Democracy in Action
October 21, 2011 (Friday)
On this day, October 21, in 1960, we were treated to the fourth and final debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon. This was the first time in history that such a debate was televised. Kennedy won the election, and many observers believe that his victory was due to the fact that he looked better than Nixon on television.
Those debates reminded historians of the famous Lincoln-Douglas senatorial debates of 1858, which lasted three hours each time and took place out of doors in towns were the crowds ranged from 1500 to 20,000.
The first American presidential election after Washington’s two terms was in 1796, and the candidates were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. There were ten other candidates and a complex electoral college system. Adams and Jefferson were ideological opponents all their lives. They are known to have said some very unkind things about each other. Presidential candidates did not campaign personally; it was done through others. Such was the custom of the day. It was a bitter campaign.
Today’s presidential politics grow increasingly acrimonious with each election. Witness the present debates between the Republican candidates. If this bothers you, then I suggest you dust off your old history books and take a look at the differences of belief among our country’s founders and the vigorous ways in which they defended themselves and verbally attacked each other. Democracy in action.
The dangers to our country are not in the strong differences of opinion which we express openly; the real danger would be the absence of such debate. No dictator of history ever gave anyone else the chance to speak up.