Listen to Episode 20 of Whistlestop:
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Everything was going so well for JFK in his first White House bid … until religion became an issue. Instead of running from his critics, Kennedy took them on full bore, proving in the process how primary battles can make candidates stronger. In this episode of Whistlestop, John Dickerson tells the story of the 1960 West Virginia Democratic primary, in which Kennedy did an end run around party bosses and took his message straight to the voters.
Whistlestop is Slate’s podcast about presidential campaign history. Hosted by our political correspondent and Political Gabfest panelist John Dickerson, each installment revisits a memorable (or even a forgotten) moment from America’s quadrennial carnival.
Whistlestop is sponsored by The Great Courses, now offering the lecture series The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas. Order from eight of their best-selling courses at up to 80 percent of the original price by visiting thegreatcourses.com/whistlestop.
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Email: whistlestop@slate.com
Podcast production by Tony Field.
