Figure 1.--Senator Humprey was on of the principal candidates for the 1960 Democratic nomination. He faced Senstor Kennedy in several important porinaries, including the Wisconsin primary. The press photo here was taken in Madison on April 4, 1960 during the primary season. The caption was headed, "You said a moutful, son". It read, "Sharing popcorn with a couple of boys is campaigning Sen. Hunert H. Humprey toiday during visit to the Wisconsin capital. The Minnesota democrat stopped to pass the time of saywith Jack Wake, ;eft, 13, who was munching a bag of poporn. While this was going on, another teenager wandered into rang, interested in getting close to a man who seeks to become president." This was a scene that you would not have seen with Senastor Kennedy. His time was much moreceffectively managed by his staff.

Senator Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage and his good looks and carisma helped make him a star in the Democratic Party. He was a much sought after speaker in Democratic events, helping to build contats throughout the country. This made him an early front-runner when he announced his candidacy. It was to have a major impact on American politics. One major innovation was Kennedy's skillful use of television. And he helped break the religious issue wide open. He was the first successful Catholic candidate for the presidency. He also revolutionized how presidential candidates ran their campaigns. Candidates before the 1960 election financed their efforts to obtain the nomimation. Than the campaign was largely financed by their party. Kennedy changed this. The failure of the Democratic Party to match the fund raiding prowess of the pro-business Republicans was a factor in several Demnocratic losses. Senator Kennedy was blessed with a wealthy father whose financial support had been a major factor in his Congressional and Senatorial campaigns and in winning the Democrativ nomination--especially the primary victories over rival Senator Hubert Humprey. Ambassador Kennedy had reportedly spent over $1 million even befor the 1960 primary season. Kennedy's innovation was a highly organized campaign staff. Knnedy set up a 9-room headquarters near Capitol Hill. From here staffers made contact with Party leaders all over the country, especially Party bosses and potential convention delegates. Large wall maps plotted the successes. The headquarters was essentially a corportae effot including not just political experts, but accountants, lawyers, and communicatiins specialists. A byword for successful campaign staffs became a rapid resppnse to events and moves by the opposing camp. Kennedy made the "Missle Gap" a major issue in the campaign. He over emphasized the Soviet lead, but correctly assessed the importance of the developing Space Race.

Democratic Candidates

Senator Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage and his good looks and carisma helped make him a star in the Democratic Party. He was a much sought after speaker in Democratic events, helping to build contats throughout the country. This made him an early front-runner when he announced his candidacy. It was to have a major impact on American politics. One major innovation was Kennedy's skillful use of television. And he helped break the religious issue wide open. He was the first successful Catholic candidate for the presidency. He also revolutionized how presidential candidates ran their campaigns. Candidates before the 1960 election financed their efforts to obtain the nomimation. Than the campaign was largely financed by their party. Kennedy changed this. The failure of the Democratic Party to match the fund raising prowess of the pro-business Republicans was a factor in several Demnocratic losses. Senator Kennedy was blessed with a wealthy father whose financial support had been a major factor in his Congressional and Senatorial campaigns.

Democratic Primaries

The kennedy damily wealth was afactor winning the Democrativ nomination--especially the primary victories over rival Senator Hubert Humprey. Ambassador Kennedy had reportedly spent over $1 million even befor the 1960 primary season. Kennedy's innovation was a highly organized campaign staff. Knnedy set up a 9-room headquarters near Capitol Hill. From here staffers made contact with Party leaders all over the country, especially Party bosses and potential convention delegates. Large wall maps plotted the successes. The headquarters was essentially a corportae effot including not just political experts, but accountants, lawyers, and communicatiins specialists. A byword for successful campaign staffs became a rapid resppnse to events and moves by the opposing camp. Senator Kennedy entered seven primaries and won each one of them. His victory in West Virginia was particularly important becasuse the state had almost no Catholic voters. His victory in West Virginia showed that his Catholcism would not precent him from winning the election.

Democratic Convetion

Seastor Kennedy's primary victories were not eough to carry the convention, but they gave him an important edge. He thus arrived at the Democratic convention at Los Angeles as the front runner. An effective organization run by his brother Roibert won him the nomination. It was Senator Kennedy over his brother's objections offered the vice-presidentiakl to Masjority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson from Texas. The Senator in his acceptance speech Kennedy said, "We stand today on the verge on a new frontier- the frontier of the 1960's a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils- a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats." The New Frontier would become the name for his administration.

Republican Candidates

Republican Primaries

Republican Convention

Vice President Nixon was nominated by the Republicans in Chicago.

Campaign

Senator Kennedy Kennedy constantly reinterated the theme of getting the country moving again. He made the "Missle Gap" a major issue in the campaign. He over emphasized the Soviet lead, but correctly assessed the importance of the developing Space Race. He also criticized the Eisenhower administration for allowing a Communist regime to come to power in Cuba. An important feature if the election was the foirst televised debates beetween the to candidates. Most observers believe that the debates were te deciding factor in Senator Kennedy's narrow election victory. Vice President Nixon ordered his staff from bringing up the question of Kennedy's Catholicm. The final analysis of the election showed that Kennedy's religion ended up helping him more with Catholic voters than it then it hurt him with Protetant voters. Noxon frequently criticized Kennedy for his inexperience. A najor shidt in black voting occurred. Reverand Martin Luther King was arrested in Atlanta, Senator Kennedy called to offer his sympathy. This gained Kennedy important support with Black voters in the indusrial northeast. Public opinion polls show that in the final days of the race, the gap between the two candidates began to narrow. A facto may have beem that President Eisenhower who had not been overly helpful ton the vicepresident began to campaign actively. The polls at the end of the campign presicted a very close election.

Results

Senator Kennedy and Vice President Nixon almost evenly split the populae vote. Senator Kennedy won in the electoral vote by piecing ogether mist of the south with the industrial northeast and just enough of the midwest to win. Vice President Johnson was key to carrying the South. The Vice President carried almost all od the West and most of the Mid-West as well as some of the South.

Created: 5:03 PM 6/5/2007
Last 10:33 AM 1/17/2010