Anyone Remember 1960???

[KharmaTrain]

In looking at this finish, this race looks more like 1960 than any other.

Like that year, the country was divided almost opposite of what it is now...solid Democratic South, Republican Midwest. The race came down to a bitter personal battle over national defense (missile gap), Kennedy's inexperience and senate "non-record" and Nixon's strong character (suspend your belief for just a minute).

In that election, like this one, the momentum of the campaign turned on the first debate where Nixon, like Bunnypants, didn't look as Presidential as Kerry/Kennedy.

That election came down to three states...West Virginia, Ohio & Illinois. Legend has it of Richard J. Daley's "assistance" that night that put remained legendary until Katharine Harris came along.

Are there any DU'ers who remember the final days of that election?

[alittlelark]

1. I was something of a fertilized egg,

but I have read the history books..... history is our side!

[fujiyama]

2. I was thinking

1976 myself.

Carter defeats a president that was never elected by a close margin.

I think it will be the same way this time....though I'd definetely prefer 1980, where the challenger beat the incumbent in a landslide.

[Barney Rocks]

3. I see it that way too!

Bush = Ford neither one was ever elected. That is a very unique position to be in--and it makes their support weaker than the typical "incumbent". They are in a position lesser than an incumbent president--although they are in the office. Like Ford before him, Bush is screwed.

[Maple]

4. Yes, I was 14

and very political

[Seabiscuit]

5. I recall it vividly. And yes, it's a good analogy.

I was 15 and JKF inspired me forever. Kerry comes across in the debates much as Kennedy did. But Bush is far worse than Nixon. And that 1960 televised in black and white sent Kennedy over the top.

[LittleClarkie]

10. Far worse than Nixon

I find myself speculating from time to time how Nixon would react to our current administration.

Somehow I think the current administration would be enough to gag even Nixon, gag a maggot-style. I mean damn, at least Nixon understood foreign policy.

I'm still impressed that Kerry was able to shake Nixon's hand and forgive him in the end. He could build a few bridges, I tell you.

[KharmaTrain]

12. Nixon Would Be Jealous

No mercy even in death here for that bastard. He'd probably looked at how Bunnypant has hoodwinked the country, coward the press and played Cold Warrior.

Imagine the grin on his face seeing what just happened to Dan Rather.

[bobbieinok]

6. I was a senior in college + very frustrated because I wasn't old enuff to

vote

the deal on Illinois is that possible dem vote fraud in Chicago was cancelled by possible repub vote fraud in so Illinois

in 2000, repubs (and my brother) kept claiming that Nixon could have contested Illinois but that he did not do it for 'the good of the country', ie Gore should learn and do likewise

acturally, Nixon was ready to contest, but decided not to because of the repub vote in so Illinois that would be revealed

I think winner in Illinois and thus of election wasn't known until noon or later the next day

[knowbody0]

7. i was 12

and passionately political
in so many ways these days appear to be a re run

[bobbieinok]

8. 1960 the first televised debate????? only one debate????

[KharmaTrain]

9. There Were Two I Think...

The first, was in Chicago, the last in LA...not sure if there were more. I was only 4 at the time, but I do remember watching JFK's inaugural in January and vividly remember November 22nd.

While Daley earned his reputation of "manipulating the numbers", some contest, as you say, there was equal, if not more vote fraud in the Repugnican suburbs. In the 80's I spent election nights at various Board Of Elections and would watch the poker games played between the Cook County & DuPage County machines...flooding results at designated times to manipulate the news coverage...and hope the challenger concedes.

The '68 election comes to mind every so often, as it was my first REAL election (RFK was and still is an idol)...couldn't get myself to glam onto McCarthy, tried to feel good about McGovern and it wasn't until these final weeks of that campaign that I felt real good about supporting HHH.

As far as '80, I kinda see a strange analogy here. In '80, Carter ran the "Rose Garden" campaign so he could focus on the Iran situation (war on terror if you will), while '04 Bunnypants is running on a Rose Colored Glasses" campaign on the Iraq situation.

Cheers!

[liberalpragmatist]

11. There were 4

n/t

[meow2u3]

13. I was just a month old

Too young to remember the Kennedy-Nixon debates

[PCIntern]

14. Yes...

it was all black and white in those days. You watched the election returns with Huntley-Brinkley or Cronkite and Douglas Edwards. I dont' recall if ABC had a star in those days or even if they had the kind of coverage that the other two had. We were up most of the night, alternating with election returns and a rerun of the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still", with Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal (I think). That was a great tribute to the notion of how Anmericans handle rumor, fear, and the madness of crowds.

It was a big relief the next day, went to school and was happy. Little did we know that three years later, the President would be assassinated in a crossfire in Dallas Texas and that our dreams, whether conceived correctly or wrongly, lay in the street like the brain matter which exploded from his head. We have never 'gotten past' that day - we are forever tied to the coup d'etat which occurred then and then again in 2000. These are seminal moments. What then happens remains to be seen - we have seen the escalation of two unnecessary wars following the two coups. DOesn't even take a three-digit IQ to figure this all out, does it?

[Silver Gaia]

15. DOesn't even take a three-digit IQ to figure this all out, does it?

Nope.

I was too young to remember the debates, but I remember Kennedy vividly. I was 9, almost 10, when we lost him. I cried, and cry still... the day America died. I want her back.