JFK - Myth versus Reality

To date, he was America's youngest elected President.  Theodore Roosevelt was younger when he succeeded William McKinley who had been assassinated by an anarchist.

In public, JFK personified youth, vigor, and charm.  Many have written about his charisma and intellect.  He had a young wife and family.  The press and TV media scrambled to get a picture of or film on this telegenic President and his family.

The American press was drawn to his wit, humor, and quick intellect.  I recall flipping through Time and Newsweek magazines from the 60's to see how political cartoonists always drew JFK in a very flattering manner:  slender build; perfect hair; nice fitting suits; and always smiling.

As we have come to know, JFK was not the picture of health in private often walking around the White House on crutches.  His storybook family seemed to have been a front for a very promiscuous lifestyle.  He could quickly lose the charm and affability while in the Oval Office.

My earliest recollection of JFK was watching a televised press conference in which he smiled alot and made the reporters laugh.  Having been trained as a journalist and won a Pulitzer Prize himself, he seemed at ease with the press.  I was disappointed to later find out that the quips and apparent witticsm of JFK was staged as questions had been provided specific reporters in advance.

The scenes of his young daughter Caroline and their pet dogs running out to greet JFK disembarking from the Marine helicopter on the White House lawn were also staged. 

Given all that I have read over the years on this President and his family, I have come to wonder how much of him and his persona was actually real.  Perhaps he and the American TV media helped to usher in the era of staging public events down to the very minute details. 

As President, his record was mixed and incomplete.  Some would argue that his public persona and presidency was enlarged in death beyond his actual life.  Some would say his vision for landing a man on the moon was the clarion call that inspired our nation to literally reach for the stars.

Regardless of one's political persuasion and views of JFK, we know this:  as the inexorable march of time continues, current events and recent history will crowd out JFK and relegate him to the back pages of history just like the names of McKinley, Coolidge, Cleveland, and many others.  In 2013, it will have been 50 years since JFK died.