The Political Scene | The New Yorker cover image

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

What to Expect from the Biden-Trump Debate, with the Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin

Jun 21, 2024
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin joins a discussion on the historical significance of presidential debates, focusing on the upcoming Biden-Trump rematch and insights from the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate. The episode explores the impact of debates on voter perception, leadership qualities, and public discourse, drawing parallels between past and present influences of television and social media on politics.
32:32

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Televised debates emphasize style over substance, impacting voter perception.
  • Social media era debates face challenges in factual integrity amidst viral moments.

Deep dives

Effect of Televised Presidential Debates on Campaigns

Televised presidential debates, like the historic 1960 Nixon-Kennedy encounter, forever altered modern politics by showcasing candidates directly against each other. Kennedy's performance exemplified the power of TV, emphasizing visual vitality, preparation, and relatability which outshone Nixon's substance-based radio-friendly performance. The debate showcased how style often triumphs over substance on television, emphasizing the impact of presentation and charisma.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode