In 1960, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy reportedly spent the day of his big debate against Vice President Richard Nixon getting a sun tan and resting. Nixon, on the other hand, spent the day rigorously campaigning (he also didn’t wear makeup). It worked for Kennedy who, thanks to the advent of TV, “won” the debate. A rested Gingrich might likewise perform well in Monday’s debate in New Hampshire.
The debate myth was expertly dismantled in 1987, in a journal article by David L. Vancil and Sue D. Pendell.
But still, it lives on.
And it endures despite the paucity of supporting evidence. Seldom is any supporting evidence cited in references to the purported disagreement among viewers and listeners in the debate 50 years ago.
