r, governor of New York also ran on the Republican ticket. Although, Rockefeller influenced the party platform by calling for stronger defense programs, faster buildup of missiles, reinforced civil rights measures, and a governmental boost to the economy, proposals of which Nixon later accepted. Rockefeller withdrew, not having much of a chance against Nixon.” 9 Nixon had the power to be a great president even though he did not appear that way. Even with Nixon’s experience as the vice president, I guess that was not enough for the American voters.The nomination battle ended leaving two influential men standing, Democrat John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Republican nominee Richard Milhouse Nixon. Moss says of their similarities, “ Nixon was a moderate conservative with liberal tendencies. Kennedy was a moderate liberal with conservative tendencies. Both were cold warriors. Both accepted the basic structure of the New Deal welfare state. Both advocated civil rights and believed in strong presidency. Both were young men, Nixon, forty-seven and Kennedy, forty-three.” 10 Kennedy asked his last minute competition, Lyndon Johnson, who had entered the race as Democrat after the primaries to be his running mate, disregarding the “high level of animosity between them.” 11 “Kennedy needed Johnson to obtain Texas and hold the South, in order to defeat Nixon in the November election.” 12 His platform was that of the “New Frontier,” as promised by Kennedy, “with its unknown opportunities and perils…It sums up not what I intend to offer to the American people but what I intend to ask of them.” 13 Other aspects of the Democratic platform included an interest in civil rights and a promise of “strong, presidential leadership.” 14 The 160 Democratic Platform was dubbed “The rights of Man.” 15“Nixon named Henry Cabot Lodge, ambassador to the Unite...
