I too grow tired of the conspiracy theories, the “what ifs” should the guy lived and this nonsense about him being a Liberal. Bill Clinton, crony of the GOP Lite DLC was more liberal than Kennedy!
However, coming from a Catholic family with an Irish faction, the man was the second coming to Grandma. As my old man (who’s Italian) said, “Your grandmother thinks the Kennedys can walk on water.” The sickening reverence JFK received was a major reason why I didn’t want Romney elected plus the Mormons are even bigger gloaters; their five Senate seats is too much representation anyway. When I was a kid, I bought into the fuss. By the time I got to Marquette, I learned more about the reality, namely how most legislation was bottlenecked in Congress. He also ran a more hawkish campaign against the Soviet Union than Tricky Dick. More consistent Liberal publications like The Nation reluctantly endorsed JFK in 1960 because veep had a more egregious public record.
In his defense though Kennedy did represent a watershed moment. He was the first 20th-century born president, he was first true WWII vet (Ike was a candy-ass general who slept with his female aides) and his Catholic background did represent a power shift in the Democratic Party that began with Al Smith’s 1928 nomination. America was finally accepting a group who’d been a sizable population since the Irish Diaspora; Latin Americans are due in another century if the nation follows the same pattern. He did seem to have the Baby Boomers enraptured should the retrospectives be credible. Even if they’re inflated, JFK’s assassination did hurt the nation’s psyche thanks to it being the first presidential murder in 62 years. We figured this kind of crap happened in less politically stable countries.
Know-nothing blowhard Nick Gillespie of the ironically titled Reason magazine, the Randroids’ version of Time, was more scathing. Last weekend he claimed all the JFK stuff was just more Baby Boomer navel gazing and self-importance being imposed on America. Well, it’s the pot calling the kettle black when it comes to those accusations. A more balanced and truthful retrospective should be in order. OTM shouldn’t have wasted the electrons on such a jackass. I do agree with Gillespie about a bigger spotlight being shined on Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers. They’re mostly responsible for our ongoing foreign policy problems: overthrowing legitimate governments in Iran, Guatemala and elsewhere in favor of “anti-Communist” dictators.
Enough there…
Another quick reason why I’m wasting my (and probably your) electrons over this would be my own experience 19 years ago. While I was moving down to Austin, I made a brief detour in Dallas to check out the infamous book depository. Oliver Stone’s movie was still fresh within most people’s memory along with fresh conspiracy theories. It is pretty hard to believe Oswald succeeded since the street below curves and goes down hill. Yet he probably got lucky. The grassy knoll is implausible, it’s too close for the nearby witnesses not to notice another shooter. I seriously doubt the Mafia was involved, this would draw too much attention. The CIA and FBI couldn’t pour piss out of a boot with the instructions on the toe as the Bay of Pigs proved, thus they didn’t do it. I recall my grandmother accusing LBJ. Not likely and not his style. The list goes on. After 50 years, JFK’s presidency fades into a footnote, dwarfed by the accomplishments and failures LBJ ushered.
In closing, one major matter that hasn’t changed after 50 years is the South’s intransigence and racism. The party affiliation and the “otherness” of the current president are different but it’s the same old bigoted Christian Dominion (a great term a friend gave me) their failed antebellum dystopia promotes.