DS1

Kennedy v. Nixon:

The Modern Era Campaign

(Outline)

Harry Krishna

PPOL 631: Message, Media, and Political Communication

June 7th, 2020

This campaign brief is an analysis of the Kennedy v. Nixon presidential election and its effects as the first modern campaign.

Thesis

The Kennedy v. Nixon presidential campaign is known as the first modern era presidential campaign. This paper will review three components of political communication used by each campaign. They are 1) each campaign’s use of modern era technologies; 2) it will compare and contrast techniques used to create the image of the candidates, and 3) it will review each candidates agenda. Overall, this analysis will detail the transition to modern era political communication in presidential elections.

1) Introduction

a. Nixon v. Kennedy presidential campaign is known as the first modern era campaign.

b. It was the first presidential election framed for television and set the stage for celebrity political campaigning.

2) Political Issues leading into the 1960 presidential campaign.

a. Eisenhower built an array of democratic and republican politician, military leaders, defense contractors, scientific experts, journalists, and others who urged building up military defense (Kallina 2006, 23). Satellite intelligene (1961).

b. Foreign affairs were focused on the Soviet Union and their attempt to drive fear-based politics with a propaganda scheme now known as “Sputnik” and the “missile gap”.

i. U.S. CIA predicted that soviets would have 470 long-range bombs by 1958, and over 3000 ICBM ready for their first deployment between 1958 and 1960 (Kallina 2006, 18).

ii. During the presidential election of 1960, the American people were paranoid about the government’s complacency in foreign affairs with the Soviet Union.

c. The domestic affairs of the United States at the time included issues:

i. Civil Rights were at the forefront of domestic issues in the political atmosphere. Eisenhower in civil rights desegregation of the public schools, segregated buses, reconstruction, federalized guardsman (Rorabaugh 2009, 12), and;

ii. In 1958, Worst recession since the end of WWII; with unemployment at 7.5% (Rorabaugh 2009, 12). Gains in 1958 democratic congressional election signal republican party in bad shape.

iii. Economy, abandonment of rural poverty for unionized work. People moved to the city to enter white collared workforce (Kallina 2006 15).

1. Growth of college educated workforce led to high rates of people living in homes recently built.

d. Political society at large

i. Eisenhower, a republican candidate, ran his administration as the party of Lincoln.

ii. Eisenhower won nearly 58% of the republican re-election bid and carried 41 states (Rorabaugh 2009, 12).

iii. In 1952, congress flipped to a democratic led majority (Rorabaugh 2009, 12).

iv. When confronted with the 1960 presidential election, two questions were posed for the agenda (Rorabaugh 2009, 12):

1. Would democrats be more liberal or conservative?

2. With republicans being the weaker party, would they have to define themselves in relationship to democrats?

e. Accountability of Rulers in a Democracy

i. Regime governance

ii. Patterns

iii. Spread of systemic qualities (Dickovick & Eastwood 2017, 61).

3) Nixon Personality and Campaign

a. Subliminal appeals

i. Republican pick by vice president Ike (Eisenhower Administration).

ii. Raised in modest quacker family spiritual but not interested in theological issues.

iii. Grew up in poverty, battered by the Great Depression, regardless of the family’s economic background Nixon started college at Whittier and moved to law school at Duke University in 1934 (Kallina 2006, 42).

b. Mere exposure

i. He was stiff and artificial social context, superb with groups, and usually excellent with individuals (Kallina 2006, 39). Enjoyed effortless companionship.

c. Valance

i. Powerfully intelligent and had a remarkable memory “the intellectual competence of this man is probably the highest of any person ever to serve in the Oval office – the finest intelligence, the most disciplined at any rate” says Bryce Harlow (Kallina 2006, 39).

ii. Impenetrable personality, no one could understand him, and no one knows what would have pleased him.

iii. Striving was ingrained in him.

d. Symbols and Values

i. He despised psychological explanations for his behavior (Kallina 2006, 42).

ii. His critics said that he was Nazi-like after reports got out that he helped to frame an innocent man (Kallina 2006, 46).

e. Innoculation

4) Kennedy Personality

a. Subliminal appeals

i. Catholicism as a political asset (Rorabaugh 2009, 12)

ii. Avoidance of Catholic candidate since 1928 (Rorabaugh 2009, 12)

iii. Senator from Massachusettes, favorite 34% in democratic primaries.

b. Mere exposure

i. Families art of political manipulation.

ii. Negative family skeletons, health issues, and womanizing (Kallina 2006, 25).

1. Although physically unfit he still joined the U.S. Navy Kallina 2006, 32).

2. He was diagnosed with Addison’s disease in 1947 (Kallina 2006, 31). Press ignored the issue because they felt it was to difficult to explain to the general public.

iii. Private lives of public officials were off-limits in the 1950s-1960s (Kallina 2006, 30)

c. Valence

i. Calculation rather than ideology

ii. Grandfathers old-style Boston Irish politicians, father was worth $200 million by late 50s

iii. Considered immature and inexperienced boy unfit to be president by the Eisenhower presidency (Rorabaugh 2009, 12). Playboy by larger public.

iv. Sophistication, wit, wisdom, eloquence, and grace (Kallina 2006, 26). Charm, self-assurance, good looks, great wealth, and good humor (Kallina 2006 33). Distrusted emotional individuals.

d. Symbols and Values

i. Kennedy was a graduate from Harvard following his father’s lead.

ii. He was admired for his writing and journalism skills. U.S. Ambassador to Great Britian (Rorabaugh 2009)

iii. Hero and survivor of sunken navy ship in 1943.

iv. Civil rights in federal jury

v. Catholism and communism,

e. Innoculation

i. Moderate liberal with strong anit-communist credentials (Rorabaugh 2009).

5) Media and the Campaign

a. The presidential election marked the beginning of the first heavily televised political campaign.

b. Political scientists learned from the Kennedy v. Nixon campaign that in the modern era framed use of imagery is often a more powerful force.

c. It was the beginning of “soap opera” politics.

6) Kennedy won the election

a. Kennedy and Nixon were both intellectually fit to run for president. Serving as senators they had been involved in Eisenhower’s presidential administration and received high accolades from their political counterparts.

b. The general public was more heavily persuaded by the Kennedy campaign.

i. He had the good looks and personality for the camera.

ii. His family was persuasive in the political society,

iii. He had the money to pay for television time.