Pinback button worn by a member of Sen. John F. Kennedy's campaign staff, Oklahoma City, Nov. 3, 1960. No maker mark. Vertical bar pin.
Issued for an appearance at Reding Shopping Center in Oklahoma City, during which Kennedy gave a speech focused on foreign policy, in which he questioned the judgment and readiness of his Republican rival, Vice President Richard Nixon. The purpose of the speech, delivered a week before the election, was to strike at the foundation of Nixon's argument that he possessed greater experience. Kennedy declared, "I think we need leadership that is better informed, leadership that is less complacent about the future, leadership that is more sound in its judgments.... I run for the Presidency in 1960 in the conviction that the people of this country are willing to sacrifice—to give—to spare no effort. And it is in that conviction that I ask your help tonight." A full transcript of the speech can be found at the Kennedy Library website.
