James Webb: Now what image do you want to present beyond this military image of military ( ) under this program?
President Kennedy: Obviously you want to present, ah like the thing you said, the kind of improvements in our national life which will come from this: the leadership of the United States and the national security we’ll get from it – all those factors. The only thing that isn’t today, particularly a plus, in I think surveys a year ago our space program was a much bigger political – now it’s not as much because this happens to be, as I said, a still period in it. (break) The difficulty is that I’m not sure how much, right now, I don’t think the space program has much political positives.
James Webb: I agree, I think this is a real problem.
President Kennedy: I mean if the Russians do some tremendous feat, then it would stimulate interest again, but right now space has lost a lot of its glamour.
James Webb: Well that’s why I want to talk to you because I think there is some strategy issues relating to the election in ’64 that we’ve got to face.