IndexIntroductionFirst Presidential Debate of Kennedy and NixonConclusionReferences IntroductionBody language is a fundamental part of our lives. The world we live in today is more about images than conversation, hence the phrase "a single picture is worth a thousand words." In today's world politicians base their campaigns on how they look and how well they can present themselves to the public. Similarly, companies use brand image to market their products. However, it was not until September 26, 1960 that the American people realized the power of body language. There was a presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, which is the topic of this essay. The debate led to confusion among television and radio audiences, making it one of the crucial debates. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The First Presidential Debate on Kennedy and NixonRichard M. Nixon was a famous man because he had been vice president twice while John F. Kennedy was an unpopular man as well as an inexperienced senator. Considering their political careers, it was clear that Nixon would win by a huge margin based on the fact that he had had some experience in politics before, but were the predictions right? No, because for the first time in history the body language of the two presidential candidates on the podium was observed and this made the difference. Furthermore, the way they were dressed gave a first impression, Kennedy was calm, relaxed and looked lucid while Nixon looked pale, weak and sweaty due to his refusal to wear makeup. As they spoke, Kennedy looked directly at the cameras as if addressing the entire nation, while Nixon watched the reporter ask questions and limit eye contact with the cameras. Presidential candidate Nixon's downfall began from the beginning of the debate as they sat on the metal folding chairs. Kennedy was very relaxed and had good sitting posture as he looked straight ahead. On the other hand, crossing his legs and cupping his hands helped him stay relaxed even if the atmosphere was tense. Kennedy constantly lifted his chin slightly exposing his dimples as he spoke and stood straight with his feet slightly apart, this also showed how confident he was. Nixon, on the other hand, made some mistakes such as positioning his feet as if he was ready to run away rather than placing his feet parallel to each other, which would have shown a certain level of confidence. The other mistake was grabbing the arm of the chair while placing the other arm on the lap of the foot. He portrayed the image of a nervous and apprehensive person. As he spoke, he placed his head at the same level as he spoke and occasionally looked down and darted a glance as he listened. At the podium, he shifted his leg from side to side and bent one knee, portraying a tired and bored Nixon. Listening to someone and giving them time to speak portrays a good listening habit. However, this was not the case for presidential hopeful Nixon on stage. He had numerous blinks as well as an involuntary mouth expression and a lowered chin. From time to time, he would lock his eyes and look down, change the alignment of his body, and sigh deeply. The factors paint him as uncomfortable and, at times, he would like to cut off Kennedy before he even finishes his statement, which is a bad thing in debate and mostly seems like he is undermining his opponent. Furthermore, Nixon's gestures did not, 46(4), 838-855.