Table of ContentsIntroductionKennedy and Nixon's First Presidential DebateConclusionReferences IntroductionBody language is an essential part of our lives. The world we live in today relies more on visuals than conversation, hence the expression "a single picture is worth more than a thousand words." In today's world, politicians base their campaigns on their appearance and their ability to present themselves to the public. Similarly, businesses use brand imagery to market their products. However, it wasn't 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 subject of this essay. The debate caused confusion between television and radio audiences, making it one of the crucial debates. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayKennedy and Nixon First Presidential DebateRichard M. Nixon was a well-known man because he had been vice president twice then that John F. Kennedy was an unpopular man as well as an inexperienced senator. Given their political careers, it was clear that Nixon would win by a huge margin, given the fact that he already had some experience in politics, but were the predictions accurate? No, because for the first time in history, people looked at the body language of the two presidential candidates on the podium and that was what made the difference. Additionally, the way they were dressed made a first impression: Kennedy looked calm, relaxed, and bright while Nixon looked pale, weak, and sweaty from his refusal to wear makeup. As they spoke, Kennedy looked directly at the cameras as if addressing the entire nation while Nixon looked at the reporter asking questions and limiting eye contact with the cameras. Presidential candidate Nixon's downfall began as soon as the debate began. as they sat on the metal folding chairs. Kennedy was very relaxed and had good sitting posture while looking straight ahead. On the other hand, crossing his legs and cupping his hands helped him stay relaxed even if the mood was tense. Kennedy constantly raised his chin slightly to expose his dimples while he spoke and stood straight with his feet slightly apart, this also showed how confident he was. Nixon, on the other hand, made a few mistakes such as positioning his feet as if he was ready to run away rather than putting his feet parallel to each other, which would have shown a certain level of confidence. The other mistake was grabbing the rest of the arm of his chair while placing the other arm on top of his foot. It paints the image of a nervous and apprehensive person. As he spoke, he would put his head level while speaking and sometimes look down while sneaking glances while he listened. On the podium, he moved his leg from side to side and bent one of his knees, portraying a tired and bored Nixon. Listening to someone and giving them time to talk is a good listening habit. However, that was not the case for presidential candidate Nixon on stage. He had numerous blinks and an involuntary expression of his mouth and lowered chin. From time to time, he would block his eyes and look down, change the alignment of his body and let out deep sighs. Postmen describe him as uncomfortable and sometimes he would like to cut Kennedy, 46(4), 838-855.