WI: Different Nominee's, No 1960 Debates?

Hey, guys since today is the 50th Anniversary to the day of the now legendary Kennedy v. Nixon debates, a series of televised discussions which changed the American Political landscape. My question is to you, would any of these potential alternate Presidential nominees(say something happens during the primaries to Jack and/or Nixon) have thought of using Television as the proper medium for a LD Debate?

Democrats
Sen.Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX)
Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN)
former Gov. Adlai E. Stevenson (D-IL)
Sen. Stuart Symington (D-MO)


Republicans
Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R-NY)
Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)

Amb. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R-MA)...In a Nixon dies after nomination scenario
Sec. Robert Anderson (R-TX)...In a successful '57 ticket dump of Nixon
 
No, because except Rocky, they'd all be God-awful on TV. There wouldn't even be debates- town-hall, radio or otherwise. TV rewards younger, articulate candidates- look at what happened in the UK. In the 1960s, the tube masters were Nixon and the Kennedy brothers, not just because it came naturally to them but because they were willing to learn.
 
You know, Stevenson was actually the first one to actually debate on "nation-wide" TV, when he debated "Cowfever" in 1956 over the Florida Primary. I don't know if there's any footage of the debates around, but or campaigns had a good summary about it.
Our Campaigns said:
The Democratic primary debate of 1956 was the first to be televised. The two candidates agreed to debate early in the primary season, at which time they were running neck and neck. However, by the time the debate took place, Gov. Stevenson was running well ahead of Sen. Kefauver. Sixteen states had held their primaries by the time of the debate, leaving only four remaining. Political pundits of the time did not believe that the debate was successful.

Background. Gov. Stevenson challenged Sen. Kefauver to a debate and announced on 4/8/1956 that Kefauver had accepted. At that time, three primaries had been held. Kefauver won New Hampshire and Wisconsin without opposition, and he handily defeated Stevenson in an upset in Minnesota. The debate was originally scheduled for some time around 4/20/1956 but had to be re-scheduled several times. [NYT 4/9/1956]

The two campaigns finally agreed to hold the debate on 5/21/1956, eight days before the Florida primary. As it turned out, the Stevenson campaign was able to make some traction against Kefauver in the interim. The various states managed to avoid a direct Kefauver vs. Stevenson matchup in primaries other than in Alaska and the District of Columbia - and Stevenson won both contests handily. The Oregon primary was a test for both campaigns, since no one was listed on the ballot. Stevenson won a 60-39% victory there on write-ins. The debate had the potential to sustain the Stevenson bandwagon in Florida or stop it.

Debate Quick Facts
When: 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, 5/21/1956
Where: WTVJ station, Miami FL (ABC affiliate)
Moderator: Quincy Howe (ABC)
Estimated audience: undetermined
Topic: Foreign policy; domestic policy
Format: Three minute opening statements; questions; five minute closing statements.

Setting: The candidates sat behind a table. In front of each was a large microphone and a cardboard nameplate. WTVJ employees, reporters, and some Democratic activists observed (some in a glass-enclosed balcony).

It quickly became evident that Stevenson and Kefauver agreed on most campaign issues, including the upswing in bankruptcies, school integration, atomic energy, and foreign policy. The school integration issue was important, since both candidates accepted the Brown decision and wanted to ease the South into accepting it.

The only issue on which they did not agree was that of hydrogen bomb testing. Kefauver maintained that the USA needed to continue testing to keep pace with the Soviet military (since Stevenson had complained that Ike had allowed the Soviets to surpass the USA military). Stevenson replied that since hydrogen bomb testing could not be done in secret, each side would know if the other performed such a test. A moratorium would be a key step towards disarmament and would enhance the USA's prestige around the world.

Aftermath
The inability of the Democratic contenders to distinguish their differences was noted by many. Leading news organizations around the nation (such as Time magazine) did not even cover the event. Leonard W. Hall, chairman of the RNC, called the debate the "biggest flop of the year" and "tired, sorry, and uninspiring" [NYT 5/23/1956].

The two candidates did not spend a lot of time discussing the debate, either. Stevenson's reluctance to debate in his prior races was strengthened. Kefauver, realizing he needed a new campaign issue, called for increases in federal assistance programs for the elderly. Already by 1956, Florida and California (the two upcoming contested primaries) had become popular retirement locations [NYT 5/23/1956].

In general, Florida voters were apathetic about the primary. The state had just held its state primary, which was more closely followed by most voters. In fact, the vote fell by 50% from the state primary just three weeks earlier. The entire state Democratic leadership lined up behind a second Stevenson campaign. Bill Baggs of the Miami News said that Kefauver campaigned as if he could win votes just by shaking hands [Time, 5/28/1956].

The Florida primary was close. Stevenson came away with a 52-48% win, which entitled him to the lion's share of the 28 delegates at stake. It was enough to be called a win, and California voters decided to resolve the campaign one week later by handing Stevenson an overwhelming victory.

The main reason Nixon agreed to the debate, was that he had just come from his meeting with Kruschev and after participating in their verbal discourse, he felt like he could actually best Kennedy. In a Stevenson v. Nixon scenario, with such deep seated hatred between those two, I think Nixon may decide to go for it, and if Stevenson was chosen at a divided convention as a compromise candidate again, then he might need it to boost his campaign.

As for Rocky, I agree with you, he'd probably do it because he was no Hamlet on the Hudson like Cuomo. As for content in Rocky v. Jack debate, I think he could win handidly, I think on Foriegn Policy rather than domestic. Jack's preoccupation with foriegn policy had been well known since '38, while Rocky was serving in the Roosevelt adminstration under the State Department, in Latin America, at the UN etc. His 20 year expeirence, working under both parties will undoubtldy show up. With only two years under his belt(really one when you think that he'd spend most of 1960 campaigning) as Governor, I don't expect him to lean on the Governership that much in regards to Domestic Policy.
 
If the debate is on domestic policy Rocky is screwed, because he's only been involved in domestic issues for a year. It won't decide the election however. Debate gaffes decide elections- 1-A debate performances don't. If they did Hillary would be in the WH right now. ;)

That Adlai-Cowfever debate description sounds awfully like the Bobby-Gene one in '68, except in that case there actually were razor-sharp ideological divisions that the candidates for some reason declined to discuss.
 
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