Democratic presidents and politicians have often used the Detroit Labor Day parade to outline their labor-based campaign goals. In 1948 President Harry Truman capitalized on his popularity with automotive workers and formally kicked off his reelection campaign with a rousing speech before more than 250,000 people (below). In 1960, wishing for the same effect, presidential hopeful and U.S. senator John F. Kennedy (below), with Governor G. Mennen Williams, future Governor John Swainson and U.S. senator Patrick McNamara) spent Labor Day in Detroit outlining Kennedy's presidential agenda.