1960 United States presidential debates participant John F. Kennedy
The 1960 United States presidential debates were a series of debates held during the 1960 presidential election among Democratic nominee John F. Kennedy and Republican nominee Richard Nixon. The four presidential debates were the first series of debates conducted for any presidential election. The next presidential debate did not occur until 1976, after which debates would become a regular feature of all presidential campaigns.
Some believe that those who listened to the first debate on radio thought that Nixon had won, while those who watched that debate on television thought that Kennedy had won.Background
In 1960, John F. Kennedy, a senator from Massachusetts was nominated by the Democratic party as their presidential nominee. He chose the Senate Democratic leader Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate. The Republican party nominated the incumbent vice president Richard Nixon as their presidential nominee, with Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., the United States ambassador to the United Nations as his running mate. Most polls after the party conventions showed the Nixon–Lodge ticket having a six point lead over the Kennedy–Johnson ticket.