J. F. Kennedy Campaign Speech

[REPORTER]: And he is now starting his speech. [MALE SPEAKER]: Senator Lee, my many other distinguished friends [REPORTER]: He alludes to the many distinguished guests that are here tonight. [MALE SPEAKER]: Last year in the city of Wichita, which is our largest <UNK>, I was given the honor and the privilege of introducing to <UNK> [Speaker on stage] I introduce you tonight to a man who by the strength of his character, his ability, and his training, is best qualified to serve in the most important job in the world, that of the presidency of the United States of America. This man at that time was one of many candidates. Today I am flattered and pleased that I have been selected once again for the honor of introducing to this much larger group the same man. In the period intervening between the two introductions, it has become obvious

that this man will be selected by the electorate as the next president of the United States. [APPLAUSE, CHEERS] [APPLAUSE] Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the man who is destined to become one of our greatest presidents, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. [CHEERS] [REPORTER]: Senator Kennedy has been introduced, and as you can hear the applause is thunderous. He is warmly greeted by the audience, and he is now on the platform. [APPLAUSE] He is beckoning to several of the members of the committee who are on the platform with him. The photographers are thick, and the flash bulbs are popping. He's waving from

one side of the audience to the other. He's on the left side of the podium now -- he's returned to the speaker's platform. Ladies and gentlemen, the address is ready to begin. He has called for the audience to quiet down, which they are now doing. [JOHN F. KENNEDY]: Governor and Mrs. Docking, my old friends; Frank Theis, who is going to be the next United States Senator from the state of Kansas; Bill Robinson, who is going to speak for this district and the country in the United States Congress; Congressman Harcott; Congressman Hugh George; Congressman Floyd Greiting; and Congressmen-to-be Davis, Maxwell, and Avery. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw a [applause] list of states Mr. Nixon's headquarters put out of the states that they had sure, the states that were doubtful, and one or two states that maybe we had. And among the states that they had sure, that they didn't have to worry about was Kansas. I don't believe it. [CHEERING] [Reporter] Senator Kennedy has now

made the statement that-- listen now. [Kennedy] --can hope for a candidate whose put forth the very same policies. Can you tell me or anyone who works in the plants here in Wichita or in businesses across Kansas that works at a time we're moving ahead at the time of the slowest rate of economic growth since the last recession of '58 can vote for Mr. Nixon or the republican party? Can you tell me how the small businessman who has three times the chance of going bankrupt this year as he did 10, 12 years ago, can you tell me how he's going to vote for a political party and initiative which permits us to be second in space, and [audience yelling "no"] which permits 10 years ago when we have twice as many scientists as they do? And now one half every year? And yet a candidate who runs with the slogan "We never had it so good"? A candidate and a party who refuses to permit

documents paid for by the federal government relating to tax benefits relating to our position around the world, refuse to let the people see them because of the effect it would have on this election? Can you tell me that Kansas in this year would support that kind of leadership? I say not! [audience cheers] --recently in this area two or three weeks ago, saw the farmers of Kansas and these states should sue Mr. Benson for non-support-- [audience cheers] [Reporter] The appeal so far in this speech has been directed towards the

farmers in the state. [Kennedy] Mr. Nixon-- [audience cheers] offers two proposals to the farms of this rich state. One is that we eat our surplus. That was Mr. Benson's very words. And that's an awful big thing to store away. Second is-- [audience applause] The other proposal is that we pay a support price 9% of the market price for the last three years as the market price drops year by year, so does the [inaudible] price. I must say that I think the record is clear, in 1952 they nearly [inaudible] Mr. Nixon makes it very clear. He's promising an agricultural program which will eat

up the surpluses of the farmer. [audience cheers] This administration is the only-- [audience laughs] -- it's that our agricultural program will increase the farmer's income so that food prices will go up 25 cents. Of course that is like so many of those statements made up of whole cloth, a farmer gets two cents for the amount of wheat that is in a loaf of bread that they sell for 45 cents. That farmer's income is about 10 or 15 percent of two percent. (inaudible) [audience cheers] [cheers]

[cheers] 24 long years Kansas has been faithful to the Republican party. Now we come and ask your support to give this election, not only for Kansas, not merely for the United States, but for all those who leave. The United States has a role to fulfill, as the great (inaudible). You cannot be a citizen of this country, you cannot be (inaudible), you cannot listen to the discussion of the issues on television and on radio without knowing the truth of what I say, and that is we're not doing enough. Our power and prestige is not increasing as fast as it must, we are moving into a period of danger and (inaudible) this country is ready to go to where we were again. In 4 years, in 8 years, the tide will go out again. This is the moment for decision. We present arguments until November 8th and then you have to decide. You have to decide what kind of district you want, what kind of state you want, what kind

of a country you want. What kind of a world you want. Don't you agree, looking at that state, that country, and that world, that the only way we can maintain our position is by demonstrating in our country a sense of purpose, a sense of vitality, a sense of energy, a sense of connection? Show the people around the world that our brightest days are still ahead. Our high noon in Wichita and across the world is in the days to come. I believe the next President of the United States should set for the American people the things we must do for the next decade if we are to ensure security for ourselves and the free world. Ordinary things that you deal with in this state is tied up with our position in the world. The food we grow, the airplanes we build or do not build, the oil we take out of the ground, the resources that we devour, the

businesses that are maintained, the jobs that we provide, the security to give to our older citizens, the kind of education we give to our children, the sense motion in this state and the sense of motion in the United States. We are a free society, it is completely up to you. Mr. Kruschev is able to rule his country by force, by his own direction. We rule this country by your force, and your direction and by your willingness to commit yourselves to progress in the 1960s and that is the issue-- [cheers] [cheers] (inaudible) --the other congressmen, all speak of what to give the democratic party and the state a sense of identification. I come today as being on behalf of the nation.

I ask you as citizens of the United States for your support, not just as a democrat, it's just another election, but as an American who serves, who believes, that this country needs leadership and that this country can move again. 1860s -- [audience cheers] [applause] 1860, during the election 100 years ago, when this state was torn, when the issues were much the same in a smaller sense than they are today, whether this country could exist, half slave and half free, Abraham Lincoln wrote to a friend "I know there is a God, and I know he hates injustice. I see the storm coming, and his hand is in it. If he has a place and a part for me, I believe that I am ready."

And we see the storm coming and we see his hand in it. But if he has a place and a part for us, I believe that we are ready. [applause] [applause] [Reporter] The Senator has now finished his speech, and the applause is still coming. [applause] He is being greeted by the Democratic candidate for the Senate and by Governor Docking. [applause] The press is now moving out. And we will attempt to go with them. [applause] As you can hear, the applause is still going on. The

Senator has finished his speech and is now ready to depart. The mob is surrounding him down here but we know that he soon must leave. We are trying to get in to have an interview with the Senator but he is being mobbed by the group. At the present time I am walking around in the infield, there are many dignitaries here. All of them are trying to get a glimpse of Kennedy. And he is walking around the infield now and is being greeted by all the people. He is making a grand procession around the stadium. I am down here next to the presidential car, and we hope that the Senator will be down here soon.

[car horn honking, crowd noises] [crowd noises] [crowd noises]