Kennedy versus the sickly look of the worn down Nixon.
Several factors contributed to the poor image of Nixon. His poor health leading up to the debate had resulted in a drastic weight loss. A freshly painted backdrop had dried in a lighter shade of gray that blended in with the color of his suit. During cutaways, the cameras caught Nixon wiping perspiration from his forehead while Kennedy was taking him to task on the issues. As for Kennedy, he excelled in front of the camera. When the debate ended, a large majority of television viewers recognized Kennedy as the winner. To contrary, most radio listeners thought that Nixon had done as well as, if not better than Kennedy had. The results of the following debates were closer in outcome, but the viewing audience was not as large. In the end, Kennedy had used the television medium to his advantage and further established his media advantage. Nixon also ran into bad luck on other media fronts. Kennedy scored well with blacks when he came to the aid of Martin Luther King, Jr.
