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Entry for 4/25/2008 at 12:51:02 PM
Friday, April 25, 2008

“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future,” once said the revolutionary 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Known for his progressive and non-violent tactics, he handled some of the toughest times for the U.S., including the closest we’ve ever come to a nuclear war. He left an immense impact on our country. No one will forget the emotion that rung throughout the United States after his assassination in 1963.
He handled some of the toughest times for the U.S.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Campaign+of+1960.htm
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/K/htmlK/kennedy-nixon/kennedy-nixon.htm

Regardless of his youth, John F. Kennedy was the democratic winner of the closest election in the U.S. history. Armed with new, progressive ideas towards the United States and its place in the world, Kennedy entered, and won, all seven primaries. Additionally, he was the first to be nominated, choosing Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate. His policies appealed especially to young people, who agreed with Kennedy’s non-violent approach. JFK was also a supporter of the civil rights movement, which earned both encouragement as well as opposition.
The Kennedy-Nixon Debates of 1960, or the Great Debates, were extremely influential on the election. Fifty percent of all voters were influenced by these four debates, and six percent made their voting decision from the debates alone. Being the first ever televised debates, Kennedy had a great advantage due to his looks. While JFK was tan, fit, youthful, and confident, Nixon had a bad shirt, stubble, and was sweaty. However, the men were equally matched with their debating skills. They discussed domestic issues, two islands off the coast of China, and America’s relations with Cuba. Also, the Great Debates impacted the rest of the world, inspiring countries like Germany, Sweden, Finland, Italy, and Japan to hold debates of their own.
JFK was heavily criticized for being of the Roman-Catholic faith. In fact, to this day, he has been the only Catholic president. Many Americans believe that a Catholic president will follow the word of the Pope rather than the word of the people. Nonetheless, Kennedy won West Virginia, a non catholic state, which was helped greatly by choosing LBJ as his running mate. However, Nixon chose to criticize Kennedy not for his religion, but his lack of experience with politics. On the other hand, since Eisenhower greatly backed Nixon, it appeared as though Nixon couldn’t campaign by on his own, making him look weak.


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