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Join Our Brutal Debate Postmortem and Critique Sparing No One

https://www.youtube.com/live/y6MtF-ZL6DE?si=-uXpffN0T1ATbDZv

Political debates play a crucial role in the electoral process, spanning various levels from local to national. A pivotal moment in this practice occurred on September 26, 1960, when an estimated seventy million Americans—constituting about two-thirds of the electorate—tuned in to witness Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon engage in the inaugural live televised presidential debate.

Following this historic debate, Senator Kennedy sought insights and evaluations from his circle of advisors. Among them, Clark Clifford, a trusted Kennedy family attorney and presidential counselor, composed a comprehensive analysis of the debate in the form of a memo. This document aimed to furnish Kennedy with constructive advice based on Clifford's observations.

Structured around this historical event, a lesson plan emerges. In this pedagogical framework, students dissect excerpts from the first Kennedy-Nixon debate and delve into Clifford's memo. Consequently, they embark on an endeavor to align themselves with a preferred candidate in a present-day election. Drawing inspiration from Clifford's memorandum, students then engage in the contemporary political landscape by watching a live debate. Their objective: to meticulously assess the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen candidate's performance and, subsequently, to draft a written advisory, echoing Clifford's model, intended to enhance the candidate's future debate performances.

This approach to education empowers students to comprehend the significance of political discourse, fosters critical analysis skills, and underscores the imperative role that debates and strategic guidance play in shaping the trajectory of elections.

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