Checkers Speech Nixon
By admin on February 14, 2010 / News and Society
Checkers Speech Nixon. Today is the 55th Anniversary of Nixon’s Checkers Speech. It was September 23rd, 1952, when the then vice president candidate Richard M. Nixon, gave a speech which has come to be known as the ‘Checkers Speech‘.
The speech is deemed to have changed how politicians used television for public persuasion forever.
Nixon who was being accused of using an illegal campaign fund, went on prime time national television, to defend his actions, while also utilizing the skills of a range of apologia strategies, which are still being studied today.
Although by his devotion to keeping the puppy, it made Nixon look like a devoted family man (as his daughter adored the puppy) as well as an animal lover himself.
Both qualities that could only be viewed upon as favourable by the public.
When the New York Times reported on the speech the next day, the ‘checkers’ part of the speech was never mentioned. Although today is stands as the most famous part of the speech.
The part of the speech that now grabs little attention is when he said, “Now let me finally, this evening, I want to read to you, just briefly, excerpts from a letter which I received, a letter which after all this is over no one can take away from us. It reads as follows: Dear Senator Nixon, Since I am only 19 years of age, I can’t vote in this presidential election, but believe me if I could you and General Eisenhower would certainly get my vote. My husband is in the Fleet Marines in Korea. He’ a corpsman on the front lines and we have a two month old son he’s never seen. And I feel confident that with great Americans like you and General Eisenhower in the White House, lonely Americans like myself will be united with their loved ones now in Korea. I only pray to God that you won’t be too late. Enclosed is a small check to help you in your campaign. Living on $85 a month, it is all I can afford at present, but let me know what else I can do.
Folks, it’s a check for 10 dollars, and it’s one that I will never cash.”
This riveting and heart touching letter was a super tactic used by Nixon, which when used during the televised event, touched the average American, and has been used many times since it’s airing.
The speech has been classed as the sixth best American speech of the 20th Century by a prominent rhetoric group of scholars.
With this speech, the public actually took on his explanation and Dwight D. Eisenhower a Republican presidential nominee, kept Nixon on the ticket.
Nixon received a cocker spaniel puppy as a gift, to which the “checkers,” part of the title refers to, to which Nixon vowed to keep, even against harsh criticism.
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One thing that amazes me is how people tend to look for loans without a well laid out strategy of how they are going to pay it back. One should think twice before indulging in this process for the repercussions can be hard to deal with.
good historical feature. With the ever-relevant topic.
http://www.laanpenge.org/