On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon appeared in America’s first nationally televised presidential debate, an event witnessed by some 70 million Americans. Although radio listeners thought that Nixon handily won the debate (48% v. 21%), television viewers gave the edge to Kennedy (30% v. 29%) – the eventual winner of the election. On that September night, presidential politics entered the television age and never looked back.
Thanks to the YouTube Channel sponsored by the JFK Presidential Library, you can now revisit this historical moment, along with other key footage from the Kennedy presidency. Taking a tour of the channel, you will find Kennedy giving his inaugural address, making the strong case for civil rights, confronting the reality of nuclear war, and urging America to win the race to the moon. The JFK video collection now appears on our growing list of Intelligent YouTube Channels.
there was an interesting piece in the op-ed section of the new york times (september 25: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/opinion/26sorensen.html?_r=1&th&emc=th) by Ted Sorensen, a special counsel, speechwriter and adviser to President John F. Kennedy, for the interested.