Election Of 1960 Research Paper

The Election of 1960 The United States presidential election of 1960, also known as the first modern election, made a significant mark in history. The election was held during a very important time, the Civil Rights Movement. This election John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Democratic presidential candidate, changed the way candidates campaigned. Kennedy’s campaigning skills outshined Nixon’s. He used every type of media coverage to get the word out that he was running. Also, Joe Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s father, had some friends who helped spread the word. At first, people thought Kennedy was too young and inexperienced to be president. Even Nixon argued that Kennedy was too young. If John F. Kennedy won, he would be the first Catholic president;
They were the first presidential debates, and the first to be shown on television. Therefore, the debates attracted a ton of publicity. While Kennedy looked refreshed and confident, Nixon looked pale, exhausted, and underweight because he had not fully recovered from his injury. Everyone who watched the debate ultimately believed that Kennedy had won. However, Nixon regained his lost weight, wore television makeup, and appeared to be more confident in the last of the debates. The third debate brought about a significant change in the debate process. This was the first time split screen technology was used to bring together two people who were on opposite sides of the country. Nixon was in Los Angeles, and Kennedy was in New York. This was also the first time that residents in Alaska and Hawaii could
The Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States rose. Public opinion polls showed that over half the American people thought war with the Soviet Union was unavoidable. Kennedy argued that the Soviets developed a major advantage in the numbers of nuclear missiles while the United States was under Republican control. Nixon and Kennedy argued back and forth about the economy and how economic growth and prosperity could be increased. By the end of this argument, Kennedy and Nixon were basically tied. The night of the 1960 election still remains to be one of the most famous nights in history. At first, Kennedy led the election in the popular and electoral vote. However, Nixon began to catch up with Kennedy. The New York Times announced, before midnight, that Kennedy won the election. However, Nixon made a speech three hours later hinting that Kennedy might have won. This puzzled people. On Wednesday, November 9, Kennedy officially claimed victory. He made a speech stating that he needed the country’s support to get through the many trials to