Speeches of JFK
Speeches of JFK
A compilation of speeches made by John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Speeches of JFK
Newsreel regarding the Democratic primary in Wisconsin, 1960: EST shot JFK headquarters; shots of posters, billboards and signs promoting Sen. John F. Kennedy or Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey; MSs white people in polling station, voting; MSs of Senators Kennedy and Humphrey (separately) pressing flesh, meeting the people.
Speeches of JFK
MSs of Senator JOHN F. KENNEDY speaking in West Virginia during Democratic primaries in 1960, commenting on his Catholicism. "There is no article of my faith that would in any way inhibit, I think it encourages, the meaning of my oath of office. And whether you vote for me or not because of my competence to be President, I am sure that here in this state of West Virginia that no one believes that I d be a candidate for the presidency if I didn t think I could meet my oath of office. Now you cannot tell me that the day I was born it was said I could never run for President because I wouldn t meet my oath of office. I came to the state of West Virginia, which has fewer numbers of my co-religionists than any state in the Union. I would not have come here if I didn t feel I was going to get complete opportunity to run for office as a fellow American in this state. I would not run for it, if in any way I didn t feel that I could do the job. So I come here today saying that I think that this is an issue Vote Kennedy May 10.
Speeches of JFK
President Harry Truman resigned as a delegate to the Democratic Presidential Nominating Convention. MCU reporter Last Wednesday former President Harry S Truman resigned as a delegate to Democratic Presidential nominating convention scheduled to begin in Los Angeles a week from Monday. Truman also announced he would not even attend the convention where he had been expected to lead the forces supporting the nomination of Senator Stuart Symington, a fellow Missourian. When Mr Truman dropped his bombshell, he promised he would hold a news conference later in the week clarifying his position. That moment is now at hand. MS Harry S Truman discussing his resignation. I have resigned as a delegate from Missouri to the Democratic National Convention. I did this because I have no desire what ever to be a party to proceedings that are taking on the aspects of a pre-arranged affair. A convention which is controlled in advance by one group & its candidate leaves the delegates no opportunity for a democratic choice and reduces the convention to a mockery. I ve always believed that the Democratic Party should stand for an open convention and should resist any bandwagon that thwarts or stifles the free and deliberative process of this great instrument of democracy. Don't mind that happening in the Republican convention, you understand. The democratic party must never be allowed to become a party of privilege, where a man of modest means or no means at all can not rise to a service in the nation. I m speaking up at this time, as I would hope that many of the delegates who have been stampeded or pressured into pre-convention commitments against their better judgments, and I know it first hand of such instances, I hope those delegates will have a chance to exercise further judgment. I want to make it clear that my disappointment at the manner in which some of the backers of Senator Joseph F. Kennedy have acted involves in no way, in my own mind the person or qualifications of the Senator himself. I think to a great extent, Senator Kennedy is victim of circumstances brought on by some of his over zealous backers which is unfortunate and unfair to him. Senator Kennedy has demonstrated ability, capacity and energy to play an important and continuing role in the party and in this government of ours. I ve always liked him personally and I still do. And because of this feeling, I want to say to him at this time, and I m going to quote a statement that I m making to Senator Kennedy, Senator, are you certain that you re quite ready to for the country or the country is ready for you, in the role of President in January 1961. I have no doubt about the political heights to which you are destined to rise, but I am deeply concerned and troubled about the situation we are up against in the world now and in the immediate future. That is why I hope that someone with the greatest possible maturity and experience would be available at this time. May I urge you to be patient. You will recall that I suggested to you at our meeting, that all personal ambitions be put aside
Speeches of JFK
A CBS news reporters sitting in the Hotel Roosevelt in NYC talks to camera about impending JFK press conference in rebuttal to a statement made by former President Harry S. Truman asking for his withdrawal from the Presidential race. We re in the ballroom of the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, waiting for some real 4th of July political fireworks to get going here in this otherwise sedate chamber. We re waiting for Senator John F Kennedy of Massachusetts to come, and in a news conference suddenly called, answer President Harry S Truman who on Friday tried very hard to torpedo Senator Kennedy s front running candidacy. Mrs. Jacqueline Kenney has already come in, the Senator is on his way down. The Senator has timed his entrance very well, coming in almost on the dot. He has come down from his summer home at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts . Senator John F. Kennedy enters, takes podium, begins speech, Last Saturday one of our most dedicated and courageous Presidents gave the nation his views on the forthcoming Democratic Convention. In as much as Mr. Truman s remarks were directed at me I m taking this opportunity to respond to his statement. First, Mr. Truman suggested that I step aside as a candidate in 1960. In response let me say, I do not intend to step aside at anyone s request. I was the only candidate to risk my chances in all the primaries. The only one to visit every state. I have encountered and survived every kind of hazard and opposition and I do not intend to withdraw my name now on the eve of the convention. Secondly, Mr. Truman asserted that the convention would be controlled or prearranged. In response let me say to the extent that I have anything to do with it, it will be an open convention. As every convention of our broadly based party is open. Even though our candidate has been selected on the first ballot in every single convention but one since 1932, including the 1948 convention, which nominated Mr. Truman. To me an open convention means one reflecting the free will of delegates, freely elected and contested primaries and in state conventions. But based on my observations of him in 1952 and in 1956 and last Saturday, Mr. Truman regards an open convention as one which studies all the candidates, reviews their records and then takes his advise.