2016, p.170). He kept looking straight at the camera as if he were speaking to the viewers. When someone does this, they seem trustworthy. People are going to vote for someone that knows what they are talking about. The first debate is what paved his