“Before 1960, presidential primaries were minor events. Party leaders settled on who would be the standard-bearer in the proverbial smoke-filled rooms at national conventions. The candidate with the best connections to state and regional political kingpins usually became the nominee.
But Kennedy vowed to flip the script. Bucking tradition, JFK would campaign in primary elections and empower voters—not party bosses—to win him as many delegates as possible.”

I would give this book 5 stars if I didn’t feel the need to give the epilogue 1 star.

Essentially, this book is nearly 400 pages of uncovering the alleged corruption, rigging, and criminal activities that possibly swung the election of 1960 to JFK—only to conclude with a 9-page epilogue arguing that it’s ridiculous to think a presidential election could be stolen. Moreover, if an election is confirmed to be stolen, it’s commendable to just submit and embrace the fraud.

I don’t personally believe 2000 or 2020 was stolen but, if either had been, it shouldn’t be expected for the sabotaged candidate who “lost” to just accept the results. I understand the author wanted to tie in the modern-day relevance of 1960 but I felt like the epilogue was just a giant rant about Donald Trump rather than a conclusion of how this race transformed the current primary process and general election as we know it today.

Epilogue aside, this is an easy read to recommend. Countdown 1960 includes details and testimonies that I haven’t read in other Kennedy biographies as well as some differing accounts of how certain decisions were made. When it comes to these details, it’s unknown what Chris Wallace got right or wrong but I mostly read these as supplementing rather than conflicting. Overall, this book adds another piece to the puzzle of this landmark in American History.

It was so good. Loved it. Until it turned in to a slam on Trump.