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Kennedy vs. Nixon
Kennedy- Democrat
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Young senator from Boston
Son of the wealthy Joseph Kennedy
Catholic
War hero
Nixon- Republican
Eisenhower’s vice president
 Great politician
 Liberals don’t trust him
 Seen as a “red-baiter”
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Topics of the election
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Kennedy’s Catholicism
 In Houston Kennedy deflects criticism
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Kennedy seen as too young and not serious
 Debates give Kennedy’s image a boost
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US in slight recession
 Democrats use recession to their advantage
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Civil Rights
 Georgia judge sentences MLK to four months in prison
 JFK campaign contacts judge who releases MLK on bail
 Assures large African American turnout
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One of the closest margins in history
JFK wins popular vote by 118,000
JFK wins electoral majority of 303 to 219
JFK not seen as having a mandate
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1/20/1961 – 11/22/1963 (only served 1,000 days)
The new administration seen as young and
vibrant
JFK appeals to the young to take “the torch”
being passed to them
JFK White House seen as glamorous
JFK a flawed character
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JFK want to finish the New Deal policies of
FDR
Federal aid to Space program, education, poor
regions, health insurance, housing and higher
min. wage
Not able to pass most policies
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Northern Rep. and Southern Dem. work together to
block programs
Successes
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Peace Corps
Space Program- Must beat Russians –Go to Moon
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Containment with Flexible response
US will respond to threat but not automatically
Massive retaliation
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Missile Gap
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Dems campaigned on fear of USSR overtaking the US in
nuke strength, JFK spends heavily on the military
The Bay of Pigs
Berlin Crisis
JFK mishandling of Cuba leads USSR to challenge him
 E. Germany builds wall to stop escape to the west
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The Cuban Missile Crisis
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JFK goes to Dallas for $$ and to unify Texas
Democrats
Dallas is seen as hostile to liberals
UN ambassador Stevenson hit with a sign and
spat upon a month before assassination
President advised not to go, JFK goes anyway
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Kennedy rides in an open limo where he is shot
from a building along the route
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Lyndon Baines Johnson sworn in as president
Lee Harvey Oswald is thought to be the killer
and is arrested
2 days after his arrest he is killed by Jack Ruby
No trial for Oswald or motive found for JFK
assassination
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Warren Report declares Oswald acted alone
Conspiracy theories arise
Cubans killed JFK
 Soviets killed JFK
 The mob killed JFK
 The CIA killed JFK
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Magic Bullet
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXjf8Jce10
Videos in JFK assassination folder
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Lyndon Johnson
Ran against JFK in 1960 for Democratic pres.
Nomination
 Skilled politician who worked both parties
 Famous for the “Johnson treatment”
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LBJ uses the assassination of JFK to push
through social programs
May 22, 1964 Johnson outlines his vision for a
“Great Society” in speech
LBJ believes that in a rich society no one should
be left behind or left out
Addresses four areas of concern
Economic equality(War on Poverty)
 Environment
 Education
 Health and Welfare
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Minimum Wage Bill – raises the minimum
wage from $1.25 an hour to $1.60
School Breakfast program – provides breakfast
to the needy
Food Stamp Act – provides food assistance to
the poor to help improve diet
Revenue Act of 1964 – reduces income tax for
poorer Americans
Social Security Amendment of 1964 – expands
benefits
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Five areas of concern regarding the
environment
Air and Water pollution
 Beautification of the urban environment
 Waste disposal
 Use of natural resources
 Preservation of wildlife, wilderness, natural beauty
and historical resources
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Programs introduced by Johnson
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Project Head Start – funds preschool programs for
the poor
Higher Education Act – Supports college tuition
scholarships, loans and work-study programs
Upward Bound – implement in poor high school
students a desire to go to college
Adult Basic Education – Educate illiterate adults so
they can earn better jobs
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Job Corps – gives job training to high school
dropouts
Neighborhood Youth Corps – aimed to help
low wage employees improve their education
The Work Experience Program – on the job
training for people on welfare
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Medicare – comprehensive health insurance to
the elderly through social security
Medicaid – provides health and medical
assistance to low-income families
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Many programs are successful while some
brought mixed results
Backlash over cost and waste
Vietnam War ends up taking all of LBJ’s
attention and time and hijacks the aims of the
Great Society
Role of federal government in the daily lives
of Americans is expanded