Fifty years later, who do you think won the Kennedy-Nixon debate?

by ABCnews.com Posted 2010/09/23 19:26:09

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	John F. Kennedy	2,398 votes	77%
	Richard M. Nixon	709 votes	23%

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Jarod Kochman 2012/03/19 12:50:50

John F. Kennedy

JFK won the 60 election

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CODE 11 2010/09/27 17:21:29

Richard M. Nixon

Nixon just looked bad on TV. He looked nervous, and was sweating profusly.

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Chris - The Rowdy One! #187 2010/09/27 16:10:45

Richard M. Nixon

+1
On substance alone then of course Nixon.

If you go by looks, flair and all the other things that important to fools then pick Kennedy.

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Bob S 2010/09/27 16:10:15

Richard M. Nixon

History has said that it was Nixon but appearances gave the debate to Kennedy in a major landslide.

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Billyk75 2010/09/27 15:49:51

Richard M. Nixon

+1
On television Kennedy won because he was a pretty boy. On radio Nixon won because the issues were heard instead of seeing the person giving them.

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Jackie O 2010/09/27 14:58:49

John F. Kennedy

Some will say that Nixon won on substance and JFK worked the medium better. (Parallels can also be drawn to Obama/McCain...it is the new medium...communication technology..that Obama had a better grasp on.) But considering the legacies of the two.....the right man won!

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CODE 11 to Jackie O 2010/09/27 17:22:43

Your speaking of Kennedy, I hope.

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Jackie O to CODE 11 2010/09/27 19:22:56

Kennedy's legacy: Peace corps, Vista.....Nixon: Watergate

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CODE 11 to Jackie O 2010/09/28 17:39:39

Kennedy..bay of pigs, Viem Nam.......Nixon...End of viet nam war.

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Jackie O to CODE 11 2010/09/28 21:15:14 (edited)

Watergate...Watergate... I'm not disagreeing with you that Nixon was a good President, unfortunately it is Watergate people will remember.

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Kip 2010/09/27 14:47:30

John F. Kennedy

+1
Well it is obviuos is it not, who was elected?

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Johnnyknowvote 2010/09/27 14:25:04

Richard M. Nixon

+1
Substance all Nixon, style all Kennedy. They polled people that listened to but didn't see it on TV. They overwhelmingly said it was a Nixon victory. Nixon looked bad on TV and the had a big influence on how people reacted.The people that saw the debate on TV said Kennedy won.

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Max7 2010/09/27 12:46:12

John F. Kennedy

J.F. Kennedy hands down, I recall Nxon being very paranoid, much like McCain acted in his debates against Barack H. Obama.

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Bob S to Max7 2010/09/27 16:11:32

How old R U? Do you really remember 50 plus years ago?

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srini 2010/09/27 12:14:48

Richard M. Nixon

I asked this of Joe Uncle (who did listen to it on radio)

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Jai Allen 2010/09/27 11:45:37

John F. Kennedy

Obviously Kennedy did.

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««Gingey, the Master Debate... 2010/09/27 05:48:29

John F. Kennedy

Oh come on! Of course it was JFK. I can't believe anyone would vote otherwise.

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Bob S to ««Ginge... 2010/09/27 16:13:21

If you had listened you would know the truth. I'll bet you don't remember the very late vote count in Illinois that gave Kennedy the victory. When asked ifhe anted a recount Nixon replie, I do not want to put the country thru that nightmare.

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Progressive 1 2010/09/27 04:45:30

John F. Kennedy

AHHHH-DERRRRR!!!!

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LindseyNicoleShane 2010/09/27 03:46:39

John F. Kennedy

Kudos for the people who were there! That's awesome.

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Bob, the reasonable one 2010/09/27 03:18:13
President Camacho 2010/09/27 02:50:41
NatAlex23 2010/09/27 00:54:01

John F. Kennedy

+1
Nixon's public speaking was no where near the level of Kennedy's.

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Bob S to NatAlex23 2010/09/27 16:14:31

WRONG WRONG WRONG...Ich bein ein an Ameriican...

