ugh, standing by Eisenhower’s growth record. Though the September 26 debate was a flop for Nixon he improved in the three that would follow, and took a “slight advantage overall,” but could not “recover from the harm of his appearance on the first debate.” 22 First impressions always seem to stick with people for a while.The issues in the debates were not well represented, and no distinctions between each parties stance on them actually stood out. Only Nixon’s claim that the Democratic platform would effect the tax payer’s current rate by an increase of $18 billion, while Republicans spending increase if elected, would be under $5 billion. 23 In reference to the debates, they were “essentially popularity contests, whose outcomes depended on the cosmetic factors of personality and appearance.” 24 Although it had not played a role in the televised debates, in 1960, foreign policy was an influential issue of debate, as it had been in 1952 and 1956. Nikita Khruschev, first secretary of the Communist party appeared at the United Nations in New York for a number of weeks during the campaign. She served as a “constant reminder of the U-2 incident, the abortive summit meeting, and the canceled visit to Japan.” 25 At a Moscow press conference, Khruschev had referred to Eisenhower as “spineless,” and held him responsible for “deliberately wrecking the summit meeting.” 26 Khruschev had also demanded a new summit conference and outwardly opted to meet with a Democratic President. Eisenhower also lost points with the Soviets when his invitation to visit Japan was withdrawn by Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. Kishi feared for Eisenhower’s safety after, “a crowd of ten thousand chanting students in Tokyo blocked the motorcade of presidential advance man James Hagerty outside the airport, forcing the Japanese government to rescue him from the mob b...
