
50 years before Obamacare, JFK's own health care debacle
In 1962, John F. Kennedy tried to pass health care for seniors; his announcement - and his overall effort - turned out to be flops
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Award-winning journalist and author John Dickerson is co-anchor of the" CBS Evening News" and chief political analyst for CBS News. Dickerson leads the Network's election coverage and political special reports.
In addition to appearing on CBS' flagship evening broadcast in New York, Dickerson anchors its streaming extension, "CBS Evening News Plus" on CBS News 24/7. He also serves as a senior national correspondent and a contributor to "CBS News Sunday Morning."
Prior to joining the CBS Evening News, Dickerson anchored "The Daily Report with John Dickerson" on CBS News 24/7, where for two years the show created a space to go beyond the latest headlines and provide live, in-depth interviews on the day's major stories.
Dickerson has also been a co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" for 20 years; is the creator of "Whistlestop," a podcast of presidential history; and in 2024 published an eight-essay album of personal essays, "Navel Gazing," a podcast based on the notebooks he has carried 35 years. He is also a contributing writer to The Atlantic.
Dickerson joined CBS News in April 2009 as an analyst and contributor. For six years, he served as the Network's political director. He moderated CBS News' Sunday morning public affairs program "Face The Nation" from June 2015 to January 2018 and was the Network's chief Washington correspondent. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he moderated CBS News' two presidential debates. From January 2018 until May 2019, he was a co-host of "CBS This Morning."
From 2019-2021, Dickerson was a contributor for 60 Minutes, where his story on the death of Elijah McClain was nominated for an Emmy.
In addition to his political reporting, Dickerson is known for his in-depth interviews with a wide range of figures, from Apple CEO Tim Cook to actors Glenda Jackson and Christian Bale, authors Colson Whitehead, Michael Lewis and Tara Westover, and musicians John Prine, Jon Batiste, Jason Isbell and Dave Matthews.
Dickerson started his career as a Time magazine correspondent, covering economics, Congress, and the presidency. In the last four years of his 12 at the magazine, he was its White House correspondent. From 2005 to 2015, he was Slate magazine's chief political correspondent. He has covered the last nine presidential campaigns.
His mother, Nancy Dickerson, was CBS News' first female correspondent. Dickerson is the author of On Her Trail (Simon and Schuster), a book about his mother. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History (Twelve Books) and The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency. (Random House).
He received the Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and the David Broder Award for political reporting. A native Washingtonian, Dickerson graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in English and a specialty in American studies.
In 1962, John F. Kennedy tried to pass health care for seniors; his announcement - and his overall effort - turned out to be flops
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