On November 21, Kennedy and his wife Jackie departed on Air Force One for the five-city tour of Texas, which had them staying in Texas for about three days at the most. Kennedy was aware that a feud among party leaders in Texas could potentially jeopardize his chances of winning the state in the upcoming election, and one of his goals for the trip was to bring the Democrats together. He also knew that a small but vocal group of extremists were contributing to the political tensions in Texas and would likely make its presence felt, especially in Dallas, where UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson had been physically attacked a month earlier after making a speech there. JFK seemed to love the prospect of leaving Washington, getting out among the people and getting ready to defend the Presidency

In 1963, John F Kennedy was preparing to run for a second term of office as the President of the United States. Although he hadn't officially said he was running again, Kennedy seemed to be confident that a victory was all but guaranteed. By September, Kennedy had traveled to and spoke in nine different states. While the trip was meant to mostly cover his plans for natural resources and conservation efforts, he also used it to talk about education, national security, and world peace. He cited the achievement of a limited nuclear test ban, which the Senate had just approved and which was a potential issue in the upcoming election. The public’s enthusiastic response was encouraging. On November 12, he held the first major political planning session for the upcoming election in 1964. Here, JFK stressed the importance of winning Florida and Texas and talked about his plans to visit both of the states. Mrs. Kennedy would be accompanying him on the trip to Texas, which would be her first extended public appearance since the loss of their baby, Patrick, in August.

The Assassination of President John F Kennedy

Kennedy giving speech on November 12, 1963 preparing for the Presidential Election in 1964