WHO: Staff writer Mark Shanahan and his children, Julia and Beckett
WHAT: Presidential politics primer
WHERE: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
“He really doesn’t look that bad.’’
My 11-year-old daughter was talking about Richard Nixon, who, I’d explained, lost the 1960 presidential election in part because he looked vaguely creepy during a debate against John F. Kennedy. Nixon was sweaty and unshaven, and Kennedy was, well, Kennedy.
We were watching excerpts of the famous face-off - America’s first televised presidential debate - at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. We’d come on a recent Saturday, along with my 7-year-old son, Beck, because it’s an election year and politics are a subject of some discussion at the dinner table these days.
It’s also an impressive place. Designed by the celebrated architect I.M. Pei, the library overlooks the water at Columba Point, so when you’re done subjecting your kids to the story of the 35th president, you can take a scenic stroll along the harbor.
Our visit began in the small theater, where we and perhaps 40 other visitors watched a short biographical film about JFK. (I had no idea he tried to be Adlai Stevenson’s running mate in 1956, but Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver got the nod.) From there, it was off to the exhibits, which span the period between Kennedy’s candidacy for president until his death in November 1963.
Our favorites were the ones devoted to the debate (the actual control panel and camera used by the CBS affiliate in Chicago set the scene), the election results (wait, California voted for Nixon, and Texas voted for Kennedy?), and some of the displays related to Jackie Kennedy (I admired the leaf green silk dress designed by Oleg Cassini while Julia was reading an essay that young Jacqueline Bouvier wrote at Miss Porter’s School called “Be Kind and Do Your Share’’).
We also talked about the Peace Corps, which, I explained, JFK created to improve living conditions in Third World countries. Beck thought that sounded cool.
“He was only president for three years?’’ whispered Julia, as we stood in the dark watching the black-and-white video of CBS newsman Walter Cronkite report the assassination. And she’s right. Considering the relatively short time he was in office, JFK leaves an enormous legacy. (There’s an interesting display of a few of the schools, parks, plazas, and memorials around the world dedicated to Kennedy.)
Afterward, we bypassed the cafe and gift shop, and headed outside to walk in the rain.