Lecture Notes: Eisenhower's Term, 1960 Election, and Kennedy's Presidency

Eisenhower's End of Term

• 22nd Amendment: Presidents are limited to two terms. Passed in the late 1940s.
• Eisenhower: Could not run for a third term; needed a new Republican candidate.

1960 Presidential Election

• Republican Candidate: Richard Nixon

  • Vice President under Eisenhower for both terms.
  • Former Governor of California.

• Democratic Candidate: John F. Kennedy

  • Young (43 years old).
  • Catholic, which was controversial due to discrimination, especially in Midwest and South.
  • Characteristics: Well-spoken, educated, wealthy, veteran, considered good-looking.

Televised Debates

• First-ever televised presidential debates: Kennedy-Nixon debates.
• Impact: 70 million viewers.
  • JFK appeared poised and articulate.
  • Nixon appeared nervous, tired, and sweaty; refused makeup.
  • Nixon was ill and had a bad back.
• Perception: TV viewers favored Kennedy, radio listeners favored Nixon.

Election Outcome

• Close Race: Only 120,000 votes separated Kennedy and Nixon out of 68 million.
• Kennedy’s Impact: Lost southern states due to civil rights endorsement but won overall.

Kennedy’s Inauguration

• Inaugural Address: Considered one of the best in history.
  • Focused on duty, power, and Cold War.
• Famous Quotes:
  • "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
  • "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate."
  • "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

Key Challenges and Events

• Cold War Context: Height of the Cold War.
• Policies: Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis.

Kennedy Assassination

• Date: November 22, 1963.
• Location: Dallas, Texas.
• Event:
  • Kennedy was shot twice and killed.
  • Governor John Connally was also hit but survived.
• Lee Harvey Oswald: Arrested as suspect, killed by Jack Ruby.
• Conspiracy Theories: Various, including the Mafia, Russians, Cubans; single shooter theory supported by ballistic evidence.

Transition to Lyndon Johnson

• Sworn In: Johnson took oath on Air Force One with Jackie Kennedy present.
• Rumors: Johnson behind assassination (unsubstantiated).
• 1964 Election: Johnson to pursue own campaign while continuing Kennedy’s policies.

Additional Notes

• Media Influence: Television begins to play a major role in political campaigns.
• Party Shifts: Beginning of shifts in power bases of political parties.