Sunday, September 23 marks the 60th anniversary of U.S. Sen. Richard Nixon's "Checkers" speech, in which the vice presidential candidate appeared on live national television to address allegations that he maintained a secret campaign fund for personal use. Nixon delivered a speech using many strategies of self-defense communication, including the now-classic mention of his children's dog, Checkers.
Not only was the speech effective in keeping Nixon on the 1952 Republican ticket, but it endures as an iconic moment in political communication. In fact, political communication scholars on AmericanRhetoric.com ranked "Checkers" sixth on its list of the Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century.
Michael Kramer, J.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Saint Mary's College whose expertise includes political communication, can speak to the impact of television (and now the Internet) on politics, the public's interest in politicians' private and professional conduct, and issues of campaign finance secrecy. These issues are all alive and well in 2012 and all hearken back to Nixon's 1952 address.
Watch “Checkers” speech:Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4UEv_jjPL0 Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhQD2UFCIbY
Professor Kramer’s Experts for the Media page: http://www3.saintmarys.edu/news-events/experts-for-the-media/michael-kramer
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