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Originally Posted by sabang Was there the same cynicism in some quarters? |
When JFK was making his run against Nixon, the cynicism, such as it was in a pre internet world, was his religion, lack of experience in foriegn affairs, and his "liberal" social agenda.
Two important events propelled Kennedy to eventual victory. Selection of Lyndon Johnson, the highly experienced and respected majority Senate Leader as VP. And, the televised debates between he and Nixon which demonstrated Kennedy's charisma and grasp of the issues was, in contrast to Nixon's poor showing, the real turning point in Kennedy's favor.
The similarities between the Kennedy/Nixon and the Obama/McCain campaign are striking. Kennedy had to overcome the undercurrent of doubt related to his Catholicism and Obama his color. The results of the election were extremely close. For those who say "charisma" and likability don't count, I would suggest Kennedy's superiority as a communicator propelled him to the Presidency.