The year was 1960, he was an advisor to the presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, who was running for election on the promise of five-percent growth, so Rostow's job was to keep that plane flying, not to ask if, how, or when it could ever be allowed to land.
Her er hvorfor; Året var 1960. Han var rådgiver til præsidentkandidaten John F. Kennedy, som løb til valget med et løfte om fem procent vækst. So Rostow's opgave var  at holde flyet i luften - ikke at spørge, hvordan og hvornår det kunne få tilladelse til at lande.