what were two drawbacks facing jfk as he ran for president and how did he turn those drawbacks into assets for his campaign

Two of John Kennedy's biggest "weaknesses" when he ran for President in 1960 were his young age and his Catholic faith.

Kennedy was able to mobilize a whole generation of young people, much like Barack Obama did in 2008, by making himself seem like the standard bearer for a new generation.

Kennedy was also able to speak frankly about religion and become the first Catholic President who was able to rally Catholics and get them involved in public life.