John Robben: Election Day 1960 (Dear Diary)
[This diary entry, written in 1960, featured the last election of a member of a minority to the presidency.]
Tuesday, November 8, 1960:7:20PM: This long Election Night is just beginning. Returns, meaningless at this hour, are commencing to trickle in. At 6PM Nixon had 40,000 votes to 22,000 for Kennedy. Now, at 7PM, with less than 1% of the National votes counted, Nixon has collected 219,000 votes to Kennedy's 168,000. But with roughly 67 million votes to be tallied, these early returns don't mean a lot. Nevertheless, Remington-Rand's "Univac" computer is predicting a Nixon victory. Bookies agree and are betting 4-3 that he wins. Nixon needs to get 269 Electoral Votes to be elected President. Another inconclusive return at 7:30 shows Nixon's margin shrinking with 439,000 popular votes cast for him and 431,000 for Kennedy. Earlier today, at 11 this morning, Margie and I cast our two votes for Jack Kennedy. It was a beautiful day from start to finish and the nation was out to set a new record, surpassing the old one of 62 million. After lunch I put up all the storm windows locking our heat in for the coming winter months and blocking out the drafts. My prediction is that Kennedy will win despite the religious issue and despite the assistance Eisenhower gave Nixon in the last week of the campaign. A Kennedy victory will break the Presidential-Protestant barrier. Hereafter it will be possible not only for a Catholic, but for a Jew, a Negro and even a woman to become President. But first, Kennedy has to defeat Nixon.
8PM: Kennedy takes the lead for the first time tonight: 904,000 to 847,000! Nixon forces have already conceded the State of Connecticut.
8:30PM: Returns pouring in! But still prove very little. Kennedy leads 1,944,000 to 1,805,000. Yet to be counted: about 64 million votes. The commentators are calling it a "cliffhanger." I hope to stay up until a winner's declared.
9PM: With 9% of the popular vote in, Kennedy leads 3,043,000 to 2,749,000.
9:30PM: 14% of the votes are in and Kennedy holds a half million lead: 4,805,000 to 4,310,000.
10PM: 20% of the vote is counted and Kennedy's lead is just shy of 1 million. With 14 million votes tabulated, Kennedy has 7,519,000, Nixon 6,598,000. I wonder how the candidates are feeling? Is Nixon worried? Kennedy encouraged? Or is 20% still an insufficient percentage?
11PM: Kennedy has built up a million and a half lead with 35% of the vote in: 12,990,000 to 11,536,000.
12:30AM: With more than half the votes counted, Kennedy maintains his margin: 20,200,000 to 18,600,000. The Daily News, a Nixon newspaper, is carrying "Kennedy Elected" in their early morning issue. My father called at midnight to say he conceded at 11. I wonder how soon Nixon will concede?
2AM: 48 million votes have been counted and despite The Daily News, The New York Times, and other big papers headlining a Kennedy victory, the popular vote remains only 1,314,000 apart. Kennedy has landed 240 of the Electoral votes; he needs 29 more to clinch. I am trying to keep awake to see Nixon concede and Kennedy accept, but my eyes are heavy and I've already fallen asleep several times.
3AM: Nixon continues to whittle away at Kennedy's popular vote lead, but he trails by too wide a margin electorally to be given a chance.
3:15AM: Nixon, from his California headquarters, has virtually conceded, stating that the trend would indicate Senator Kennedy is our next President and that he was going to bed. He suggested we all do likewise. It was an unusual concession to be sure.
3:45AM: Senator Kennedy has not accepted Nixon's speech as a concession and, through his press secretary, has announced he, too, is going to bed and will not say anything further until 10 o'clock in the morning. Newscasters are calling Nixon's statement "curious" and "unique." I've been watching the TV now for 9 hours. I've been shifting around between 3 channels: NBC, CBS and ABC. I woke Margie up to watch Nixon's statement, thinking it would be a concession.
Wednesday, November 9, 1960: 9:45PM: It's official! Kennedy's been elected! Nixon conceded completely around midday today and Kennedy formally accepted the voters' will at 2PM. The "voters' will," however, became exceedingly close, and may yet go to Nixon, though the Electoral College is locked in Kennedy's favor. With 65 million votes counted, only 381,000 separate the two candidates, about half of one percent. (This narrowed to 119,000 after all 68 million votes were counted.) My father accepted the defeat of his candidate graciously.
Thursday, November 10: 11:30PM: Kennedy, who fought his guts out to be elected, is now stuck with the job. His life, at least for the next four years, will be the most grueling and taxing in this country. Between now and January 20th, when he assumes office, will be a transition period; then his problems will really begin. I wonder, when he learned he had been elected President of the United States, did he think, "My God! What have I got myself into?"
