QOD 4/7 (Recap)
• Who won the presidential election of 1960?
1960 Presidential Election
The Candidates
• Democratic Nominee John F. Kennedy
• Republican Nominee Richard M. Nixon
Similarities
• Young
• Served in navy during WWII
• Elected to Congress
• Passionate about Cold War fight
• Energetic and hard working
Differences
• JFK- wealthy upbringing from a prestigious family (Catholic)
• Nixon- no prestigious background, served as Vice President under Eisenhower
Televised Debates
• 1st ever televised presidential debates (4)
• Debates demonstrated growing power and influence of TV
• Debates relied mostly on appearances and body language
Televised Debates
• JFK was calm, cool, & collected
• Nixon seemed nervous, fidgety, & exhausted
• Those that listened to debate over radio argued that Nixon had won, but those that watched on TV saw Kennedy as the victor!
Kennedy Wins!
• Close presidential election
• Largest voter turnout in country’s history
New Leadership
• Kennedy symbolized the new decade and the new generation of Americans that were seeking change
• However, Kennedy only won the election by a small margin, so he felt he had to convince Americans he could handle the task
Inaugural Address
• On January 20, 1961, President Kennedy was sworn in to the presidency
• In his inaugural address, Kennedy addressed issues of foreign policy and the Cold War
• He issued a call to service for Americans to help in fighting this war,& issues a warning America’s enemies – “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what
you can do for your country.”