Primárias

A window into a single Democratic primary for the Presidential election, that of Wisconsin in 1960, featuring the "coastal elite," magnanimous John F. Kennedy, facing off against Hubert "You Betcha" Humphrey from Minnesota for the hearts and minds of voters. Through its highly informal, Cinéma Vérité style, we see them shmooze people on the streets, crack jokes in speeches, and in some moments, attempt to ensure that television appearances are choreographed. Nothing terribly profound comes out of its 53 minutes, but the benefit of history and knowing what will happen to these people and the country in the years that would follow make it an interesting watch. Elections in America often signal significant inflection points for the country, and this one was certainly one of them.

The documentary is not very deep on the actual issues or the differences between the candidates, maybe because much of the platitudes they speak in were vague, but what certainly comes through is how voters tend to back the person they perceive as best serving their own interest. Kennedy's Catholicism helps him in a Polish Catholic district in Milwaukee, but hurts him in some other places, with some voters frankly stating that's the reason they can't support him (reminding me of voters in 2020 who said they couldn't support Buttigieg because he was gay). Humphrey does well in farm country, especially those close to his home state, and he understands he must amplify this point to guys in overalls who look rather skeptical. There aren't a lot of hard-hitting questions about the intricacies of foreign policy (or any policy for that matter), but one guy shaking Humphrey's hand at the outset complains about how high his taxes have gotten.

Not to idealize it, but in light of today's politics, one can't help but observe how civilized the campaigning is, and the overall sense of decorum. The singalongs from both camps, sung to ditties like "High Hopes" get a little tiring, but are reflective of the period, and the sense of innocence that would gradually erode through Vietnam and Watergate. Meanwhile, it's hard not to smile in little moments like Humphrey coaching his wife on what to say when the camera turns on her, Jackie speaking a line of Polish she'd learned, or Bobby, initially introduced as Jack's brother, getting up to make a self-deprecating remark. For its content this is probably 7 stars, interesting but fragmentary, but I bumped it up because of the film style, and how novel that was for the time.

I would jump at the chance to see this one of kind look at American

Politics at the crossroads. Before the media age had turned political

campaigns into impersonal commercials, even the stars (in this case,

Kennedy and Humphrey) had to go out and press the flesh, hard.

While Kennedy is slicker and seems to have the more organized

machine behind him, he is still a saint of apprachability compared to

today's most folksie candidate. That's just how it was done before T.V.

had compleatly eaten us alive.

Some of the stuff with the affable, tireless Humphrey is

particuairly memorable. Speaking to a bunch of stone faced Wisconson

Farmers, his giddy style takes on a real comic poniency, he's like a

comic trying to loosen up Ed Gein.

Yet, you get from both candidates, yes, corny as it may sound,

they actually give a curse about the people they are talking to. If you

think that has all but vanished, as I do, you may find this film as

striking as I do. Some of the camera crew went on to "Don't Look Back"

and "Gimmie Shelter". 8 out of 10.

The film "Primary" documents the do or die 1960 Wisconsin Democratic Primary between the up and coming New England "Golden Boy" of the US senate John F. Kennedy against champion of the working man & woman upper mid-west plow boy & pharmacist Hubert Horatio "The Hump" Humphrey in their attempt to be the next president of the USA. The Wisconsin primary being more or less on "The Hump's" home turf in him being from nearby Minnesota it at first look like an uphill climb for the young 42 year old whipper snapper John F. Kennedy but with youth, and most of the ladies in the state, on his side he in the end had no trouble overcoming Humphrey's early lead. That's when the big town & city voters that were mostly populated by the female sex, who outvoted the men by as much as 2 to 1,started to come in Kennedy quickly took the lead and never looked back.

As for Humphrey all his efforts to convince the local population that he was, being a former farm boy,the man for them fizzled away as the vote tally started to come in late in the evening. Kennedy also has in his corner his beautiful and classy wife Jakie or Jacqueine compered to Humphrey's plain Jane looking old lady Muriel that cut into his vote of the male population of the state, who were just crazy about Jackie, that in the end did him in and stopped him cold.

In the end in a race that was supposed to be neck and neck between Kennedy & Humphrey it soon turned out to by a route for Kennedy in him winning 56% of the vote and leaving Humphrey far behind and crying in his beer. This all but set up Kennedy for his next and most important primary victory in West Virginia where his catholic faith was to be a fatal hindrance to him in the almost 100% Protestant state. But with Kennedy's good looks and the beautiful Jackie by his side as well as his dad's-Popa Joe-money, that he used to pay off the local mine workers to vote for John, it had JFK there like in Wisconsin easily be able to get over the "Hump" and win without as much as breaking a sweat.

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.

Primary is a 1960 Direct Cinema documentary film about the 1960 Wisconsin primary election between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey for the United States Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

Well, 1960 sure was a different time and place. But it's clear the left media fix was already in 50 years ago.

The most interesting thing in this not so interesting documentary is the scene of real people and how we lived back in a simpler time. It was truly when America was great.

Most of the cars in this movie appear to be from the '40s. And Humphrey rides around in a bus. It looks like a regular bus that you'd ride to work. Everybody seems to be wearing suits and hats and it was civil.

Why did the left ruin our country?