The Democratic nominee for president, Massachusetts Senator John Kennedy, promised active leadership "to get America moving again." His opponent was Republican Vice President Richard M. Nixon. Kennedy and Nixon participated in the first televised debate. Kennedy looked and spoke better than Nixon, being coached by television producers. He was elected in November 1960.
Kennedy surrounded himself with a team of advisers that one journalist called "the best and the brightest." He first focused on the Cold War. His administration developed a policy of flexible response. Defense spending was increased and the Special Forces branch was created.
In Cuba, Fidel Castro was gaining power with the help of the Soviets. Some Cubans saw him as a tyrant and therefore sought exile in the United States. Eisenhower had trained the exiles to invade Castro. Kennedy approved the plan. The Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961. Unfortunately, nothing went as planned. The disaster that resulted embarassed Kennedy, and he accepted blame for the incident.
On Octobert 14, 1962, American planes photographed Soviet missile bases in Cuba with missiles ready to launch. Kennedy ordered the Navy to quarantine Cuba and to prevent ships from coming near it. The Soviet ships stopped to avoid troubles at sea. Khruschev agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba and the US agreed to remove missiles from Turkey.
In November 22, 1963, Kennedy was in the head while in Texas to settle a dispute between Democrats. gg.
-Andrew C and Ben H
