The 1960 Election by Abigail Dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk Nixon vs. Kennedy en-us 2017-05-12 16:34:37 UTC 2017-06-04 16:15:23 UTC hello@padlet.com Overview abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534072 The fate of America was in the people's hands in the form of the 1960 election. With the economy in a recession and the possibility of America losing the Cold War, citizens had to decide if Kennedy or Nixon would be a better president. This election, however, was based on a lot more than just these issues. The 1960 election was the first election to have its debate nationally broadcasted. This swayed the votes to Kennedy who was coached to speak on TV. An important part of the election was the controversy it brought. People were skeptical because Kennedy was Catholic, but Kennedy was able to convince them that it would not affect his ability to be president. He used his young charm, charisma, and speaking abilities to win over the hearts of Americans. This was often referred to as the Kennedy Mystique. Kennedy won the election in what was one of the closest in history. His presidency and the controversy of the election itself are still debated today. ]]> 2017-05-12 16:41:48 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534072 Important Individual abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534310 On what seemed like a typical Friday afternoon, Americans watched their beloved president Kennedy get shot to death. Back on May 29, 1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was born. Before beginning his career in the government, Kennedy served in the Navy during WWII. He was later elected to Congress, The Senate, and finally President. The election was extremely close, and the fact that Kennedy was Catholic raised many concerns for potential voters. However, Americans appreciated Kennedy’s willingness to openly discuss the people’s concern about his religion, which gained their trust. Kennedy proved many doubters wrong as president with his large contribution to civil rights. He formed what would later become the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This act outlawed racial discrimination, which impacted society because many reforms happened as a result, and it led the way to equal rights. Sadly, Kennedy's presidency came to a tragic end on November 22, 1963, but his legacy will live on forever. ]]> 2017-05-12 16:42:44 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534310 Primary Document abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534389 https://youtu.be/pKkhNFZSFfI 
This particular speech excerpt  was an extremely important achievement for Kennedy. It was broadcasted during the primary election to West Virginia before they voted. West Virginia was a 95% Protestant state which posed a challenge for Kennedy. Kennedy took it into his own hands to give a televised speech to his doubters in West Virginia. He used his charisma, intelligence, and confidence to give a calm and direct speech. When saying “I think the United States Constitution settles this whole matter of religious freedom far better than we can today,” it made Americans rethink their opinion about Kennedy’s religion. The facts are that there is no religion test for president and there is a separation of church and state. I believe that Kennedy meant what he said, and so did voters because Kennedy won West Virginia with 60.8 percent of the popular vote in the the Democratic Nomination Race. Humphrey dropped out of the race which was a big win for Kennedy. However, citizens changed their view on having a Catholic president, which was ultimately Kennedy’s goal when giving this speech. ]]> 2017-05-12 16:43:02 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534389 Impact abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534442 During the 60s and 70s America was growing as a nation. This election was a big deal because it merged the traditional political election with the growing popularity of televised media. This election changed the qualities and tactics necessary to win an election. Kennedy, who was trained by a television coach, used his charisma, confidence, and youth to win over America. Talk show host Bruce DuMont sums it up perfectly when saying "After that debate, it was not just what you said in a campaign that was important, but how you looked saying it" (CNN Politics). This is due to the new use of televised debates. The 1960 election was the first election to broadcast its debates, and the trend stuck for all further elections. Many critics believed this was an unprofessional addition to the presidential election. They said that instead of people voting on which president had better ideas, they voted for the president who could present them to the media best. This new and controversial era of broadcasting elections transformed politics for the time period and years to come. ]]> 2017-05-12 16:43:15 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534442 Significance/Connection abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534515 One of the biggest setbacks a person can face is being a minority. The way one handles this challenge shows a lot about them and their character. In the 1960 election, John F Kennedy had to overcome his challenge of being Catholic. He famously spoke out about it on TV and addressed all questions hoping that being open would solve the problem. He promised to keep the church and state separate, which was enough to win the 95% protestant state of West Virginia. Similarly, Barack Obama was in the same situation in the 2008 election. Being African American was questionable for some voters and overall made it a very controversial election. Kennedy’s role in the 1960 election has impacted our country today because Obama was inspired by Kennedy and mimicked some of his ways. Obama kept a cool and composed attitude when responding to opposers and rose to every challenge with determination. Both presidents were not simply running in the race for president but the race to prove Americans wrong. Both men successfully became president, but ultimately broke barriers regarding minorities in office. ]]> 2017-05-12 16:43:32 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171534515 abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171868240 http://www.historycentral.com/elections/1960.html]]> 2017-05-15 15:29:14 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171868240 Family Watching Kennedy on TV abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171897920 http://www.history.com/news/the-first-kennedy-nixon-debate-55-years-ago]]> 2017-05-15 17:09:49 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/171897920 Works Cited abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/172606074 Scroll to bottom for official format.

Andrews, Evan. "The First Kennedy-Nixon Debate, 55 Years Ago." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 24 Sept. 2015. Web. 23 May 2017.

Botelho, Greg. "The Day Politics and TV Changed Forever." CNN. Cable News Network, 14
Mar. 2016. Web. 21 May 2017.

Danzer, Gerald A. "Kennedy and the Cold War." The Americans. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. N. pag. Print.

"John F. Kennedy." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students, edited by Kelle S. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle, Gale, 2003. U.S. History in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/BT2304100024/UHIC?u=eliz67579&xid=adb361ac.
Accessed 16 May 2017.

"National Politics: 1960 Elections." American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 7: 1960-1969, Gale, 2001. U.S. History in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3468302296/UHIC?u=eliz67579&xid=b8e64950.
Accessed 16 May 2017.

Rynard, Pat. "Race, Gender & Democrats: How Obama's Struggle Is Now Clinton's." Iowa
Starting Line. Stacey Walker, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 16 May 2017.

Schulman, Marc. "Kennedy vs Nixon." 1960 Presidential Elections. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May
2017.

Sorenson, Theodore C. The Kennedy Legacy. New York, NY: Macmillan, 1993. Print.

Easy Bib says that there is no way to cite either of my two videos from Youtube
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]]> 2017-05-18 15:07:22 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/172606074 TV Debate abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173441215 2017-05-23 16:40:00 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173441215 Electoral Results abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173444769 http://www.historycentral.com/elections/1960.html]]> 2017-05-23 16:54:21 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173444769 State Results abigail_m_dehmey https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173445208 http://www.historycentral.com/elections/1960.html]]> 2017-05-23 16:56:05 UTC https://padlet.com/abigail_m_dehmey/exqaapok7jqk/wish/173445208