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Richard
M. Nixon
Checkers Speech (1952)
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Context:
In 1952, after he was named as Dwight D. Eisenhower's running
mate, Nixon was accused of taking inappropriate gifts from campaign
contributors. In a effort to save his candidacy, he staged a
national broadcast to defend himself. He countered his critics,
first by listing all of his personal assets in great detail, and then
by declaring that he would not force his children to give up Checkers,
a dog that had been shipped to him by one of his supporters. After
the speech, Eisenhower
reaffirmed his faith in the future vice-president, and Nixon was
wildly cheered at the Republican National Convention.
Having become the first political candidate
to use a television broadcast to appeal directly to American voters,
Nixon was later narrowly defeated by John F. Kennedy after the first
televised round of presidential debates in 1960. While viewers
polled after the debates generally agreed that Nixon had clearly
outlined his political positions, most felt that his physical
awkwardness, pale skin, and five o'clock shadow did him in when he was
forced to compete with Kennedy's tan and seemingly fit television
persona.
Additional
resources:
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