Free Republic

Are there any AEs or pilots who could tell me - conjecture is fine - why we developed the F-102? It seems like this low thrust jet was probably one of the worst designed fighters I've ever seen or read about (the thrust to weight ratio is absurd). I would have thought that with the F-4 - proof that a Coke machine could fly if you put a big enough engine on it - coming up to speed around the same period that the 100 series would be a non-starter. I singled out the 102 because of the specs I...