Kennedy vs. Nixon - 1st 1960 Debate

THANK YOU, MR. NIXON. THAT COMPLETES THE OPENING STATEMENTS. AND NOW THE CANDIDATES WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS OR COMMENT UPON ONE ANOTHER'S ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PUT BY CORRESPONDENTS OF THE NETWORKS. THE CORRESPONDENTS: I'M SANDER VANOCUR, NBC NEWS. I'M CHARLES WARREN, MUTUAL NEWS. I'M STUART NOVINS, CBS NEWS. BOB FLEMING, ABC NEWS. THE FIRST QUESTION TO SENATOR KENNEDY FROM MR. FLEMING. SENATOR, THE VICE PRESIDENT IN HIS CAMPAIGN HAS SAID THAT YOU WERE NAIVE AND AT TIMES IMMATURE. HE HAS RAISED THE QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP. ON THIS ISSUE, WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU RATHER THAN THE VICE PRESIDENT? WELL, THE VICE PRESIDENT AND I CAME TO THE CONGRESS TOGETHER IN 1946; WE BOTH SERVED IN THE LABOR COMMITTEE. I'VE BEEN THERE NOW FOR 14 YEARS, THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME THAT HE HAS, SO THAT OUR EXPERIENCE IN, UH- GOVERNMENT IS COMPARABLE. SECONDLY, I THINK THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ADVOCATE? WHAT IS THE PARTY RECORD THAT WE LEAD? I COME OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHICH IN THIS CENTURY HAS PRODUCED WOODROW WILSON AND FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT AND HARRY TRUMAN. AND WHICH SUPPORTED AND SUSTAINED THESE PROGRAMS WHICH I'VE DISCUSSED TONIGHT. MR. NIXON COMES OUT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. HE WAS NONIMATED BY IT. AND IT IS A FACT THAT THROUGH MOST OF THESE LAST 25 YEARS THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP HAS OPPOSED FEDERAL AID FOR EDUCATION, MEDICAL CARE FOR THE AGED, DEVELOPMENT OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY, DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. I THINK MR. NIXON IS AN EFFECTIVE LEADER OF HIS PARTY. I HOPE HE WOULD GRANT ME THE SAME. THE QUESTION BEFORE US IS, WHICH POINT OF VIEW AND WHICH PARTY DO WE WANT TO LEAD THE UNITED STATES? MR. NIXON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT STATEMENT? I HAVE NO COMMENT. THE NEXT QUESTION TO VICE PRESIDENT NIXON FROM MR. VANOCUR. UH, MR. VICE PRESIDENT, SINCE THE QUESTION OF EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP IS A VERY IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN ISSUE, I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW MR. NOVINS' QUESTION. NOW, REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN SLOGANS- YOU'LL SEE THEM ON SIGNS AROUND THE COUNTRY AS YOU DID LAST WEEK - SAY "IT'S EXPERIENCE THAT COUNTS"- THAT'S OVER A PICTURE OF YOURSELF, SIR. UH, IMPLYING THAT YOU'VE HAD MORE GOVERNMENTAL EXECUTIVE DECISION-MAKING, UH, EXPERIENCE, THAN UH, YOUR OPPONENT. NOW, IN HIS NEWS CONFERENCE ON AUGUST 24, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WAS ASKED TO GIVE ONE EXAMPLE OF A MAJOR IDEA OF YOURS THAT HE ADOPTED. HIS REPLY WAS, AND I'M QUOTING: "IF YOU GIVE ME A WEEK, I MIGHT THINK OF ONE." "I DON'T REMEMBER." NOW, THAT WAS A MONTH AGO SIR, AND THE PRESIDENT HASN'T BROUGHT IT UP SINCE. AND I'M WONDERING, SIR, IF YOU CAN CLARIFY WHICH VERSION IS CORRECT- THE ONE PUT OUT BY REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN LEADERS OR THE ONE PUT OUT BY PRESIDENT EISENHOWER? WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST, MR. VANOCUR, THAT, UH, IF YOU KNOW THE PRESIDENT, THAT WAS PROBABLY A FACETIOUS REMARK. UH, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT INSOFAR AS HIS STATEMENT IS CONCERNED, THAT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE IMPROPER FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO DISCLOSE, UH, THE INSTANCES IN WHICH MEMBERS OF HIS OFFICIAL FAMILY HAD MADE RECOMMENDATIONS AS I HAVE MADE THEM THROUGH THE YEARS TO HIM, WHICH HE HAS ACCEPTED OR REJECTED. THE PRESIDENT HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED AND VERY PROPERLY SO THAT HE IS ENTITLED TO GET WHAT ADVICE HE WANTS FROM HIS CABINET AND FROM HIS OTHER ADVISERS WITHOUT DISCLOSING THAT TO ANYBODY. INCLUDING, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CONGRESS. NOW, I CAN ONLY SAY THIS. THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE SAT IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. I HAVE BEEN IN THE CABINET. I HAVE MET WITH THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS. I HAVE MET WITH THE PRESIDENT WHEN HE MADE THE GREAT DECISIONS WITH REGARD TO LEBANON, QUEMOY, MATSU, OTHER MATTERS. THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED FOR MY ADVICE. I HAVE GIVEN IT. SOMETIMES MY ADVICE HAS BEEN TAKEN. SOMETIMES IT IS NOT. I DO NOT SAY THAT I HAVE MADE THE DECISIONS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT NO PRESIDENT SHOULD EVER ALLOW ANYBODY ELSE TO MAKE THE MAJOR DECISIONS. THE PRESIDENT ONLY MAKES THE DECISIONS. ALL THAT HIS ADVISERS DO IS TO GIVE COUNSEL WHEN HE ASKS FOR IT. AS FAR AS WHAT EXPERIENCE COUNTS, AND WHETHER THAT IS EXPERIENCE THAT COUNTS, THAT ISN'T FOR ME TO SAY. UH, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS THERE FOR THE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER, SENATOR KENNEDY'S IS THERE FOR THE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER. AS HE POINTED OUT, WE CAME