Ronald Reagan vs. John F. Kennedy

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

The most beloved presidents of each party from the past 50 years go head to head.

So, what are your thoughts?

[Senator Libertas]

I'd probably vote for Kennedy of the two, but what year is this taking place?

[Bo]

JFK (reluctantly)/JFK

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

RWR/RWR

[Dr. Cynic]

Kennedy really isn't among my top favorites, but I'd take him over Reagan any day.

[A cowboy always follows his beard]

I'd probably vote for Kennedy of the two, but what year is this taking place?

Today. Assume both are in their respective primes.

Or you could set it in 1964/1960, if you want.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Reaganator/Reaganator

[Rockefeller]

Reagan victory.  Regan wins.  I mean seriously, John F. Kennedy is the most overrated president of all time?  What did he accomplish?  He didn't get civil rights through, he didn't get Medicare/Medicaid through, and was indecisive on the Vietnam War.  All the charisma and charm aside, Kennedy was a do-nothing president. 

[GPORTER]

Yeah, Kennedy is way overrated...he was a liberal nut with his pants down. Reagan had christian values and people could trust him (they knew his heart beat.) The people did not truly 100% know Kennedy's heart beat due to all of the stolen elections and the sexual relations with women other than his wife.

Some of the east coast states are just too democratic to drop to Reagan again though he did well there in the 1980s as did Bush sr in 1988. Delaware and Vermont are relatively close calls for Kennedy. Basically every Kennedy eastern state is close except for Rhode Island and District of Columbia.

With West Virgnia trending more republican since Reagan left politics, that was a tough call for me to make. But, I finally decided to throw it to Kennedy because JFK performed well there and it was one of Reagan's and Bush's weaker states.

The south is pretty self explanatory...these states threatned to vote for Nixon in 1960 and Goldwater in 1964 but Johnson on the ticket kept many of them democrat. Reagan sweeps the south. Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are comfortable victories for Reagan. Iowa is because of the farm vote. Minnesota is close but falls to the democrats...while Michigan and Wisconsin are close also but fall to the republicans. Reagan narrowly pulls in the second Nebraska district though it as well as the dakotas, Kansas, and Missouri are close victories for Reagan due to the farm vote.

As we move west, Reagan carries his home state and pulls squeakers in Washington, and Hawaii. Overall, Reagan wins with other 400 electoral votes.

[Jayhawker]

I would vote for Kennedy, but I think Reagan would win.

[Bo]

JFK wins 308-230. This is assuming the election is held today and both are brought back from the dead. Both Presidents are overrated, but JFK is more charismatic and is viewed as a martyr due to his assassination, and thus the American people decide to give him another chance. Also, many conservatives have a lot of admiration for JFK, while the same could not be said of liberals and Reagan.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Yeah, Kennedy is way overrated...he was a liberal nut with his pants down.

He was arguably more conservative than Reagan.

[Bo]

Yeah, Kennedy is way overrated...he was a liberal nut with his pants down.

He was arguably more conservative than Reagan.

I wouldn't say so. On defense and foreign policy, they were about the same, but Reagan was much more conservative in terms of economic policy.

[Zacoftheaxes]

If both were revived I could actually see them on the same ticket today. They both were charismatic, inspired a generation, and important presidents during the Cold War.  Their policies weren't vastly different either.

And anyone who thinks they could win against Kennedy/Reagan is an idiot.

[Dallasfan65]

Reagan/Kennedy

[Holmes]

Reagan can not win current day California anymore.

What did he accomplish?  He didn't get civil rights through, he didn't get Medicare/Medicaid through, and was indecisive on the Vietnam War.  All the charisma and charm aside, Kennedy was a do-nothing president.  

I mean dying two years after inauguration kinda threw a wrench in his plans, unless you consider being six feet under "do-nothing". Lincoln's second term was pretty lacking as well, actually.

[Derek]

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Kennedy would've been able to carry some of the south but in all honesty could've lost by 6 to Nixon had voter turn out been different or the election been on a different day.

[hawkeye59]

Reagan victory.  Regan wins.  I mean seriously, John F. Kennedy is the most overrated president of all time?  What did he accomplish?  He didn't get civil rights through, he didn't get Medicare/Medicaid through, and was indecisive on the Vietnam War.  All the charisma and charm aside, Kennedy was a do-nothing president. 

He would have gotten civil rights and medicare through, and he was planning to withdraw troops, until he got assassinated.