The nation picks Kennedy as president.

More than 3,000 voters went to the polls of North Elba on Election Day and returned a 1,970 to 1,028 majority for Vice President Richard Nixon over Sen. John Kennedy. North Elba was out of step, however, with the voters of the large industrial states, the cities and the normally Democratic Southern states, which combined to sweep Kennedy to victory.

This article is being written under duress and as a friendly “penalty” for backing the loser according to the invitation set forth in the Nov. 3 issue of the Lake Placid News to serve as a “post-script to the campaign.”

Perhaps the most significant feature of Sen. Kennedy’s election is the proper burial for all time of the theory that a Catholic can never be elected president. …

The overwhelmingly majority of the voters of all faiths went to the polls, however, as they usually do, and voted for the man they felt possessed the best qualifications to be president without regard to his religion.

The election is over and all of the American people now unite with the new president in his effort to “move America ahead.” But in the traditional way of American politics, the losers have a continuing role and obligation to provide intelligent and constructive criticism and opposition.

Election day has not changed the fact that almost half of the many millions of voters supported the other candidate and the political philosophies of the Republican Party. Constructive opposition is one of the essential checks and balances and keystones of American politics, for there is aways another election. For this time, congratulations to the winners.

Norman Hess

Lake Placid

(On Saturday, Nov. 7, Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential race by most media outlets. When he takes office in January, he will be the second U.S. president of Catholic faith, the first one being John F. Kennedy, who served from 1961 to 1963. AP VoteCast showed 50% of Catholics backed Donald Trump in the election, and 49% favored Biden.)

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72 years ago: Nov. 5, 1948

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Editorial: What happened, Dewey?

In the biggest upset since David downed Goliath, President Harry S. Truman, the little man from Missouri, was the victor over Thomas E. Dewey, Republican aspirant, in the photo finish that had the whole world talking — and the contestants talking to themselves.

Prior to Election Day, Dewey, the former gang-busting D.A. and more recently governor of New York state, had been the odds-on-choice to take up the next four-year lease at the White House. About the only one who could foresee a Truman triumph was Truman, who stuck to his guns stumping around the country in real, old-fashioned political style.

We strongly urged the support of Dewey, but in defeat we strongly urge unity with Mr. Truman, for in unity, we believe, lies peace.