Why JFK v Nixon changed the face of American politics
The 1960 American presidential election was a campaign like no other, featuring a multitude of historic firsts. It was the first time that both major-party candidates were born in the 20th century. It was the first time in 100 years that the Democratic Party nominated a senator, John F Kennedy, as its standard bearer. It was the first time Republicans chose a sitting vice-president, Richard Nixon, to pursue the nation's highest office. Perhaps most significantly, it was the first time that debates on television and radio brought the contenders into the country's living rooms.
