Influenced Presidential Elections

There is numerous ways television has impacted an election in a positive way. Based on the article, written by Hilary Parkinson, former president Kennedy “took a leap in the polls after the [televised] debate”(4). While many people say that the candidate’s morals are what get them elected, without watching the television the voters will become clueless about what the candidate’s morals are. The television gives the citizens of the United States a chance to listen to the candidates’ opinions to be able to elect a new leader. Former president Kennedy agrees that “it [is] TV more than anything else that [turns] the tide”(4). Television gives the voters a chance to see the candidate’s body language. Because the citizens witnessed Kennedy’s body language and facial features, Kennedy won the election. Clearly, television may have a positive impact on a candidate’s campaign.
In his article “5 Ways TV Has Influenced Presidential Elections”, Matt Sailor writes how “50 to 75 percent of a campaign’s funds are typically spent on ad production and airtime”(5). These television advertisements aren’t always focusing on America’s real issues, but often attack their opponent. This influences voters to attack the opponent because of an advertisement, which leads to a loss in votes. Furthermore, Sailor believes “news programs tend to center around the personal drama”(13). This gives the candidate a lot more stress to control the image voters see. If a candidate ever commits error, the candidate will eventually see a decrease in supporters because of news coverage. Evidently, TV is what decides if a campaign will be successful or