The 1960 Democratic Convention - Part 2

Now that the 2008 Democratic National Convention has finished, I thought I would go back into my old film clips & kinescopes and give everyone a sample of what old-time politics was like 48 years ago!
The 1960 Democratic Convention was held from July 11-15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The primary candidates were John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Adlai Stevenson.
Part Two covers the nominating of all the contenders: John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, as well as Stuart Symington and Adlai Stevenson. The delegates vote and the you'll see the winning moment as John Kennedy captures the nomination. Finally, you'll see JFK as he gives part of his acceptance speech.
I hope you enjoy this look way back into US political history.
July 13-15, 1960

• Category

  News & Politics

[Ken Henderson]

This was not the first time a political convention was moved to a football stadium on its last night so more people could see and hear the nominee live. In 1936, the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia moved its final night to Franklin Field so more people could see and hear FDR. And, of course, in 2008, the Democrats again moved their Presidential nomination acceptance speech to a football stadium for the third time.

[djackmanson]

I've read enough US political history to have heard of Sam Rayburn and who he was, but I've never seen film of him. Thanks for this!

[Jimmy King]

What's the name of the song that was playing when Lyndon Johnson walked out with Lady Bird?

[Freddy Lubin]

Once upon a time, when a convention held real drama. Watching Gene McCarthy nominate Adlai Stevenson is really moving.

[LandingCraft1969]

This was innocence!

[David50s]

You could get half votes because states increased the size of their delegations by having double the delegates with a half vote each.

[glm15jul]

If Kennedy had not won the nomination in 1960, The party would have been split apart and Nixon would have easily won that election and would have been our president 8 years earlier than he actually was.

[glm15jul]

Senator Kennedy asked Senator Symington of Missouri to be his running mate. Johnson did not want the vice presidency anyway. Those are truths! But IF it was Kennedy-Symington, instead of JFK-LBJ, Kennedy probably would have not won the election. He would not have carried Texas. ( He barely won it with LBJ on the ticket. ) And if Kennedy did win the election with Symington, most likely November 22, 1963 would not be a historical date today.

[Freenbean]

JFK picked Johnson because he wanted to win. Johnson helped Kennedy where he was running the weakest- the South and the West. At this time the polls gave Nixon a slight edge.

The question is why did LBJ accept? Everyone figured he would turn the offer down. There is some evidence that LBJ thought that as VP he could continue to run the Senate as if he were still Majority Leader. He found out otherwise.

[Freenbean]

briefly starting at 4:45 you see Ted Kennedy with the Wyoming delegation. His assignment was the Western states, and he had gotten the chairman of the Wyoming delegation to agree to cast all his state's vote for his brother if necessary. As you can tell they were needed, so Ted was there to make sure that promise was kept.