Back On the 1960 Campaign Trail

With the conventions almost here, the timing seems just right for "Primary," one of three JFK documentaries by filmmaker Robert Drew, re-released on DVD. In 1960, Drew gained access to John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey as they canvassed in battleground Wisconsin. The film opens with Humphrey on small- town Main Streets, shaking hands and cracking hokey jokes. Rural Midwesterners considered Humphrey an insider; the film even catches a radio host predicting his easy win.

But when the camera cuts to people screaming and straining just to touch the junior senator from Massachusetts, it's clear who will emerge victorious. While Humphrey harangues half-empty union halls, Jack displays his oratorical flair in front of packed auditoriums. At his side, doe-eyed Jackie is alluring in white gloves and pearls. The couple sparkles with an energy that makes poor Humphrey look as exciting as a tree stump.

It's hard not to draw comparisons to the present race, where another older "straight talking" senator with a penchant for snooze inducing town-hall speeches faces a charismatic politician whose rock-star presence has energized the youth vote (though in 1960, it's religion, not race, that's the elephant in the room). In JFK's case, as Drew's later films show, his idealism helped him navigate the challenges he later faced, like ending segregation. If only we had the benefit of fast-forward this time around.

© 2008