Kennedy Johnson America's Men

A red, white, and blue button with white text on the top and bottom portion of the button. A black and white image of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson lies in the center of the button. 

This button is a political campaign button supporting John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960 Presidential election, in which the pair defeated the incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon and his running mate Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.

John F. Kennedy was a Senator from Massachusetts, who at the age of 43 became the youngest person ever to be elected President. He platformed on his staunch fight against communism, establishing himself as a Red-baiter over the charge against the spy Alger Hiss. He picked Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas as running mate to hold the South, and used television effectively. Nixon was reported to have done well on debates by radio listeners but television viewers found him weak and awkward in front of camera. By 1960, 88 percent of American homes had television, contrast to 11% in the 50s. Seventy million Americans, about two-thirds of the electorate, watched the first debate on September 26th.