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mac -Holding Fast 2010/09/27 00:05:27

Richard M. Nixon

I mean, only when judging by substance, and not appearances.

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hasher 2010/09/26 23:26:11

John F. Kennedy

kennedy was one of the very few democrats i would have voted for he had many conservative views. he is probably rolling over in his grave if he would see his party now. and what a mess they are making of this country

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Bob S to hasher 2010/09/27 16:16:05

Yourcorrect. However he never got any major legislation thru. Johnson got all thru including the GREAT SOCIETY

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jackolantyrn356 2010/09/26 22:55:32

Richard M. Nixon

+1
The difference is that Kennedy was made to look so much better on those old videotrons. of Black and White. Nixion wore no mkeup while Kennedy looked like King Arthur in Camelot. Nixon had been tricked and was a loss from his looks NOt FROM WHAT HE siad. He was RIGHT all the way through the debate...........

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Bob S to jackola... 2010/09/27 16:16:36

RIGHT ON..

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Renegade 2010/09/26 22:52:48

John F. Kennedy

+1
Nixon look like a wet, sweaty noodle.

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Chris -... to Renegade 2010/09/27 16:12:49

Yep, looks is what makes the country work.

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MOMMA THOMAS 2010/09/26 22:06:17 (edited)

John F. Kennedy

+2
JFK.........WERE YOU 222 PEOPLE THERE? NIXON LOOKED TERRIBLE, AND DID NOT SPEAK COMFORTABLY. JUST REPORTING WHAT I SAW AND HEARD 50 YEARS AGO, .......NOT A POLITICAL EVALUATION.

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TVC15 2010/09/26 19:20:23

John F. Kennedy

+2
Nixon was comical - he claimed he had a "secret for progress" and I guess he meant it because revealed anything about it! He just kept claiming that Kennedy's was "bad" - and of course having hopped straight off McCarthy's lap, he didn't look too keen about Civil Rights causes either.

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TVC15 to TVC15 2010/09/26 19:33:40

+2
It should be mentioned that I didn't watch the "highlights" of the debate on the abc channel but instead watched the entire debate on youtube.

Nixon also seemed to inappropriately agitated when he referred to President Kennedy's proposal - not that he was saying innovative or new. The same hackneyed retorts we hear today from the Republicans. That was some "impressive" pledge recently, wasn't it! So refreshing! Why I'm in awe! ; )

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bill 2010/09/26 18:45:25 (edited)

Richard M. Nixon

Kennedy just looked better.

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ActionJackson 2010/09/26 18:26:17

Richard M. Nixon

Kennedy was a lot better than any Democrat Prez in recent history but he was still a liberal. The liberal ideology is inferior to the conservative ideology. Therefore, even if Nixon didn't deliver in the personality department he won be virtue of having more common sense.

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WGN 2010/09/26 17:52:07

John F. Kennedy

+4
No doubt about it, Kennedy.
Nixon's answers were the party line and he looked old and tired.
Kennedy spoke with enthusiasm, and the "vigor" of youth and a new outlook.
But some were afraid that because he was a catholic, the Pope would be controlling the presidency. Religious Fear was alive and well 50 years ago as it is now, and we were just getting over the McCarthy (RWNJ's of their time) era of hatred and fear
Oh, how so little has changed.

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Jai Allen to WGN 2010/09/27 11:46:35

And the NEW McCarthyism is taking hold in America and hate and religious intolerance is back with a vengeance. You're right , nothing has changed.

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Patriot American Symbol Man 2010/09/26 17:33:45

Richard M. Nixon

I'm not really sure; I just voted for Dick 'cuz he's the eternal underdog in this event. Nixon had some real substance here, there can be no doubt. Kennedy was the better debater.

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Blasphameer 2010/09/26 17:02:48

John F. Kennedy

A lot of people don't remember that there were FOUR Kennedy-Nixon debates. Kennedy won the first one (the one most people watched) because he wore make-up and rested and appeared more telegenic than Nixon. But Nixon thoroughly crushed Kennedy in the remaining 3 debates when he finally caught on.

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