WASHINGTON — It’s a rare glimpse of the introspective John F. Kennedy — unsure of his political skills; worried about what he might do if he lost the race; and surprisingly honest about his poor health and his attempts to deceive the press over it.
Three days after he declared his candidacy for the presidency, the man who would leave a near-mythical imprint on America’s political identity seemed decidedly unsure of his own.
Comments
A fawning press which one can depend on to cover one's glaring inadequacies, duplicitousness and lack of concrete policies, is also helpful to certain politicians. Newsweak (sic) and the WackoWAPO (sic) have always been dependable, at least for one party's candidates.
Per the article, "Three days after he declared his candidacy for the presidency, the man who would leave a near-mythical imprint on America’s political identity seemed decidedly unsure of his own."
That's easy, the "near-mythical" imprint he left was mostly a romantic one due to his looks, his wife, kids, wealth, etc. When he was in office I would say many though he was doing a mediocre job. But, the painting (the image) can be "near-mythical" and the content average. I agree with the other comment that this is a "fawning" press (but many people fawn over JFK). People need heros and models (and reporters are people too)
"Near-mythical" is the perfect choice of words to explain the camelot hype attached to John F. Kennedy's presidency (inaugeration - 1/20/61 - assassinated, 11/22/63 = 1,036 days).
The times are a changin' (and a lot more quickly than when the author penned those words). People are anxious, if not from the changes, then from all of the companies and governments who try to evoke anxiety to manipulate people. So, people need something or someone(s) they can surrender to and trust completely. There isn't anything like that, but at least Camelot is over and done with. We have state birds, we have the official ice creams of the Red Sox, perhaps we need an official virtual King an Queen.
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OMG! Kennedy was HUMAN?? Which honest person could EVER take over such a magnanamous job as the presidency, with all its effects on human lives all over the world, and NOT have any doubts about his strengths and capabilities?? Only a FOOL! Questioning one's capabilities is a "normal" human condition of mentally stable people! Course, a Hitler type or an imbecile would probably NOT have this "normal" reaction! Kennedy had his God, his "higher power", to help him do his job well, and I'm sure he spoke with the Supreme Being whenever he had dilemmas. Will Mitt Romney be speaking with Joseph Smith, Jr.?? who got kicked OUT of Illinois for crimes, possibly even murder, before he had his hallucinations to start his mandatory tithing cult??
Boatwrot, Maerzie, Good comments, but, of course, these days our great leaders are not supposed to show any doubt or vulnerability, and if they do they lose support. People want father figures who are sure what they are doing, even if that is driving the courtry off a cliff. It's a plus that JFK was introspective enough to be aware of his doubts (and, perhaps, his strengths and weaknesses).
The globe writer and the "Brown University Historian" should do better research. This tape has been known about for years and played on TV by NBC in 2008 with commentary from Brian Williams and Michael Bechloss. The clip has was posted on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd9062qU5ic&noredirect=1). The Globe makes it sound like it this is the first it was made public