By Karen Matsuoka
For the Daily Bruin
Los Angeles hosted its very first political convention in 1960.
An audience of 80,000 gathered at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
to hear John F. Kennedy accept the Democratic presidential
nomination and proclaim, “We stand today on the edge of a new
frontier.”
Forty years later, Los Angeles is hosting another Democratic
National Convention.
“JFK used our city as the symbolic backdrop to announce
his now-famous New Frontier program,” said Noelia Rodriguez,
CEO of L.A. Convention 2000. “With our cultural diversity,
digital economy and dynamic spirit, the New Frontier is here
again.”
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., the first Jewish American to be
a major party’s vice presidential candidate, drew parallels
to JFK as well.
“Forty years ago, when I was 18 years old, I remember so
clearly watching in awe as John F. Kennedy, the inspiration and
hero of my political life, became the first Roman Catholic
president of the United States,” Lieberman said at a town
hall meeting last week in Tennessee.
“When we nominate Joe Lieberman for vice president, we
will make history again,” added Vice President Al Gore.
Rodriguez stressed, however, that the differences between the
past and present should not be underestimated.
“We have grown into a world-class city, with a thriving
information age economy and arts and cultural institutions that are
the envy of the world,” she said. “This is a great day
for the people of L.A. to reflect upon the progress we have made
since 1960.”
When Kennedy had direct phone lines connected to every
staffer’s room and provided them with walkie-talkies to
facilitate communication during the convention, it was considered a
major technological feat.
This year, L.A. Convention 2000 is using the Internet to connect
people all over the world. James Willia, community manager at
OneNetNow and founder of the 1960 Convention online community, said
visitors can use the site to exchange information about the 1960
Convention and compare it to the 2000 Convention.
“For the Democrats in 1960, the issue was a Catholic
candidate,” he said. “In 2000, it’s a similar
thing. And both years were good times for the country
economically.”
Kennedy’s acceptance speech reflected the tensions
prevalent at the time. Concerns about the “Communist
influence” and the “balance of power” were high
on Kennedy’s agenda.
Last week in Tennessee, Gore said “education is now the
No. 1 priority,” for the Gore-Lieberman ticket.