Uploaded September 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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It has now been sixty-one years since Richard Nixon delivered the "Checkers Speech", one of the most famous televised addresses by a politician, and one that broke several barriers. For starters, it was the most watched television event up to that point, and it's success demonstrated the persuasive nature of the visual medium. A vice presidential candidate at the time, Nixon felt this appearance on T.V. was needed to dispel rumors of scandal that threatened his candidacy. In this half-hour long spot that was broadcast by sixty NBC stations around the country, Nixon crafts a formula we still see today - the politician who can seamlessly defend his position, attack his opponents, and display his values and personality all at the same time. This 1952 appearance helped determine the outcome of an entire presidential race, and it put him in a position to one day run himself.
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Go to NBCUniversalArchives.com to license any portion of this video.
It has now been sixty-one years since Richard Nixon delivered the "Checkers Speech", one of the most famous televised addresses by a politician, and one that broke several barriers. For starters, it was the most watched television event up to that point, and it's success demonstrated the persuasive nature of the visual medium. A vice presidential candidate at the time, Nixon felt this appearance on T.V. was needed to dispel rumors of scandal that threatened his candidacy. In this half-hour long spot that was broadcast by sixty NBC stations around the country, Nixon crafts a formula we still see today - the politician who can seamlessly defend his position, attack his opponents, and display his values and personality all at the same time. This 1952 appearance helped determine the outcome of an entire presidential race, and it put him in a position to one day run himself.
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Follow us on Twitter.com/NBCUArchives
