Television Impact On Presidential Elections Essay

Presidential elections have been broadcast by television since the 1960's. Television is a media platform that millions of Americans watch regularly. Television is set out to be another way of communicating besides using a telephone. Presidential candidates have the ability to approach the public without single handedly meeting them one on one. Some may say, television has a positive impact on presidential elections because it gives the public a chance to get a feel of the candidates based on what they see. Television has a negative impact on presidential elections because candidates are judged by inaccurate standards, a candidate’s image is overpromoted and provide false media. Television has a negative impact on presidential elections because candidates are judged by inaccurate standards. Presidential candidates are judged …show more content…
However, television has a negative impact on presidential elections because candidates image is overpromoted. Television can trick the public to think in a different way as opposed if they listened to the candidates. As Menand says, “ He also believed that Kennedy’s “victory” in the debates was largely a triumph of image over content. People who listened to the debates on the radio, White pointed out, scored it a draw; people who watched it thought that, except in the third debate, Kennedy had crushed [Richard M.] Nixon” (Source C). Nowadays, a presidential candidate's image is valued high and ideals no longer come into play. Television caused the majority of the public to only pay attention to the candidates image. As a result, they solely based their vote on how the candidates looks. On the other hand, those who listened on the radio based their vote on what they candidates political views are. Taking one look at a candidate one cannot simply make a wise decision about