I wonder if the Presidential Debate will seal the deal.  Will it persuade undecided voters to go one way or the other?

On Thursday I went to "We Could Be Making History: Kennedy-Nixon Debates Revisited," and Dr. James Baughman, a professor and director at University of Wisconsin-Madison led the lecture.  It was very interesting to revisit the debate of 1967.  People say Kennedy won the election due to the first and first televised debate.  The first televised debate had such a great impact on the public.  The idea of video confrontation was new and exciting.  Also, we're talking about a Pre Cable America.  Because there were fewer stations to watch and the debate was the first one in history, that was all that was on TV that night.  It was either watch the debate or nothing at all, so most people watched the debate, supposedly 70 million people tuned in that evening.

 Because the idea of a televised debate was new, neither of the candidates had ever experienced or even knew what to expect from the televised debate.  They did not know what color to wear, how it would show up on TV, or how much make-up to wear, etc.  Kennedy appeared to be at ease.  He wore a suit that complemented his color tone, and he wore enough make-up as well.  On the other hand, Nixon looked very ill at ease.  He looked ill because he had been ill, and he did not wear make-up, which made him appear tired and rugged.  Also, Nixon's advisors suggested two more lights shine on Nixon, because of that, he began to sweat profusely.  Although we like to think it is not all about appearance, a lot of it is.

 People say that the televised debate is what won the debate for Kennedy.  This is a great example of how a televised debate can sway people to one side, but supposedly, Kennedy only won by carrying the states of Texas and Illinois.  I don't think there's a way to tell if the debate will sway voters or not. 

 I think it is very interesting to see how a debate can and will affect an election, in many, many ways.  I think it is very exciting to have the debate here.  Being immersed in it is a great way to get involved!  It will be a very historical and exciting experience.  I am anxious to see if it does affect voters' decisions.  Now, in 2008, we have learned to look past appearances (and today people have mastered how they want to appear on TV), and hopefully we will listen to what each candidate has to say.