Customer Reviews

NIXON-KENNEDY DEBATE NO. 4

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The first of the four debates generally has been available on film, videotape and finally DVD, but there was no precedent to a nationally televised debate between presidential candidates, and Kennedy and Nixon were, if not nervous, at least relatively soft-spoken and deferential to one another on that first occasion. It was in the second, third and fourth debates that, now more comfortable with the process, they began to go after each other. Those are the debates in which sharp divisions over federal labor law, tax policy, the propriety of former President Truman's rhetoric and, especially, whether and under what circumstances the U.S. should defend the Nationalist Chinese islands of Quemoy and Matsu against a hypothetical Communist Chinese attack, were explored in heated, detailed arguments. Unfortunately, those latter three debates have been impossible to find in video. What a thrill to discover that the entire fourth debate finally might be available. And what a tremendous disappointment, then, to discover that the disk suffers from a manufacturing defect that ruins the experience.

The recording is made from the CBS broadcast. It even includes the preliminary (and delightful) network announcement that Twilight Zone would not be seen that night, but would return in its regularly scheduled time slot the following week. So far, so good. The debate starts, and the video quality, while naturally not up to modern standards, still is surprisingly good for its age. About 25 minutes in, Walter Cronkite asks a pointed question about a supposedly suppressed USIA survey. Nixon answers, Kennedy responds, and then without warning the disk returns to the very beginning of the broadcast and starts over. The disk keeps doing this indefinitely. Over and over you see the first thirty minutes, but the second half of the debate is missing entirely, or at least cannot be accessed for viewing.

On the chance that this was a one-time occurrence, I returned the first disk that I had ordered to Amazon in exchange for a replacement. That replacement, however, suffered from exactly the same defect. I had no choice but to return it for a refund.

Unlike me, you may be satisfied with half a loaf. Even thirty minutes of Kennedy-Nixon is more informative and thought-provoking than the focus-grouped pablum, interrupted by the occasional soundbite insult, served up in subsequent presidential debates from that day to this. But be forewarned that you will not get to see the whole thing. What a shame that poor quality control spoiled what probably was a well-intentioned attempt to disseminate a priceless bit of American history.

I love the national archives stuff and collect the JFK matter mostly and though everyone has the first debate I thought it a real coupe to get number 4 but it is not the whole thing or anything resembling a complete program but still a great addition to my collection