Just watched the first installment of JFK on PBS

[question everything]

Was about his childhood, and adulthood until his election.

Tomorrow should be the rest.

Found interesting tidbits:

He was so sick that one has to wonder how long he would have lived had he not been murdered. And his illnesses really started at high school.

The competitiveness and rivalry with his older brother, Joe Jr. was so fierce, that when Joe completed his flying tour and was scheduled to return home from England, he chose to stay for one more risky mission when he died. This was after young Jack make a name for himself as a hero after surviving the attack on his PT boat.

JFK senior dissertation at Harvard was justification/explanation of Chamberlain Munich treatment with Hitler, saying that the British military was so behind, that this agreement bought important time for the military to get ready.

He never stopped womanizing, even after marrying Jacky.

Until the election of Obama, Kennedy was the last senator to be elected. We've concentrated on governors. But when he decided to seek the Democratic nomination his rivals were other senators: Humphrey, Symington and Johnson.

He was willing to let the South keep the segregation laws, at least while campaigning, to get the Southern support.

African Americans did not support him at first. After all, Lincoln was a Republican.

MLK Sr. said he was not going to support a Catholic but then came JFK famous speech - the one that Santorum said he "puked." Also, after MKL Jr. was arrested and no one knew where he was taken, Sargent Shriver convinced JFK to at least talk to Corretta King and to express his sympathies. Bobbie then made some calls and MLK was released.

And.. JFK actually went after Nixon and Eisenhower as not being tough enough on the USSR, on not keeping the military ready = kinds taking after his first book about England before WWII.

Was interesting. Obviously, the second half will be more familiar to me.

[cantbeserious]

1. Thank You For Sharing

eom

[cilla4progress]

2. Just picking it up now

Interesting. Wish I would have caught the 1st hour. Great to see something intelligent, rather than all these assassination conspiracy theory specials on. Did see something (channel?) last night about the assassination that was only news reel, that was good, however.

What was the cause of his back injury? I picked it up where he was getting back surgery while serving as a Senator. Sounds like the family lied that it was a war injury.

Some points that are stunning me in terms of how much they are still in play today: 1) the impact of "charisma," superficial looks, physical attractiveness on electability (i.e., Kennedy v. LBJ, HHH...). 2) American response to foreign conflicts -- French /Algerian at that time. We still don't get that sticking on the side of the imperialists is bad strategy in the long run. I think JFK was preaching this position, in contrast with the establishment of the time. 3) Dirt and money in politics.

[Sognefjord]

5. He was given steroids by his doctors for the Addisons and it was ruining his lower spine.

I had read that one time and was reminded of it when I watched the special.

[question everything]

6. The first hour was about his days as a, really, spoiled kid in prep school

and by then he was constantly in the hospital, at some point even at the Mayo clinic. They never reveal the causes.

As an adult he suffered from colitis and the drugs that he took for colitis caused him to develop Addison disease. The drugs for Addison caused his bones at the lower back to disintegrate. He was in pain through most of his life.

Another point that you raise that is still valid is being the "son of.." Money, of course, was no problem with Joe Sr. Thus he had access to the top medical advice available. And I had to wonder how much of it was snake oil. Also, thanks to his father money and influence he first visited all the American consulates in Europe after the Munich agreement to learn. And later, as a congressman, visited the middle East to learn the issues there.

And.... that as soon as he was elected to the Senate he was bored, wanted the next challenge just like.... Obama. But without daddy's money, of course.

Frankly, until elected he appeared pretty much arrogant and spoiled. I don't know that I would have voted for him then..

[MichiganVote]

7. The so called, "best medical care" also bought a lobotomy for the

youngest daughter who was merely cognitively impaired. True, she had some behavior problems and ran away a time or two. The family claimed she was violent. After the surgery she was pretty much vege' and was institutionalized. She died at age 86 after being cared for in the institution in Wisconsin for 57 years

Hard to believe anyone could be anything but perfect in a family like that.

[gopiscrap]

3. I did too, thgought it was extremely interesting!

[NealK]

4. Sounds interesting.

[JaneyVee]

8. "we're headed into nut country"

[nyquil_man]

9. The 1960 election is a pretty fascinating affair.

The Democratic Solid South was slipping away and the traditionally Republican Northeast was becoming more and more competitive. The Kennedy campaign, still needing both to win, was trying to straddle the line between supporters who wanted a more liberal position on civil rights and supporters who would not tolerate such a position.

Their ultimate approach to MLK's arrest represented a pretty masterful threading of the needle.

[question everything]

10. Just watched the second half

He really did not want to get into civil rights in his first term, but after the horrific sights from Alabama, with George Wallace blocking entry into the university, and Bull Connor with his dogs and fire hoses, Kennedy did decide to suggest the act. And as I was watching these events, and the Klansmen freely walking the streets, I thought to myself: no wonder they still don't accept a black man in the White House. They are still fighting the civil war.

And his decision to get involved in Vietnam was really regrettable.