Kennedy’s Election

Published in El Espectador
(Colombia) on 15 November 2010
by Oscar Alarcon (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Elena Atkinson. Edited by Sam Carter.
Ten days ago marked the 50th anniversary of the election of John F. Kennedy as president of the United States in one of the most contested and controversial elections of the country.

On the night of Tuesday Nov. 8, on the Hyannis Port family farm, Kennedy’s supporters all wore defeated expressions on their faces. The next day, at 3:30 in the morning, the defeated candidate, tired from the intense campaigning that had just finished and under the influence of a significant quantity of drugs meant to alleviate his frequent pains — especially back pain — went to bed.

At 8:45 on Wednesday morning his brother Robert woke him up with the news that John was the new president of the nation. The difference between Kennedy and Nixon in popular votes was 112,000 (49.7 percent versus 45.5 percent*), and within the Electoral College the votes were 303 representatives against 219.

The North American country had just elected the youngest president in the history of the nation, but the doubt still remained that there was electoral fraud, not unlike what happens in banana republics.

Ever since that week the election results of Illinois, one of the last states to reveal their official counts, has been highly contested. The American Noriega** was Mayor Richard Daley, who brought up the number of people who voted in Chicago. Is that why he is smeared? But Kennedy was given a benefit in ten other states, where he achieved differences between one and two thousand votes in each one.

Anyway, Kennedy was elected and, in general, enjoyed positive press coverage. But now his figure is different. His romantic dalliances from the time that he was a senator of Massachusetts have been brought to light. Ever since then his cars were well known in motels. He was very fortunate because besides having such a gorgeous wife like Jacqueline, he regularly bathed in the White House swimming pool with Marilyn, and these meetings were not exactly arranged in order to discuss the Monroe Doctrine. Kennedy was also an expert in launching rockets, among other things.

If Kennedy were alive today, he would have defended himself by saying that the fraud that helped him was all done behind his back … that’s why it hurt him so much.


*Editor's Note: The actual percentages for the popular vote were 49.7 percent for Kennedy and 49.6 percent for Nixon.

**Editor’s Note: Carlos Augusto Noriega is a Colombian politician who was accused of altering voting results in the 1970 presidential election.


MACROLINGOTES
Por: Elespectador.com
HACE DIEZ DÍAS SE CUMPLIERON cincuenta años de la elección de John F. Kennedy como presidente de los Estados Unidos, en uno de los comicios más reñidos y controvertidos de ese país.
Entre los suyos, en la noche del martes 8, todos tenían cara de derrota en la finca familiar de Hyannis Port. Al día siguiente, a las tres y media de la madrugada, el candidato vencido, cansado por la campaña que concluía y dopado por la cantidad de drogas que había tomado por sus frecuentes dolencias —sobre todo en la espalda—, se fue a dormir. A las 8:45 de la mañana del miércoles, su hermano Roberto lo despertó diciéndole que era el nuevo presidente de esa nación. La diferencia en votos populares con Nixon fue de 112.000 (49,7 contra 45,5 por ciento), y en el Colegio Electoral, de 303 delegados contra 219.

El país del norte acababa de elegir al presidente más joven de su historia pero con la duda, que aún persiste, de que hubo fraude, como si se tratara de una banana republic. Desde entonces se discuten los resultados de Illinois, uno de los últimos estados en revelar el escrutinio. El tigrillo Noriega de allá fue el alcalde Richard Daley, de quien se asegura que aumentó la votación en Chicago. ¿Por eso la embarró? Pero también se le benefició electoralmente en otros diez estados, en donde logró diferencias de entre mil y dos mil votos en cada uno de ellos.

De todas maneras Kennedy fue electo y, en líneas generales, gozó de buena prensa. Pero ahora su figura es otra. Se revelan sus escarceos amorosos desde cuando era senador de Massachussets. Ya desde entonces en los moteles era conocido de autos. Tan afortunado porque además de tener una mujer tan hermosa como Jackeline, también se bañaba en la piscina de Casa Blanca con Marilyn, no exactamente para hablar sobre la Doctrina Monroe. Era experto en poner misiles y otras cosas más.

De pronto, si hoy viviera, se habría defendido diciendo que el fraude que lo favoreció se hizo a sus espaldas… por eso le dolían tanto.

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