Whats the big deal about JFK?

Question

I was watching a tv show about politics & debates of the past. One of the last clips they showed was from Dan Quayle in I believe 1988 where the democratic VP said some nonsense about how he knew JFK, how JFK was his friend, how Jfk was so great & how Dan Quayle was no jfk. That got me thinking about what was so special about JFK & I realized I couldn't think of a single policy or event that really matter during his presidency. All I know about JFK is he fought in WW2, was rammed, lost his boat & supposedly swam a mile or so with a wounded boat-mate, was assassinated, failed at killing Castro, tried invaded cuba, failed to over throw him & invade cuba, the cuban missile crisis. His increasing the troops in vietnam because LBJ thought it was time to fight the commies, and of course how Marilyn Monroe & how JFK was a womanizer & disrespected the values of marriage & religion. No other policy or event comes to mind so my question is besides those I've name can someone honestly tell me what's so special about JFK and what a policy was that actually affected anyone? My point is there's not a lot to his presidency & it seems like we only know him because he was assassinated. I just don't see what's so special about him or why even today democrats make such a big to-do. Reagan ended the cold war, Bush 1 had Iraq invasion of Kuwait, Panama & Noriega, Haiti & for a while somalia. Clinton had all the terrorist attacks he let go & monica. Carter had the iran embassy & oil embargo & the failed rescue as well as negiotiating with terrorists. Bush W has 9/11, Katrina's failure, Afganistan & Iraq 2 & now the economy even if it was bound to happen & a result of 20 years of various policies. LBJ had the vietnam war & his increasing that to over 500,000 troops yet having to tuck tail. So what policies or events other then the few I named earlier is JFK known for & how did the policy benefit the greater good?

Answer 1

Event: Cuban Missile Crisis. Oh you named it already, sorry this is very hard to read.



Bentsen said that because Quayle seemed to be comparing himself to JFK.



JFK is part of American mythology at this point. Why don't you read a book about his presidency? That would probably help you out with your question. Much more so than any of the answers here will.



Here's something, he started the Peace Corps. Sorry, my knowledge of his Presidency is lacking.

Answer 2

JFK kept the world from nuclear war, his handling of the Cuban missile crisis was brilliant, he was also working for civil rights when he sent the army in to Take governor george wallace out of that door way, he had vision and passion, he was brilliant and charismatic, he could think on his feet and was funny too, LBJ gets a bad rap too on vietnam, true he escalated the war but more American died in vietnam under nixon, lbj and the great society built schools all over this country that are still in use and he signed the civil rights bill in 1964, he was also man enough to admit the war was a mistake unlike chimp bush who poured blood and money down that rat hole iraqistan

Answer 3

JFK's effect was more than just presidential policy. He is largely remembered for being very popular and assassinated. He is remembered not so much for what he did, but what he could've done if he wasn't assassinated, that tragic lost potential. Still, he gave one of the greatest inauguration speeches. (I still haven't heard a better line than "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.") I also doubt we would've landed on the Moon in 1969 without the few years we had JFK as president. Post-WWII America was a hopeful and prosperous nation. That mostly died with JFK. Americans would not have so much faith in their nation again for almost 2 decades, when Ronald Reagan was president.

Answer 4

1964 civil rights act was JFK... lbj signed it, but it was all JFK.



the bay of pigs was an ike legacy. he was sick of vietnam and wanted out...there are many theories that he would have pulled out of vietnam in 64...if he hadn't been killed.



JFK created the Peace Corps



He created the first Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that Britain, the US and Russia signed.



and most of all he was the first to make the Soviet Union blink (cuban missile)..up until that time they had run rampant in Eastern Europe - hungary czechoslavakia etc...the russian president lost his job over it.



he was the most popular president since FDR.

Answer 5

Demographics. Lots of Baby Boomers out there still. JFK is kind like Barney to them -- a comforting and reassuring memory for them from the good old days -- before they had to grow up. They like hearing the story over and over again. You'll never get them to look at JFK objectively.

Answer 6

good there is a smart person out there, clearly who does their own fact findings, teach that to others.....your are so right about JFK, what people forget is that an image was built around him and the kennedy family....image was what got him elected, and he offered nothing to this country....image building sucks young people in!! This might be that they are just not ready to think on their own yet

Answer 7

JFK is better known for his rhetoric than his actual accomplishments. He challenged us to get to the moon by the end of the '60s. His brother, who was his Attorney General, pushed hard for civil rights, but outside of that I can't think of any real accomplishments.

Answer 8

This sounds like a leading question that brings up an irrelevant point to create a nonexistent objection.

Answer 9

I COMPLETELY agree with you. I am tired of hearing all of this ramp about all of the Kennedys. The truth is that America just loved him because he was young and attractive (similar to a current candidate we all know...) and most of his policies failed (not even to MENTION the fact that he was a liar and a cheater!!). Whenever people go into hysterics talking about how great he was it just shows how ignorant and uninformed they are.

Answer 10

You need to learn to do a little research. JFK did so much for the American people! All people! I am providing a link for you to read. It will tell you what JFK did for our country.

Answer 11

I'd have to agree that JFK is nothing special in fact a pretty bad president actually but of course since he died people make him out to be one of the best. and the civil acts only passed because he died.

Answer 12

He was a fairy tale. His popularity was driven by young swooning women, much like Obama. Attractive packaging, nice presentation, well spoken but little else for content.

Answer 13

His assination created a legend out of the ordinary.

Answer 14

He boned Marilyn Monroe. We should all be in awe.

Answer 15

job corp

civil rights

most people feel he was killed before he could do more good.