Posted on 05/29/2017 10:26:28 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
On the 100th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s birth there are countless commentaries about the promise shown by our youngest elected president and the grief felt when high hopes were dashed in Dallas.
Remembering JFK is worthwhile for many reasons, but one set of reasons is likely to be overlooked. Our nation’s youngest president might be able to tell us something about our oldest.
John F. Kennedy and Donald J. Trump have more in common than devotees for either would want to admit.
Both were second sons of successful and domineering fathers. Both grew up in wealth and privilege, though outside the highest levels of social status. Both were rebellious in school, reckless and cavalier in relations with women and eventual inheritors of family dreams for wider acceptance.
As young men, they both took on challenging endeavors, but were hounded by critics who said they were more interested in publicity than in genuine accomplishment. They were unlikely presidential candidates who entered the White House after closely fought campaigns against controversial opponents who had been on the national political scene far longer.
They each led political parties with congressional majorities that were deeply divided and unlikely to approve new administration initiatives. They both raised establishment eyebrows by appointing family members to senior administration positions.
There is one more striking similarity. John Kennedy and Donald Trump were pioneers in political communication.....
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
But but but the media said that 0bama was and also more like Lincoln and FDR and and and.
Who is this, “we”, you speak of?
Interesting take and not entirely off base.
Uh, not a ringing endorsement in my view.
JFK would be considered a rock ribbed conservative by today’s standards.
Read the summary and don’t fall for clic bait.
Newsweak is one of the original fake news outfits along with Slimes, Compost, Ny Slimes, LaRazSlimes and the Tribune.
Let them die a death due to lack of electron hits.
2ndDivisionVet, thanks for posting an excerpt. No need to go there.
So true. As expected, the article mentioned nothing of policy. So shallow, but also self serving for Newsweek. Leftists know they can't win in the arena of ideas without deception, name calling, or now even thuggish intimidation.
JFK — worked hard against the major international threat of his day: Communism.
Trump — worked hard against the major international threat of his day: Terrorism.
JFK — Cut marginal tax rates and say the economy greatly improve.
Trump — Working on tax reform, working on economic growth. Opposed by Democrats.
JFK — Punted on civil rights and excluded friend Sammy Davis Jr from his inauguration because Sammy had a white girlfriend.
Trump — Not racist. Not anti-Semitic. Not sexist.
Yes, they have some things in common, but Trump is clearly better.
“Interesting take and not entirely off base.”
Agreed. Neither JFK nor Trump could be called “conservative” by any stretch of the imagination, but both could be called “patriotic” with no irony intended.
JFK was no stranger to international intrigue and deals, and he did not have the full support of his own Congressional delegation. Like Trump, JFK saw the need, the obligation, to grow the economy, and took some first steps to assure that environment could exist to assure that growth (most of these were later reversed under Johnson, but that is a different story, and unrelated to the current subject).
JFK would be considered a rock ribbed conservative by today’s standards.
That’s true and he would certainly be more conservative than most RINOs of today.
Is this the Left projecting assassination fantasies again?
Veiled assasination hope by Newsweek.
Not just any white girlfriend; May Britt!
Exactly right.
Bull. He’d a be gigantic jagoff commie just like his brother Ted.
How is Trump the oldest?
If he serves two terms he'll be as old as Reagan was when Reagan left office, but that's years down the road.
Maybe, but 1960s JFK just wouldn't exist today.
Nobody gets elected from a state like Massachusetts without being very liberal, and if JFK had lived, he'd follow his state, his party and his family as they moved leftwards.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.