On September 26, 1960 the first of 4 debates was held between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It was the first time a presidential debate was shown on television. Kennedy, according to reports at the time, was tanned, rested, and fit. Nixon, on the other hand, had recently been released from the hospital, and looked unwell. He also refused to wear makeup, his beard stubble showing prominently. You can probably guess the rest. Nixon was easily "out-glamoured" by the charismatic Kennedy. And though there would be 3 more debates to follow (in which Nixon performed well), there was no undoing the impression made that night.
It's probably a stretch to say that Richard Nixon lost the election because of that one debate, but it certainly changed forever the way presidential campaigns would be run. With new technologies came new ways to influence behavior, and successful politicians would have to learn to craft their messages (and images) accordingly.
Think of it this way: can you imagine the solid but colorless Calvin Coolidge as President today? How about a portly John Adams? Or even the homely Abraham Lincoln? No, modern-day campaigns are witnessed, not just written about, and this way of doing things comes with a cost. Consciously or not, voters are constantly awarding "style points" to candidates, and the slightest of perceived errors on the campaign trail can be fatal.
There are many more things that could be said (and have been said) about this. But let me leave it at this: when I read about this debate anniversary, I found myself thinking of the American church. We are shameless imitators of our culture, and this triumph of style over substance has most certainly afflicted us. But there remains a remnant that wants to go deeper with God. So to those I say press on, stay in the Word, live faithfully, serve as Jesus would, thus honoring Him who infuses all our moments with eternity.
(many have addressed the phenomenon that I have written about here. A good place to start is Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves To Death".)
There are many more things that could be said (and have been said) about this. But let me leave it at this: when I read about this debate anniversary, I found myself thinking of the American church. We are shameless imitators of our culture, and this triumph of style over substance has most certainly afflicted us. But there remains a remnant that wants to go deeper with God. So to those I say press on, stay in the Word, live faithfully, serve as Jesus would, thus honoring Him who infuses all our moments with eternity.
(many have addressed the phenomenon that I have written about here. A good place to start is Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves To Death".)
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