Nixon grew up dirt poor whereas Kennedy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nixon could relate better with the working man and woman of America because he was one of them. Kennedy’s relationship to working people extended to the people who cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and cleaned his homes in Hyannisport and Palm Beach.
That’s the root of Nixon’s inferiority complex that eventually became paranoia. He was smarter, worked harder, and actually cared more for the citizenry than any of the Ivy League snobs who always put him down. I really feel sorry for Nixon. He wasn’t the monster the likes of Oliver Stone would like us to believe.
People forget that Nixon was also a Lt. Commander in WWII, and was only 4 years older than the eternally “youthful”/”youngest”/etc JFK.