TO THE CONGRESS IN THE SAME YEAR. HIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN DIFFERENT THAN MINE. MINE HAS BEEN IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. HIS HAS BEEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. I WOULD SAY THAT THE PEOPLE NOW HAVE THE OPPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE HIS AS AGAINST MINE AND I THINK BOTH HE AND I ARE GOING TO ABIDE BY WHATEVER THE PEOPLE DECIDE. SENATOR KENNEDY? WELL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT THE QUESTION IS OF EXPERIENCE AND THE QUESTION ALSO IS UH, WHAT OUR JUDGEMENT IS OF THE FUTURE. AND WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR THE UNITED STATES AND WHAT ABILITY WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THOSE GOALS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN CAME TO THE PRESIDENCY IN 1860 AFTER A RATHER LITTLE-KNOWN SESSION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND AFTER BEING DEFEATED FOR THE SENATE IN '58 AND WAS A DISTINGUISHED PRESIDENT. THERE'S NO CERTAIN ROAD TO THE PRESIDENCY. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES THAT, UH, IF YOU TAKE ONE ROAD OR ANOTHER THAT YOU WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENT. I HAVE BEEN IN THE CONGRESS FOR 14 YEARS. I HAVE VOTED IN THE LAST, UH, 8 YEARS AND THE VICE PRESEDENT WAS UH, PRESIDING OVER THE SENATE AND MEETING HIS OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. I HAVE MET, UH, DECISIONS OVER 800 TIMES ON MATTERS WHICH AFFECT NOT ONLY THE DOMESTIC SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE. THE QUESTION REALLY IS: WHICH CANDIDATE AND WHICH PARTY CAN MEET THE PROBLEMS THAT THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO FACE IN THE '60S? MR. VANOCUR'S QUESTION FOR VICE PRESIDENT NIXON. MR. VICE PRESIDENT, UH, IN ONE OF YOUR EARLIER STATEMENTS, YOU SAID WE'VE MOVED AHEAD, WE'VE BUILT MORE SCHOOLS, WE'VE BUILT MORE HOSPITALS. NOW, SIR, ISN'T IT TRUE THAT THE BUILDING OF MORE SCHOOLS IS A LOCAL MATTER FOR FINANCING? UH, WERE YOU CLAIMING THAT THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUILDING OF THESE SCHOOLS, OR IS IT THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT PROVIDE FOR IT? NOT AT ALL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOUR QUESTION BRINGS OUT A POINT THAT I AM VERY GLAD TO MAKE. TOO OFTEN IN APPRAISING WHETHER WE ARE MOVING AHEAD OR NOT, WE THINK ONLY OF WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING. NOW, THAT ISN'T THE TEST OF WHETHER AMERICA MOVES. THE TEST OF WHETHER AMERICA MOVES, IS WHETHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PLUS THE STATE GOVERMENT, PLUS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, PLUS THE BIGGEST SEGMENT OF ALL- INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE- MOVES. WE HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, A GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT OF APPROXIMATELY $500 BILLION. ROUGHLY A HUNDRED BILLION TO A HUNDRED AND A QUARTER BILLION OF THAT IS THE RESULT OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY. 400 BILLION, APPROXIMATELY, IS A RESULT OF WHAT INDIVIDUALS DO. NOW, THE REASON THE EISENHOWER ADMINISTRATION HAS MOVED, THE REASON THAT WE'VE HAD THE FUNDS, FOR EXAMPLE, LOCALLY, TO BUILD THE SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS, AND THE HIGHWAYS, TO MAKE THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE, IS BECAUSE THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS ENCOURAGED INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE; AND IT HAS RESULTED IN THE GREATEST EXPANSION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY THAT HAS EVER BEEN WITNESSED IN AN 8 YEAR PERIOD. AND THAT IS GROWTH. THAT IS THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. IT IS THE GROWTH THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS SUPPORTED AND THAT ITS POLICIES HAVE STIMULATED. SENATOR KENNEDY? I MUST SAY THAT I THINK THE REASON THAT THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IS BECAUSE THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE WILLING TO INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAXES TO A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH FIGURE. IN MY OPINION, ALMOST TO THE POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THESE SCHOOLS. SECONDLY, I THINK WE HAVE A RICH, UH, COUNTRY. AND I THINK WE HAVE A POWERFUL COUNTRY. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, HOWEVER, IS HAVE THE PRESIDENT AND THE LEADERSHIP SET BEFORE OUR COUNTRY EXACTLY WHAT WE MUST DO IN THE NEXT DECADE, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN OUR SECURITY IN EDUCATION, IN ECONOMIC GROWTH, IN DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. THE SOVIET UNION IS MAKING GREAT GAINS. IT ISN'T ENOUGH TO COMPARE WHAT MIGHT HAVE BE DONE 8 YEARS AGO, OR 10 YEARS AGO, OR 15 YEARS AGO, OR 20 YEARS AGO. I WANT TO COMPARE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH WHAT OUR ADVERSARIES ARE DOING, SO THAT BY THE YEAR 1970, THE UNITED STATES IS AHEAD IN EDUCATION, AND HEALTH, IN BUILDING, IN HOMES, IN ECONOMIC STRENGTH. I THINK THAT'S THE BIG ASSIGNMENT, THE BIG TASK, THE BIG FUNCTION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.