A kinescope of the John F Kennedy and Richard M Nixon presidential debate.
"I'm not satisfied when we have over nine billion dollars worth of food. Some of it rotting food. Even though there is a hungry world."
Good evening. The television and radio stations in the United States and their affiliated stations are proud to provide facilitates. Exists in the election of eight hundred sixty. Abraham Lincoln said the question was whether this nation that exists a slave or half breeds in the election of one nine hundred sixty and with the world around us. The question is whether the world will exist. Prop slaves. Or free. Whether it will move in the direction of freedom. In the direction of the road that we are taking. Or whether it will move in the direction of slavery. I think it will depend in great measure upon what we do here in the United States and the kind of society that we bailed on the kind of strength that we maintain its we discuss tonight, domestic issues. But I would not want that to be. Any implication to be given that this does not involve directly our struggle with Mr. crucial for survival. It's just a crude job as a New York. And he maintains the communist offensive throughout the world. Because of the productive power of the Soviet Union itself. It's the Chinese Communist have always had a large population. But they are important and dangerous now because they are mounting a major effort within their own country. The kind of country we have here. The kind of society we have the kind of strength we build in the United States will be the defense of freedom. If we do well here. If we meet our obligations. If we are moving ahead. Then I think freedom will be secure on the world. If we fail then freedom fail. It's therefore I think the question before the American people lives are we doing as much as we can do. We as strong as we should be and we as strong as we must be if we're going to maintain our independence and if we're going to maintain and hold out the hand of friendship. To those who look to us for assistance to those who look to us for survival. It's I should make it very clear that I. I do not think we're doing enough so that I am not satisfied as an American. With the progress that we make it's this is a great country. But I think it could be a great a country. And this is a powerful country, but I think it could be a more powerful comfort. I'm not satisfied to have fifty percent of our steel mill capacity. Unused it's I'm not satisfied when the United States had large data sets the lowest rate of economic growth of any major industrialized society in the world. It's because economic growth means strength and vitality. It means we're able to sustain our defenses. It means we're able to meet our commitments abroad. It's I'm not satisfied when we have over nine billion dollars’ worth of food. Some of it rotting food. Even though there is a hungry world. And even though four million Americans wait every month for a food package from the governments which averages five cents a day for individual. It's I thought cases in West Virginia. Here in the United States where children took home part of their school lunch. In order to feed their families because I don't think we're meeting our obligations towards these American it's I'm not satisfied when the Soviet Union is turning out twice as many scientists and engineers as we off so I'm not satisfied when many of our teachers are inadequately paid on our children go to school part time he F.'s I think we should have an educational system second to none. It's I'm not satisfied. When I see men like Jimmy Hoffa. In charge of the largest union in the United States still for a. I'm not satisfied when we are failing to develop the natural resources of the United States to the fullest. It's here in the United States which developed the Tennessee Valley and which built the Grand Coulee and the other dams in the Northwest United States at the present rate of hydro power production. That is the hallmark of an industrialized society. Soviet Union by nine hundred seventy-five will be producing. More power than we are. These are all the things I think in this country that can make our society strong. Our communities stand still. It's I'm not satisfied
until every American. Enjoys his full constitutional rights with a Negro baby is born and this is true also of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans in some of our cities. He has about one half as much chance to get
through high school as a white state. He has one third as much chance to get to college as whites do. He has about a third as much chance to be a professional man. But half as much chance to own a house C. Has about four times as much chance that he'll be out of work in his life as a white baby. I think we can do better. I don't want the talents of any American to go to wastes I know that there are those who say that we want to turn everything over to the governments. I don't at all. I want the individuals to meet their responsibilities. And I want the states to make their responsibility. But I think there is also a national responsibility. The argument has been used against every piece of social legislation in the last twenty-five years. The people of the United States individually cannot develop the Tennessee Valley collectively they could have a cotton farmer enjoy our peanut farm or a dairy farmer in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He cannot protect himself against the forces of supply and demand in the marketplace so working together and effective governmental program. He can do stuff seventeen million Americans who live over sixty-five. On an average Social Security checks of about seventy-eight dollars a month say not able to sustain themselves individually. But they can sustain themselves through the Social Security system. I don't believe in the governments, but I believe in effective governmental action. And I think that's the only way that the United States is going to maintain its freedoms. The only way that it was going to move ahead. I think we can do a better job. I. We're going to have to do a better job. If we are going to meet the responsibilities which time and events have placed upon us so we cannot turn the job over to anyone else. If the United States fails then the whole fall is a freedom payoffs and I think it depends a great measure. On what we do here in this country. It's the reason Franklin Roosevelt was a good neighbor in Latin America was because he was a good neighbor in the United States because they felt that the American society was moving again. I want us to recapture that emits I want people in Latin America and Africa an atheist's to start to look to America to see how we're doing things and wonder what the president of the United States is doing it's not to look at who shops a look at the Chinese communists. That is the obligation upon our generation. It's one hundred thirty three Franklin Roosevelt said in his inaugural that this generation of Americans as ironic to assessments. I think our generation of Americans has the same rendezvous. Question now as then freedom be maintained. Under the most of a attacked. Attack it is never known. I think it's handy. And I think in the final analysis of this hand upon what we do here. I think it's time America started moving again it's a now the opening statement by Vice President Richard M. Next steps. That's one of the candidates the things that Senator Kennedy has said it's many of us going to grapes. There is no question. But that we cannot discuss our internal affairs in the United States without recognizing that they have