The televised Nixon$-$Kennedy debate of $1960$ revealed that

the American public was not interested in politics.

the visual appearance of candidates affects viewers' assessment of their qualifications.

viewers ignore how candidates look on screen and hone in on what is said about the issues.

a candidate's performance during a debate will have little impact on the outcome of an election.

challengers have little to gain by acceding to debates, which generally allow frontrunners to enhance their leads.