Of all the U.S. presidents to mythologize, why pick JFK?

The Globe and Mail ^ | Jeet Heer

[mairdie]

As the books' sales show, a large and receptive public likewise continues to worship at the shrine of JFK. Polls show that the U.S. public ranks Mr. Kennedy as among the greatest of American presidents, often in the same league as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Rarely is popular mythology so completely disengaged from historical reality.

To place Mr. Kennedy in the same pantheon as Lincoln and Roosevelt is absurd. Lincoln presided over the Civil War and freed the slaves, Roosevelt laid the foundations for the American welfare state and led a reluctant nation into the Second World War.

Mr. Kennedy had no comparable achievements. Save for the assassin's bullet that gave him a martyr's halo, he was a mediocre president, distinguished mainly by his combination of eloquent rhetoric and often-reckless foreign policy.

Curiously, the cult of Kennedy is particularly strong in liberal circles, even though he was among the most conservative Democrats ever to be president. One character in 11/22/63 says that stopping Lee Harvey Oswald's great crime is a chance to "save Kennedy, save his brother. Save Martin Luther King. Stop the race riots. Stop Vietnam, maybe."

Not likely, actually: The son of an isolationist, Mr. Kennedy came of age politically in the late 1940s, when the tide of Cold War sentiment was at its highest. His father was close friends with Joseph McCarthy, and unlike other Democrats JFK never turned against the blacklisting senator. Indeed, like that famed demagogue, he consistently derided any attempts to negotiate with the Soviet Union or China as evidence of appeasement and unmanliness. ...

[blu]

The article was written in 2011. Aren’t you guys glad someone reads the links?

[mo]

The significance of his presidency is that it marks the formation of the American Oligarchy UniParty by GHWB and LBJ-with J. E. Hoover as the “glue”-keeping the “reluctant’ in line in DC It marks the commencement of a period of continuous war of America with the rest of the world. See the American University commencement address June 1963.

The American Oligargchy remains hostage to the Dallas fairytale even today. The only “question” about it all is who has the keys to the real story. And despite what they will try to tell us all-it ain’t Russia.

[politicianslie]

Like Obama was the first black president, JFK was the first Catholic president.

Hussein Obama will go down in history as America's FIRST Muslim President. Once people understand his Muslim background, they will be able to understand his treasonous actions.

The Libya invasion is often laid on to Hillary but Hussein used it to start the Muslim invasion of the west. So many refugees, so many infidels to kill and terrorize. It carried on to Syria per the Muslim invasion plans.

Like with JFK, it does NOT matter what the facts are, it only matters what the gubermint and the presstitutes tell the little people to think. It used to be so easy to lie to Americans, but that is changing slowly but surely.

[cynwoody]

JFK and the Reagan Revolution: A Secret History of American Prosperity, by Larry Kudlow and Brian Domitrovic

JFK, Conservative, by Ira Stoll

[Atticus]

The JFK of the early 60s was to the right of the McCains and Romneys of today, both of whom I regrettably voted for. His brother Teddy and many other Catholic politicians sold their souls to the abortion lobby. I wonder where JFK would have stood. Also, had he not been assassinated, would we ever had a welfare state on the scale we do now, courtesy of Johnson’s Great Society?

[KC_Conspirator]

The author seems young. Half of Kennedy’s cabinet was Republican and he was the quite convervative compared to today’s liberals. It was only after his death where the history was rewritten by people like Art Schlesinger to make him seems like a wild eyed liberal.

[RipSawyer]

I used to tell people my own age that I am so old I can remember the Johnson administration. They would frown and reply something like, “I remember the Johnson administration and I’m not that old.” I would them smile and say, “Yeah, but you’re talking about Lyndon.”

[cynwoody]

Like Obama was the first black president, JFK was the first Catholic president. There was a lot of “identity politics” surrounding JFK.

Identity politics and the Church of Rome?

Methinks you need to brush up on identity politics.

[GoldenPup]

Save for the assassin’s bullet that gave him a martyr’s halo, he was a mediocre president, distinguished mainly by his combination of eloquent rhetoric and often-reckless foreign policy.

Don’t forget the “Bimbos”.

[cynwoody]

They would frown and reply something like, “I remember the Johnson administration and I’m not that old.” I would them smile and say, “Yeah, but you’re talking about Lyndon.”

Lyndon and Andy were both maggots.

[Abby4116]

But they probably voted for him again in 2012.

[kearnyirish2]

Sure - but without enthusiasm. They’d complain to me about all the things they enjoyed (from a financial standpoint) when W was president that they could no longer afford. I can see why Hillary had issues with black voters; she got many of their votes but needed more to win in PA, MI, WI. Many blacks figured if they got nothing from Obama they’d get even less from the White Witch.

[spintreebob]

The JFK assassination marks the turning point to a culture of victimhood and sainthood ... and welfare... for victims.

Gone are the days where the hero is worshipped. Gone are the days when one is praised and rewarded for making something, for doing something, for accomplishing something.

Welcome the days we count how many micro-aggressions we have suffered. For the more we are the victim, the more we get in prestige and recognition and money.

[Sirius Lee]

Commie hating, tax cutting, fiscally tight but pro-military spending JFK would be considered a moderate Republican today.

Whatever his personal faults, he was to the right of half the entrenched swamp dwellers that have an R next to their name in DC today.

[Flick Lives]

And people who agonized and remembered the second world war, turned toward the future and space.

---

Good summation of the times. Kennedy’s “space race” to the landing on the Moon was inspirational to a lot of young kids growing up back then. It was partly a competition between the Soviets and the U.S., but a better kind of competition than war.

[rlmorel]

I think you pretty much nailed it there.

[rlmorel]

True. And back then, there were still patriotic Democrats.

[TTFlyer]

If you weren’t there you will never understand the spirit of Freedom, the energy, the unfettered optimism that existed in the Free World during the Eisenhower/Kennedy years.

Even the assassination didn’t dim that spirit all that much. It was LBJ and the Viet Nam War that began the slide -that eventually became an avalanche post Ronald Reagan.

The Bushes and Obama will go down in history as the worst Presidents in American History.

[ontap]

Mediocre is generous....He is responsible for the people of Cuba living in a communist hell for fifty plus years!!!

[N. Theknow]

Lincoln and the Civil War outlawed using private money to buy slaves.

Now only the government is allowed to buy slaves.