In the Presidential elections America aims to install the man most able to lead the country and represent the whole. In 1960 John F. Kennedy ran on the Democratic ticket and won over the country. In 2004 John F. Kerry ran on the Democratic ticket and decisively lost the election. Why? How did Kennedy win over America and Kerry did not? There are many similarities between the candidates, but there are also many differences. In the end, Kerry simply did not represent a majority. When comparing Kennedy and Kerry one is looking at two separate Democrats with two separates ideologies. In this paper I will examine Kennedy's strengths with Kerry's weaknesses. I will compare their backgrounds, platforms, and finally who they targeted for support.
             Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second son of Joseph Kennedy, a successful politician, and Rose Fitzgerald. In 1935 he entered Princeton University, but left after he contracted jaundice. He then attended Harvard University. During his college years he traveled to Europe twice to visit his father who was ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 1938 he contracted osteoporosis of the lower lumbar spine, this caused him to be rejected from the army. In 1941 his father pulled some strings and got him accepted into the United States Navy, where he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for saving a man's life. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. In 1946 he was voted mayor of Boston and was later reelected twice. In 1952 he won a seat in the Senate for Massachusetts against the Republican incumbent. In 1957 he won a Pulitzer for his biography, Profiles in Courage. In 1960 he became the youngest man to win the presidency (Wekipedia 2004, no pg).
             John Kerry had a similar life prior to the elections of 2004. He was born on December 11, 1943 to Richard Kerry...