[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by george kujanski

I was in high school.

History tells us that Kennedy was a jerk, got us deeper into Vietnam, then LBJ...... what a pair. They got over 50,000 of our guys killed for nothing.

Seems he pissed off the Soviets, the Cubans, the Mob........

The media still adores anything to do with the Kennedys...When JFK jr came to town, they rolled out the red carpet, bowing down to him on the way.

Not a lot of love for the Kennedys here but he shouldn't have been killed.

The one thing to his credit is the space program during the 60's.

That's my view.

Perhaps I should have posted this in the clubhouse........

george

I think a lot of people feel that way actually. History tends to view Kennedy through rose colored glasses because of his tragic fate. He really never had time to establish a real legacy, good or bad. His fate has become his legacy in a way.
I think what galvanized MOST Americans at that time though was just the thought that someone KILLED OUR President. Americans did not get to elect someone they liked better or re-elect him. Even if he'd turned out to be a terrible president, people were just shocked that this could happen and the entire country felt violated in a way.
I still feel that way, that is, that the office is (or should be) bigger than the man.
We've had a couple of Presidents in my adulthood that I nearly despised but I would still be horrified if someone killed 'The President of the United States'. Just not the way we transfer power in this country.

[Jack Gifford]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

... History tends to view Kennedy through rose colored glasses...
... He really never had time to establish a real legacy...

I was in tech school at Chanute AFB. The base immediately went on full alert with all troops restricted to base for about a week, with all trainees detailed to augment the Air Police.

I see it a little differently than Greg described (I believe that many others do also). Although JFK didn't get my vote in '59 (I had written a paper for a college Poli-Sci class that summer detailing my preference for candidate Nixon), I respected JFK's credentials (including his distinguished military service). When I enlisted in '63 I had no problem with him being my commander-in-chief. I do remember not knowing what to expect from Johnson- I hadn't paid much attention to his qualifications during the '59 campaign.