How JFK Fathered The Modern Presidential Campaign : NPR - 0 views
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"In 1960, when he ran for the presidency, first of all, if he won, he was going to be the youngest man ever elected to the White House," Dallek says. "Secondly, he was going to be the first Catholic, so there was something fresh and new, and this is what he spun out in the campaign. He called his potential administration the 'new frontier,' and he said the torch was being passed to a new generation."
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Anne Hulthen on 09 May 14Novelty. The media loves an underdog and Kennedy used this to his advantage. His Youth and "Catholicism" also played in to the imaginations of Americans. Did they want to see themselves as different and unique, American culture as accepting and permissive? Did this reflect American values or is it merely the novelty?
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energetic
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Energy!! This is a big part of the 1960s culture. We were just beginning to enter the age of idealization of American culture. Specifically ambition, intelligence, culture, worldliness and glamour that defined the American dreams of the 1960s. This was a lot different than the 50s which favored conformity and the status quo rather than striving to achieve greatness. Kennedy represented the youthful energy that flowed through the air during the 60s.
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But when you toss in the rise of television and the way Kennedy harnessed the new medium's power
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JFK also tapped into popular culture to appeal to voters. His ads moved beyond the stodginess of past campaigns. There was no bigger star than Frank Sinatra, who reworked one of his big hits into a JFK jingle:
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Pop culture. This was another big thing in the late 50s, early 60s, the development of pocket change and rapid consumption of culture as a commodity. Perhaps JFK's biggest achievement in his presidential campaign was treating his presidency as a commodity, something he needed to commercialize and sell to the American people. Hence Frank Sinatra, a marketable aspect.
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"They understood that when you run a campaign like this," Dallek says, "you not only have to present yourself as attractive, appealing, effective, promising, but you also have to show that your opponent has terrible weaknesses, things that you wouldn't want to see in the White House."
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The Kennedy campaign also featured a strong outreach to Hispanic voters, presenting an ad with the candidate's wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, speaking in Spanish.