Looking back over 50 years the brief and tragic presidency of John F. Kennedy it
has an air of inevitability about it. But in my 13 year at the time there was nothing inevitable about it. The great Kennedy machine as it came to be known
flexed its muscles first in the Wisconsin primary in 1960.
The traditional first primary of New Hampshire was disregarded that year as it
was conceded to New Englander John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Wisconsin
which had the oldest of primaries with a mixed population, but next door to
JFK's challenger Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota was the real test.
Could a Catholic be elected President? That was the issue, the only one nominated by a major party Alfred E. Smith took a shellacking in 1928. However there were lots of differences between Al Smith and Jack Kennedy too numerous to mention.
From 1956 to 1960 the wealthy Kennedy family organized a 50 state machine
second to none. Poor Humphrey never had a chance.
The film without a word of commentary shows the glamorous Kennedys and
the excitement around them and Humphrey talking to small knots of people
trying to retail votes. When JFK passes his first real test before the voters it's
pretty obvious why.
Primary is a real must for any student of the period.
