Gellman, Irvin F.
Campaign of the Century: Kennedy, Nixon, and the Election of 1960
Yale (New Haven)
2021
OUR SYNOPSIS: Irvin F. Gellman critically examines the 1960 presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon, disrupting the romanticized Kennedy triumph narrative by considering the campaign from both sides. He shows how JFK leveraged his powerful family and relied on its massive financial contributions. Kennedy also successfully hid his adultery and imperiled physical health. Nixon was the sitting vice president during the 1960 presidential campaign and most Republicans united around him. He and JFK were highly friendly throughout their careers to that point. Gellman emphasizes that the debates between these two candidates were the first televised presidential debates in U.S. history. He argues that while significant figures on both sides felt Kennedy won the debates, they were not decisive in the election. Similarly, he does not find convincing evidence that either candidate gained a clear edge on any specific topic or issue during the campaign. However, he identifies three key decisive factors in the election results. Firstly, while Nixon outperformed Republican Party support, lesser voter registration amongst Republican voters hurt him. Secondly, JFK did very well with Black voters. Finally, Kennedy’s Catholic religion was an influential factor.
BIG QUESTIONS:
What do the contrasts between JFK and Nixon reveal about how American public memory operates?
To what extent did Nixon leverage his experience as the sitting vice president in the 1960 campaign?
FEATURE QUOTES:
“In this book, for the first time, the Kennedy and Nixon campaigns are documented from extensive source material on both sides. Kennedy will not come out as a saint; his campaign was far more corrupt and ruthless than has been presented. Nixon will not come out as the villain or the foil; he ran a far cleaner operation than has been described. While the extremes of white and black occasionally surface, this narrative is mainly colored in shades of gray.” (19-20)
PRIMARY SOURCES:
Richard Nixon, “Address Accepting the Presidential Nomination at the Republican National Convention in Chicago,” July 28, 1960, online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-accepting-the-presidential-nomination-the-republican-national-convention-chicago
BALTIMORE CONNECTIONS:
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