My Handsomeness is Debatable.
My Handsomeness is Debatable.
We had our first presidential debate. What impact does it have?
The first presidential debate of the 2024 election took place yesterday in CNN's news studio. I hope you took time to do other things rather than sit and watch. By all accounts, this was the worst night in Atlanta since Sherman came to town. Primarily because of this:
I haven’t watched a whole presidential debate since 1992. Or maybe it was 1996. I can’t remember exactly. I once watched most of one debate in 2012, only because I was working an event in Washington, DC, and everyone watches debates in Washington, DC, like it’s the Super Bowl - another event I don’t usually sit all the way through.
I have participated in one debate. We had one when I ran for Vice President of Student Government back in college. I was unable to attend because I was also the star of the play, The Taming of the Shrew, which was performing at the same time. Remember, I was crazy popular.
To accommodate me, I sat in a studio before a camera and provided some of the most long-winded, nonsensical, rambling answers. But dang it, if I didn’t look good doing it.
Hours later, a confused audience watched my responses and laughed when my opponent told them he couldn’t figure out my main points. But as I said, I still whipped him on election day.
Last night's debate was the earliest in the presidential cycle, and I understand why the two candidates wanted to do it. Sure, there is more and more early voting, but really, it’s summertime, no one will be paying attention, and no one wants to watch the two old guys from the Muppets yell at each other with their mics turned off.
And neither of them is attractive. You thought it, I wrote it.
However, the power of the presidential debate, especially in the age of media, where we can see everything you are doing, can be a powerful mechanism for winning the presidency. This brings us to two elections where it was a huge factor.
Let's dive in.
23: The Presidential Election of 1976
Election Date: November 2, 1976
The Candidates:
Gerald Ford became the first president to ascend to the position without appearing on the ballot. Swept into office due to the resignations of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon, Ford was looking to make a name for himself. He even defeated future popular president Ronald Reagan in the Republican primaries.
The Democrats were licking their wounds of being defeated in the past two elections by a guy who didn’t think the president could break the law.
This was a time when nominating a candidate could change in a small way due to the low fundraising threshold needed to get on a primary ballot and secure delegates. This opened the door for Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer and governor of Georgia, to secure the nomination.
Major Issue of the Day:
The United States was in a recession, and unemployment was rising. Almost two dozen members of the Nixon administration were convicted of crimes in Watergate and the way the Vietnam War ended – with the United States pulling out in a disastrous manner that we watched on television.
Also, Christopher Dake was born and forever changed how you read United States History.
The Winner:
Meekness.
Jimmy Carter had an aw-shucks appeal, and people felt there was no way this man would do terrible things in the White House—except when it came to foreign and domestic policies. Other than that, everyone liked Carter.
Ford was known for his clumsiness. He would fall down the stairs, knock over water glasses, you name it. So, instead of telling the American people during a debate with Carter that his administration wouldn’t tolerate the Soviet Union-run Eastern Europe, he told everyone there wasn’t a Soviet Union domination of Eastern Europe. This led everyone to stop and say, “What now?”
Clumsiness never wins.
The States in the Electoral College:
50. This was the first presidential election that Washington, DC, could participate in.
The Electoral College had 538 members, and the winner needed 270 votes.
Ford took more states than Carter, 27-23, but lost the electoral vote 297-240. One electoral voter in Washington voted for Ronald Reagan in a preview of what would come.
The 2021 OKH Presidential Ranking:
Carter comes in at 25, which is a nice thing to do. There’s not much more to add other than he is still alive.
Why Did I Rank it Here:
Moving on from Nixon could have been higher, but the 2024 candidates decided to move up their debate, hence the subject matter.
You all remember Al Smith? The first Catholic to run on a major ticket for president? I covered Smith’s loss to Hoover earlier this year, and now we review what happened to the second Catholic to secure the nomination.
Let’s dive in.
22: The Presidential Election of 1960
Election Date: November 8, 1960
The Candidates:
Vice President Richard Nixon managed to keep himself on the Republican ballot when his boss, President Dwight Eisenhower, wanted to dump him. His Checkers speech helped a lot with that.
The Democrats kept shoving out Adlai Stevenson, which resulted in him getting whipped like he was up against Christopher Dake in a college election.
Since Christopher Dake wasn’t an option, the Democrats went with the second-best handsome Irish Catholic they could find: Bobby Kennedy’s brother, John, the United States Senator from Massachusetts.
Major Issue of the Day:
The Soviet Union beat us to space. The Civil Rights movement and the escalation in Vietnam were just beginning. One of the wildest decades in American history was here, and the widespread use of television would play a leading role in our perception.
The Winner:
Good looks.
There is no mistaking that John F. Kennedy was a good-looking man. As a good-looking man myself, I know the value of securing votes based on my physically attractive attributes, especially when up against an uglier opponent.
More than 60 million people watched the first debate, while millions more listened to it on the radio. When asked who they thought won the debate, the people who only listened to the words thought Nixon prevailed, while those on television were raptured by the man who looked like he came out of a Hollywood casting call for leading men. Nixon looked awful on television in comparison.
Much like my debate back in 1997, despite my inability to be remotely coherent, my beautiful hair, deep, piercing blue eyes, and strong jawline carried the day.
There is no other explanation.
The States in the Electoral College:
50. Washington, DC, did not have a vote.
The Electoral College had 537 members, and the winner needed 269 votes.
This was the closest presidential election in history. Nixon won 26 states, compared to Kennedy’s 22. If you are good at math, that doesn’t add up to 50. The U.S. Senator from Virginia, Harry Byrd, took Mississippi and Alabama, so you know his platform.
Kennedy edged out the popular vote and walked away with a 303-219 electoral vote victory.
The 2021 OKH Presidential Ranking:
I ranked Kennedy 13th. I now feel this is easily the most overrated presidency in our history. And I say this as a full-blooded Irish American Catholic.
Why Did I Rank it Here:
There’s something to be said about how Nixon handled defeat. He conceded. There was plenty of objective evidence of massive voter fraud in multiple states that could have swung in Nixon’s favor.
But Nixon never pressed the idea that the election was stolen. In fact, he claimed to one media member that no one could steal the presidency. Nixon had every right to challenge the outcome and demand a recount, which would have taken forever, but instead, he moved on.
Just to be clear, I had a lot of work done to make me as handsome as I am. As one of my sisters will gladly tell you, “We spent a lot of money putting Christopher together.” It’s true; I had glasses and braces, you name it. It took a lot of work to look this good. But Anonymous would agree it was worth it.
Does anyone want to share what they thought of the debate? From what I read this morning, it doesn’t look good for President Biden. Let me know below. If you want.
July arrives this weekend, which means the 4th of July is upon us. I’ll be back on Monday. Until then, thanks for your support, and have a great weekend that wouldn’t be debatable.
Okay,
Chris
