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1960
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Senator Kennedy entered seven primaries and won all of the seven that he entered. His victory in West Virginia was particularly important, in that it showed that a Catholic could win in a state with not Catholic voters. Kennedy went into the Democratic convention of Los Angeles as the clear front runner. His superb organization guaranteed him the victory on the convention hall. In his acceptance speech Kennedy stated: "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."
Vice President Nixon was nominated by the Republicans in Chicago.
Kennedy campaigned on the theme of getting the country moving again. He assailed the missile gap with the Russians, and denounced the Eisenhower administration for allowing a Communist regime to come to power in Cuba.
Nixon forbade his staff from bringing up the question of Kennedy's religion (Catholic), but the issue remained. The final analysis of the election showed that Kennedy's religion ended up helping him as opposed to hindering him. Nixon criticized Kennedy for his lack of experience.
The campaign included the first televised debates. In their first debate Kennedy came off the winner on TV (not to those who heard in on the radio) This gave Kennedy an edge. When Reverand Martin Luther King was arrested in Atlanta, Kennedy called to offer his sympathy. This garnered Kennedy substantial Black support. Towards the end of the race President Eisenhower began to campaign actively for Nixon. It was predicted to be a very close race and it was. Kennedy won in a very close vote.
Participation of Eligible Voters: 64%
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