Kennedy wanted MARS
not the moon Strategic calculation — U.S. could plausibly beat Soviets to the moon. Kennedy’s personal preference was Mars. Moon chosen because it was winnable on a controllable timeline.
Eisenhower never formally approved Bay of Pigs Ike only knew the concept — never gave formal approval. Kennedy inherited it
believed it was good
Kennedy established the SEALs Both Peace Corps AND SEALs established under Kennedy. Peace Corps = civilian service ideal. SEALs = special operations / counter-insurgency. Two sides of New Frontier strategy.
Operation Mongoose CIA program to assassinate Castro after Bay of Pigs. Distinct from the invasion itself. Shows Kennedy’s continued Cuba obsession after failure.
Kennedy was on a ton of drugs Cortisone for Addison’s
narcotics for back pain
Khrushchev cancelled on Eisenhower over the U-2 spy plane U-2 incident (1960) ended the Paris Summit before Kennedy took office. Vienna (June 1961) was Kennedy’s FIRST face-to-face with Khrushchev — which is why it went so badly.
Bombs missed 80% of Castro’s planes Bay of Pigs air strikes failed — hit only ~20% of Castro’s air force. Surviving planes sank the supply ships. One of two operational causes of the invasion’s failure.
“Irish Catholic” vs “Roman Catholic” Bill Battle (West Virginia campaign manager) told Protestant voters Kennedy was “Irish Catholic, not Roman Catholic.” Protestant fear was of Rome/the Pope
not Irishness. Audiences cheered.
Kennedy introduced weak Civil Rights Bill — February 1963 First civil rights legislation was deliberately weak — before Birmingham forced the stronger June 11 address. Birmingham changed the political calculus entirely.
Kennedy started Food Stamps / SNAP after West Virginia 1960 Seeing extreme poverty in WV during the primary motivated Kennedy to push food assistance. One of his first executive orders expanded the food stamp pilot program.
Anti-communism promoted unity — Kennedy used it to defer attention Cold War anti-communism served as a domestic unifying force. Kennedy strategically used communist threats to shift attention away from difficult domestic issues.
Wernher von Braun — Nazi scientist
recruited by Truman and Eisenhower Truman and Eisenhower recruited Nazi scientists including von Braun to build U.S. rocket capability. Kennedy inherited this infrastructure — did not build the space program from scratch.
JFK Jr. born November 25
1960 Born after Thanksgiving
Snow almost cancelled the inauguration January 20
1961 — massive snowstorm. Army used flamethrowers to clear the route. Kennedy delivered address without hat or coat despite being heavily medicated.
Inaugural Address was almost entirely about foreign policy Nearly zero domestic content. Civil rights ABSENT. About Cold War resolve and generational commitment — not domestic agenda.
Kennedy pretended to be sick during the Cuban Missile Crisis October 1962 — fabricated a cold to exit his campaign schedule and return to Washington without revealing the crisis. Kept secret until he went on TV to declare the blockade.
Nixon cancelled remaining moon landings After Apollo won the Space Race
Nixon cancelled Apollo 18
118
574 votes — Kennedy’s popular vote margin One of the closest elections in U.S. history. Professor’s specific number (corrected in your notes from 118
Polls were biased FOR Kennedy in 1960 1960 polling methodology overrepresented Kennedy support. Actual margin was razor thin despite the polling advantage.
Eisenhower belatedly campaigned for Nixon — polls got close Ike finally campaigned for Nixon in the final weeks. Polls tightened significantly. Kennedy still won but it nearly closed.
“Sock it to me” — Nixon
1968 Nixon appeared on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In — showed he learned from his disastrous 1960 TV performance and deliberately humanized himself for 1968.
Eisenhower ran as “nonpartisan” military Ike presented himself as a nonpartisan military figure but governed as a Republican. Truman felt betrayed — had once considered Eisenhower as a potential Democratic candidate.
1956 DNC — Stevenson threw VP nomination open to the floor Unusual move — opened the VP slot to a floor vote. Kennedy lost to Kefauver 755.5 to 589 on the second ballot. Kennedy later called it lucky — a Stevenson loss would have blamed his Catholicism.
Kennedy “invented” the missile gap Created as a political weapon. Eisenhower had U-2 evidence it was overstated but stayed silent. Kennedy exploited the gap between public perception and classified reality.
