John F. Kennedy: The Most Important President in the History of the U.S.

The role of a president is not the easiest of tasks to be taken lightly. Running a campaign and successfully winning is the easiest part about the job. A very important task for the president is to keep the people of the nation on your side. This is something president John F. Kennedy did successfully during his term. Not only keeping the people happy he has also contributed much to this country. President John F. Kennedy was elected as America’s 35th president in 1960. He took charge in confronting tensions during the Cold War and also provided federal support for the civil rights movement taking place at the time. President John F. Kennedy has made an impact to the United States in his short lived presidency by providing aid to much needed causes, made a stance against war tensions, and had a drive for public services, thus becoming the most important president to make a big impact.

The United States has been a great nation with great leaders. There have been many presidents in America’s past, but none were ever like John F. Kennedy. He was known to be America’s first celebrity like president. Everyone was well aware of his great looks and well groomed manners. In fact he was the most handsome president the US has ever had. His positive attitude and great looks are easily said to be the way he won the people over. His campaign took place against Republican candidate Richard M. Nixon. Kennedy challenged Nixon to a public debate. Nixon was advised to not accept from Eisenhower, but did so anyways. Kennedy took to the studio where his debate was going to happen a day before and asked the producer where the cameras will be set up and such. While Nixon was recovering from a knee surgery he had just gotten, did not take advantage of this opportunity. On the day of the debate Kennedy would answer or ask questions directly to the camera looking straight at the American people. Nixon, like any normal candidate would, spoke to Kennedy directly to him. After this debate ended it was all agreed by the people that Kennedy won and by all radio hosts agreed that Nixon had won. The main issue a lot of people had with Kennedy was his age. He was generally a young candidate to be running for president compared to his other predecessors. The issues of experience was what tagged along with him. Although, after his televised debate he managed to remove this ongoing issue of the people away from him. Thankfully for that he eventually won the election.

Finding who will be the community of voters a president has to target is always the most challenging and most promising of a campaign run. In this case Kennedy had looked back at a successful president who served numerous terms in office for inspiration. Conservative Catholics were a part of Kennedy’s list to win over, especially them due to their leaving of the Democrats. Like any smart presidential candidate would he aimed for urban minorities, ethnic voting blocs, and organized labor for the votes to be won. The campaign of Kennedy was at war over the votes of the people and when it came to it and the votes were tallied up, it became clear that this election was close. Ultimately it was declared that John F. Kennedy would become the next president of the United States. He became the first president born in the twentieth century and the first to come from a Catholic background. Along with his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, they made it to the positions they worked hard for. Once in office Kennedy had much to deal with. Including rising issues with the Soviet Union and their rising Communist party spreading. To further the issues, Communism had become a fear many Americans did not expect to become so successful. The fight known as the Great Space Race had the science of the US working strenuously. In an effort to beat Russia the US began working on technology to get man to space. At this time as well the Soviet Union was not on good terms with the United States. The fear of Communism spreading to America was on everyone’s mind during the 60s. Kennedy had to stand tall and represent his nation proudly against the spread of this fear. He did so with creating something that also integrated race relations. Kennedy and Johnson had the intent to hire African American workers into the space program of NASA. They believed this would help inspire others and create eventual equality. This was done before the Civil Rights Act made equal employment opportunities the law of the nation.These were huge stepping stones that led to eventual equality in the workforce.The fact that NASA was now hiring colored workers was an astonishing achievement.

President Kennedy had to deal with many issues at the time and this included Civil Rights, which at the time was a major problem for many people especially in the South. He made it his mission to get a man to the moon and he did so while solving other issues simultaneously. These may have been small feets for some, but Kennedy did everything he could to obtain recruiters, engineers, and scientists for his space mission no matter their color. War had been on the brinks since the incident with the Bay of Pigs, which was a failed CIA sponsored military invasion of Cuba. Cuba at the time made strong connections with the Soviet Union and had dictator leader Fidel Castro turn is territory into a communist country. With Cuba becoming a Communist associated enemy and their location being so close to America, the US had to do something to keep any future attacks from happening. Eventually an enormous incident happened on October 1962 for thirteen days known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The U-2 spy plane photographed the Soviet Union supplying Cuba with missiles and other war related supplies. This had Kennedy and his advisors nervous and eventually led to President Kennedy giving a public speech to the people stating what was happening. A blockade of ships were formed around Cuba to no longer supply them. The US did not want to go to nuclear warfare and eventually with both sides’ leaders meeting to discuss this issue they both agreed that nuclear war was not the direction they wanted to go. The Soviets agreed to remove and dismantle all missiles and artillery related supplies in return the US removed their missiles and other weapons of mass destruction from Turkey. While the Soviets stayed true to their word they also rushed production of weapons at the same time. This incident may have been over, but the arms race was yet to be halted. Regardless of what had happened this incident taught Kennedy and the US that a nuclear war can be averted.

War looked like it was going to end and nuclear war was now not going to happen. This was true and because of John F. Kennedy the nation stood beside him. With everything Kennedy had done he was looking to continue his run for the next term and made sure he was doing everything he possibly could to make with his promises. He continued his route for success and to keep the people with him he helped everyone and anyone including extended help to those sixty-five and over through social security. Kennedy has had an impact on the nation that was leading to the end of the cold war hopefully. After the Cuban Missile Crisis tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States had cooled down and more people began to live a little easier. President Kennedy accomplished a significant amount of work during his time in office, but unfortunately it was cut short around his thousand day in office. On Friday November 22nd, 1963 President Kennedy was assassinated by a sniper gunman in Dallas Texas. Jacqueline Kennedy, his wife, was left widowed and Lyndon B. Johnson was inaugurated into office as the 36th president of the United States. After everything Kennedy had done he was sure to achieve another term in office. Despite all other struggles he faced his death by far was the most upsetting for everyone.

With the death of Kennedy his legacy continued to live on to this day. He left a mark on the country and on the world. Whenever anyone thinks of the 60s they think Marilyn Monroe, the music of the decade, and President Kennedy. His family descendants who are still alive today are interviewed and asked constantly what they think of their family member JFK or how he has influenced them. It was because of John F. Kennedy that he started the common campaign run that is still used. With his televised debate, it became not only the first televised debate the nation had ever seen, but also the foundation of what a standard presidential campaign run consists of now. If it were not for President Kennedy the way debates are used would not be available to help people choose who their candidate would be today. It will go down in history that the 35th president of the United States had a short run, but a very significant one at that. President John F. Kennedy made his impact on the stance against the Soviet Union and the stance against nuclear war. The Cold War took steps back because of Kennedy, which helped the US. The Civil Rights Movement had help from Kennedy by offering high payed and prominent positions in the NASA space program to colored people. At the time this was highly unheard of, but because of this there was a push for equality for everyone. John F. Kennedy was the most important president the US has ever had a great impact from.