Kennedy and Johnson are perfect examples of why the voters reject Senators for President. Senators look strong with all their lifer Senator buddies backing them up, but they are gutless wonders in the you're on your own, Oval office.
The Senate is Governments weakest link.
it may sound oxymoronic, but you sound like Goldwater regarding the other two; can't get many to view Kennedy from a '60's perspective--they all see him as a forceful conservative anti-communist (meanwhile the left spins he was going to get us out of VN 11/23/63) Talk about Teflon!