Can you think of a single example of the constituency not seeing a candidate prior to a debate?
When Kennedy and Nixon debated, radio listeners all thought Nixon had won. Yet the viewing audience all felt that Kennedy had won. So it’s already happened and is taught in first year poly sci.
Their minds were changed because of his appearance, not the debate, as you just noted. The study tests the effects of a debate. And if your main point is to see if someone looks unhealthy let's substitute half a mile brisk walk instead of a debate.Â
Not just appearance. You get that from magazines back then. It’s much more than that. It’s gravitas, it’s posture, it’s intangibles like leadership. It’s more than just looks.
Your example literally says it was because he looked pale and sickly. They even noted that Nixon did much much better with a new diet but people couldn't unsee the image of him looking sickly. So your source disagrees with you.Â
Intangibles like leadership would have been heard over the radio.Â
But regardless the point the article is making is generally debates don't change people's minds pointing to one extreme example doesnt change that.Â
Also, your example doesn't undermine what they said. Kind of the opposite actually. The debate didn't change people's minds. People heard the debate and thought nixon won. His appearance actually outweighed the debate for people.Â
People who heard the debate said "nixon won" people who saw them on TV said "nixon looks pale and sickly JFK is young energetic and attractive."Â
So even in your example, the debate didn't sway people. People were swayed despite the influence of the debate, not because of it. They were actually swayed in the opposite direction than the debate pointed, because again people who only consumed the debate thought nixon won.
If they were swayed by the debate itself the radio folks who also heard the debate would have had the same opinion.
Ironically, the takeaway from what you're saying is also completely wrong btw. If what you and the article are saying is strictly true we shouldn't have televised debates. Because having people choose based on someone looking pale and sweaty is a horrible criteria and apparently that even overshadows who actually had better things to say.
There was nothing wrong with nixon physically and he looked better once they had him gain some weight. He lived another 34 years and the audience aren't doctors.
So if I strictly believe your example, thats a bug, not a feature of televised debates.Â
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u/empire_of_the_moon 1d ago
Can you think of a single example of the constituency not seeing a candidate prior to a debate?
When Kennedy and Nixon debated, radio listeners all thought Nixon had won. Yet the viewing audience all felt that Kennedy had won. So it’s already happened and is taught in first year poly sci.
Neither rode in on a donkey.