a tremendous bearing on our international position. There is no question. But that this nation cannot stand still. Because we are in a deadly competition. It's a competition not only with the man in the Kremlin. But the man in speaking. Where his. In this competition as Senator Kennedy. I think is implied but when you're in a race. The only way to stay ahead is to move ahead and I subscribe completely silly spirit that Senator Kennedy has expressed tonight despair that the United States should move ahead. Where then the we disagree, I think we disagree on the implication of his remarks tonight and on the statements that he has made on many occasions during his campaign to the effect that the United States has been standing still. We heard that later looking then to this problem of how the United States are should move ahead and where the United States is moving. I think it is well that we take the advice of a very famous campaign that for the record is the United States standing still. Is it true that this administration the Senator Kennedy has talked has been a demand ministration of retreat of defeat of stagnation. Is it true that as far as this country is concerned in the field of electric power and all of the feel that he has much. We have not been moving. Well we have a comparison that we can make we have the record of the Truman administration of seven and a half years and the Seven and a half years of the school. We have built more schools in these last seven and a half years and we built in the previous seven and a half for that matter in the previous twenty years. Let's take hydroelectric power we have developed more hydroelectric power in the south and a half years and less developed than any previous administration in history. Let us take hospital. We find that more been built in this administration than in the previous administration the same is true of has been more growth in this administration and its predecessor. But let's not put it there. Let's put it in terms of the average fan. What has happened to you. We find. Have gone up five times as much in the Eisenhower administration as they did in the Truman administration. What about the prices and we find that the prices you went up five times as much in the Truman administration that in the eyes of what the net result of this means that the average family income went up fifteen percent in the Eisenhower years as against two percent in the film and now this is not standing still but good is this record is may I emphasize it isn't enough our record is never something to stand. It's something to build and in building on this record I believe that we have the fix for progress. We know the way to progress and I think first of all our own record proves that we know the way. Senator Kennedy has suggested that he believes he knows them and I respect the sincerity with them which he makes up to do but on the other hand when we look at the various programs that he offers they do not seem to be no they seem to be simply retread of the programs of the Truman administration which preceded and I would suggest that during the course of the evening he might indicate those areas in which his programs are new where they will mean more progress than we have that kind of programs or we feel we are for programs that will expand educational opportunities that will give to all Americans very equal chance for education for all of the things which are necessary and dear to the hearts of our people. We are for programs in addition which will say that our medical care for the aged is are much is much better handled than it is at the present time here again and I indicate that Senator Kennedy and I are not human as to the aims. We both want to help the old people. We want to see that they do have adequate medical care because. Stern is the main I think that the means that I advocate will reach that goal but in the means of yes I could get better examples but for for whatever it is whether it's in the field of housing or health or medical care or schools or the development of electric power we have a program which we believe will move America moving forward and build on the wonderful record that we have made over the past seven and a half years now when we look at these programs. Might I suggest that in evaluating them. We often have a tendency to say that the test of a program is how much you're spending. I will concede that in all the areas to which I refer Senator Kennedy would have the best federal government spend more than I would have icons that out the cost of the Democratic Party. It runs a minimum of thirteen and two tenths billion dollars a year more than we are presently spending to a maximum of eighteen billion dollars a year more than the rest of the other Republican platform will cost more to it will cost a minimum of four billion dollars a year more a maximum of four nine ten billion dollars a year more than your presents and now. Does this mean that his program is better than ours. Not at all because it isn't a question of how much the federal government spends it isn't a question of which government does the most it's a question of what you ministration does the right thing. And in our case I do believe that our programs will stimulate the creative energies of one hundred eighty million free America. I believe the programs that Senator Kennedy advocates will have a tendency to stifle those creative energy. I believe in other words that his programs. Would lead to the stagnation of the motive power that we need in this country to get past the final point that I would like to make and Senator Kennedy has suggested in his speeches that. We lack compassion for the poor for the old and for others that are on for let us understand throughout this campaign that his motives and mine are sincere. I know what it means to be poor. I know what it means to see people running for. I know Senator Kennedy feels is deeply about the problems of life. But our disagreement is not about the goal for America only about the means to me to thank him again. Actually that completes the opening statements ona the candle answered questions are counted upon one another's answers to questions put by correspondents of the networks the correspondents. I'm stranded out of her and basically you know I was drowned one. If you will news story. Novins C.B.S. News. Bob Flemming the A.B.C. News. The first question to Senator Kennedy from Mr Flynt. Senator the vice president his campaign has said that you are naive in a time in the tour you raise the question of leadership on this issue. Why do you think people should vote for you rather than a vice president Vice President and I came to Congress together. One hundred forty six of those children the Labor Committee. I've been there now fourteen years in the same period of time if you have to know that our experience in 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 came 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 that connection comes out of the Republican Party. He was nominated by it and it is a fact that through most of these last twenty five years. The Republican leadership has opposed federal aid regulations. Medical care for the aged development of the Tennessee Valley development of our natural resource. I think Mr Nixon is an effective leader of his party. I hope he would grant me the same question before us is which point of view and which party do we want to lead United States.
credit rights: Novins C.B.S. News. Bob Flemming the A.B.C. News, who-knew research division.
part 2 will be posted on 10/02/18
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