What JFK Was Doing On The Final Days Before His Death
By JACK HAWKINS
History - Science
THE RE-ELECTION
By November 1963, President John F. Kennedy had been in office for over 1000 days and was thinking ahead of the 1964 election. While Kennedy's disapproval rating had climbed steadily through 1963, he had addressed the concerns at a meeting, stressing the importance of winning Florida and Texas in the next election by committing to events in both states.
THE FLORIDA VISIT
Kennedy visited Florida to address two key issues, an Argentine order that canceled lucrative American contracts, and to promote the Alliance for Progress, an economic initiative between the U.S. and Latin America. He also discussed the Cuban people and the United States’ commitment against communist development in the western hemisphere.
A SCHEDULED MEETING
Some of JFK’s tapes revealed he was to meet with General Nasution of Indonesia — as Indonesia was an important domino in America's "domino theory" policy — on November 25, 1963, which was to be the day of his funeral in Washington, DC. In a moment recorded three days before his death, Kennedy said that the meeting was going to be part of a "tough day."
VIETNAM WAR
In the last weeks of his life, President John F. Kennedy struggled with the issue of Vietnam, deciding whether to commit greater military forces. JFK had a key role in expanding the American presence in Vietnam, which helped lay the groundwork for President Johnson's "secret plans for an expansion of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam."
NEW VICE PRESIDENT
According to Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, JFK had considered replacing Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson with Governor Terry Sanford. Johnson exasperated him, and JFK did not consider the Vice President fit to assume the presidency, saying, "If I am re-elected in '64... I am going to advocate changing some of the outmoded rules and regulations in Congress."