Tuesday, November 8, 1960:7:20PM: This long Election Night is just beginning. Returns, meaningless at this hour, are commencing to trickle in. At 6PM Nixon had 40,000 votes to 22,000 for Kennedy. Now, at 7PM, with less than 1% of the National votes counted, Nixon has collected 219,000 votes to Kennedy's 168,000. But with roughly 67 million votes to be tallied, these early returns don't mean a lot. Nevertheless, Remington-Rand's "Univac" computer is predicting a Nixon victory. Bookies agree and are betting 4-3 that he wins. Nixon needs to get 269 Electoral Votes to be elected President. Another inconclusive return at 7:30 shows Nixon's margin shrinking with 439,000 popular votes cast for him and 431,000 for Kennedy. Earlier today, at 11 this morning, Margie and I cast our two votes for Jack Kennedy. It was a beautiful day from start to finish and the nation was out to set a new record, surpassing the old one of 62 million. After lunch I put up all the storm windows locking our heat in for the coming winter months and blocking out the drafts. My prediction is that Kennedy will win despite the religious issue and despite the assistance Eisenhower gave Nixon in the last week of the campaign. A Kennedy victory will break the Presidential-Protestant barrier. Hereafter it will be possible not only for a Catholic, but for a Jew, a Negro and even a woman to become President. But first, Kennedy has to defeat Nixon.
8PM: Kennedy takes the lead for the first time tonight: 904,000 to 847,000! Nixon forces have already conceded the State of Connecticut.
8:30PM: Returns pouring in! But still prove very little. Kennedy leads 1,944,000 to 1,805,000. Yet to be counted: about 64 million votes. The commentators are calling it a "cliffhanger." I hope to stay up until a winner's declared.
9PM: With 9% of the popular vote in, Kennedy leads 3,043,000 to 2,749,000.
9:30PM: 14% of the votes are in and Kennedy holds a half million lead: 4,805,000 to 4,310,000.
10PM: 20% of the vote is counted and Kennedy's lead is just shy of 1 million. With 14 million votes tabulated, Kennedy has 7,519,000, Nixon 6,598,000. I wonder how the candidates are feeling? Is Nixon worried? Kennedy encouraged? Or is 20% still an insufficient percentage?
11PM: Kennedy has built up a million and a half lead with 35% of the vote in: 12,990,000 to 11,536,000.
12:30AM: With more than half the votes counted, Kennedy maintains his margin: 20,200,000 to 18,600,000. The Daily News, a Nixon newspaper, is carrying "Kennedy Elected" in their early morning issue. My father called at midnight to say he conceded at 11. I wonder how soon Nixon will concede?
2AM: 48 million votes have been counted and despite The Daily News, The New York Times, and other big papers headlining a Kennedy victory, the popular vote remains only 1,314,000 apart. Kennedy has landed 240 of the Electoral votes; he needs 29 more to clinch. I am trying to keep awake to see Nixon concede and Kennedy accept, but my eyes are heavy and I've already fallen asleep several times.
3AM: Nixon continues to whittle away at Kennedy's popular vote lead, but he trails by too wide a margin electorally to be given a chance.
3:15AM: Nixon, from his California headquarters, has virtually conceded, stating that the trend would indicate Senator Kennedy is our next President and that he was going to bed. He suggested we all do likewise. It was an unusual concession to be sure.
3:45AM: Senator Kennedy has not accepted Nixon's speech as a concession and, through his press secretary, has announced he, too, is going to bed and will not say anything further until 10 o'clock in the morning. Newscasters are calling Nixon's statement "curious" and "unique." I've been watching the TV now for 9 hours. I've been shifting around between 3 channels: NBC, CBS and ABC. I woke Margie up to watch Nixon's statement, thinking it would be a concession.
Wednesday, November 9, 1960: 9:45PM: It's official! Kennedy's been elected! Nixon conceded completely around midday today and Kennedy formally accepted the voters' will at 2PM. The "voters' will," however, became exceedingly close, and may yet go to Nixon, though the Electoral College is locked in Kennedy's favor. With 65 million votes counted, only 381,000 separate the two candidates, about half of one percent. (This narrowed to 119,000 after all 68 million votes were counted.) My father accepted the defeat of his candidate graciously.
Thursday, November 10: 11:30PM: Kennedy, who fought his guts out to be elected, is now stuck with the job. His life, at least for the next four years, will be the most grueling and taxing in this country. Between now and January 20th, when he assumes office, will be a transition period; then his problems will really begin. I wonder, when he learned he had been elected President of the United States, did he think, "My God! What have I got myself into?"