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The Kennedy Years. 1961-1963. Kennedy’s Predecessors. Harry S Truman, 1945-1953 Party: Democratic Nickname: “Give ‘ em Hell Harry”
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The Kennedy Years 1961-1963
Kennedy’s Predecessors • Harry S Truman, 1945-1953 • Party: Democratic • Nickname: “Give ‘em Hell Harry” • “I fired MacArthur because he wouldn’t respect the authority of the president. I didn’t fire him because he was a dumb son of a b****, although he was, but that’s not against generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.”
Kennedy’s Predecessors • Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953-1961 • Party: Republican • Nickname: “Ike” • “I just won’t get into a pissing contest with that skunk (referring to Sen. Joseph McCarthy.”
The Election of 1960 John F. Kennedy -Relatively inexperienced -Born into a wealthy Family -Young and charismatic -Catholic Richard M. Nixon -Experienced politician -Ike’s Vice President* -Widely traveled and Experienced with foreign Policy *Eisenhower hesitated to endorse Nixon as the Rep. nominee
Who wins? The Election of 1960
Kennedy’s Challenges • Khrushchev and the U.S.S.R. • Soviets had already shot down a U-2 spy plane while Ike was in office. • Botched Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba • A stalled civil rights agenda but most importantly… • The Cuban Missile Crisis- more on this tomorrow
The Kennedy “Mystique” • Camelot