I think that more detail might be needed in answering the question.  In terms of being able to articulate what major events and dynamics happen in 1960, there was a perceptible wind of change that began to emerge out of the 1950s and into the 1960s.  Civil Rights Legislation had begun to emerge as the issue of equality for African Americans began to tug at America's conscience and play a large role.  At the same time, the force of youth had become more important, as the post World War II children had started to become of age in the political process.  Kennedy entered this time period, where a new guard in American politics was starting to emerge in the 1960s.  Kennedy, being a Roman Catholic, began to tap into this idea in stressing the notion of an America for all of its citizens, reaching out to form a broad appeal in the Democratic Party with wins in West Virginia, a heavily Protestant area.  Kennedy was able to fully represent this new change with the new medium of television carrying the first Presidential debate between both challengers, with Kennedy being declared as a "winner" by those who saw the debate on the new medium of television.