From Televised Debates to Fox News by Henry Mantel
The first televised presidential debate happened on September 26, 1960 . Seventy million Americans tuned in to watch John F. Kennedy face off against Vice President Richard Nixon . By most accounts, JFK won, not necessarily because he made better arguments, but because he looked good. JFK was cool and collected while Nixon, who kept shifting his weight, looked tense and nervous. After three more debates, JFK won the election. Even after losing, Nixon continued to underestimate the power of television. Then, in 1967, he appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, where he met the show's executive producer, Roger Ailes. Nixon insisted that TV was a gimmick; Ailes firmly believed in television's power to inform and shape a narrative. Nixon was so impressed he hired Ailes immediately. With Ailes' help, Nixon polished his image and won the presidential election in 1968. During Nixon's presidency, Ailes wrote a memo titled "A Plan for Putting the GOP on TV News."