Kennedy's Promise

Senator John F. Kennedy was a Roman Catholic, the first to be nominated for president since Al Smith's 1928 campaign. Going against Republican candidate Richard Nixon, Kennedy shocked the world after emerging victorious. Amazingly, he beat out Kennedy by a mere 118,574 votes, out of the 68 million cast ; it was certainly the closest race in United States history. He delivered his infamous inauguration speech on an extremely cold January 20, 1961. His tall, handsome features truly magnified the youth and vitality of the new administration. Being the youngest president to ever hold office, Kennedy left nothing on the table during his inauguration speech, eloquently delivering one of the most famous lines in history: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." However, under the charm and image that made Kennedy so popular among Americans, he proved to be a very good politician. Promising to get America moving again after experiencing a recession during the Eisenhower era, Kennedy presented his "New Frontier," which instigated great patriotism in the U.S. Essentially, his efforts and initiatives did the job as they put America back on the desired path.

One much overlooked method Kennedy utilized to stimulate the progression of the nation was a welcome youth movement. Aside from being the youngest president, his appointed staff also emerged as one of the youngest after. He endowed his thirty-five year old brother, Robert Kennedy, with the attorney general position. In addition, business genius Robert S. McNamara was coaxed into leaving the presidency of the Ford Motor Company and taking over the Defense Department. There were a number of other youthful advisors, creating an inner circle deemed "the best and brightest."

The Cold War had shown to be a daunting struggle for the United States, causing fear and unrest amongst Americans across the country. Kennedy realized that before the U.S. could move forward in anyway, the Cold War issue had to be addressed. Therefore, he proposed a welcoming solution, a Peace Corps. The Peace Corps was essentially an army of idealistic and youthful volunteers who brought certain skills to various underdeveloped countries. This call to service was extended to the remainder of the nation throughout his entire inauguration speech. An important aspect to Kennedy's presidency was his ability to win over the American people. The confidence he expressed in himself and his cabinet resonated with the country. History has shown time and time again that progression can never be made when the subjects have no respect or confidence in their leaders. On almost no occasions was the Kennedy Administration questioned or second-guessed.

Steering away from focus on the American citizens, Kennedy then realized changes needed to be made within Congress. Upon entering into office, the Democrats held a very unstable majority in Congress; however, several southern Democrats threatened to join the Republicans in rejecting some proposals in Kennedy's "New Frontier" plan. The young president earned

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