What was the purpose of John F. Kennedy's speech on January 20, 1962?

John F. Kennedy was addressing a large gathering of Democratic supporters at a fundraising event in Washington D.C.  The evening was a celebration of the one-year anniversary of Kennedy's inauguration of the previous January.  The reason for the address was to draw Democratic financial and political support for the Congressional elections that were to be held in November.  The election was important to Kennedy's presidency because he hoped to gain further support for his programs...

John F. Kennedy was addressing a large gathering of Democratic supporters at a fundraising event in Washington D.C.  The evening was a celebration of the one-year anniversary of Kennedy's inauguration of the previous January.  The reason for the address was to draw Democratic financial and political support for the Congressional elections that were to be held in November.  The election was important to Kennedy's presidency because he hoped to gain further support for his programs by adding some Democratic seats in Congress.  Kennedy recounts some of the great achievements of Democratic presidents of the Twentieth Century and even makes parallels to the programs that his presidency was attempting to pursue.  By connecting some of his programs like the space race and the Alliance for Progress with historical successes, he is able to further communicate the importance of the upcoming Congressional elections.