President John F. Kennedy Essay, Research Paper
There is something about John F. Kennedy. Could it be his
charisma and charm that still entrances America? Maybe it
is his elevated status as a pop culture icon that bedazzles
most American citizens. It might be the martyr status he
attained through his tragic assassination that makes
American culture revere him as a President. Whatever the
reason is that defines John F. Kennedy as probably one of
the most beloved Presidents in American History; one
assumption by many is that it has nothing to do with his
political legacy. Many respected historians will tell you that
he has an insubstantial political legacy. Using the body of
legislation that was passed during his short time in office as
evidence, historians say that significant legislation was
lacking. More than likely they will remark about his
emphasis on rhetoric and his deficient action. On the other
hand, many historians and writers contend his political
legacy reverberates to this very day. They claim that
through his mastery of that novel medium of his day,
Television, his inclusion of culture into the office of
President, and most of all his idealism, echoes in today?s
political atmosphere. In total, the latter argument is actually
stronger. Although JFK does lack substantial legislation
that would bolster a claim to a significant political legacy, in
other ways John F. Kennedy has such an intense political
legacy that to this very day the Presidency of the United
States cannot escape it. In respect to truly monumental
legislation, John F. Kennedy does lack and therefore the
people who say he does not have a true political legacy
have a point. These critics believe a true political legacy is
in what the President has accomplished legislatively in the
White House. With Kennedy, they state he was more talk
than action. They do concede it was not truly do to his lack
of initiative. He did have many proposals, but because he
was dealing with a Congress that was very strong and
composed of a Southern Democrats/Republican majority,
he had a hard time. (Kilpatrick, 51) So proposals like
federal aid to education, the creation of a Department of
Urban Affairs, and Medicare were shot down. (Kilpatrick,
53). To drum up support for them, Kennedy had to
convince the public and gain their support. That?s where
Kennedy?s famous rhetoric comes in. The talk may have
later led the American public to support the mentioned
proposals in the Johnson years, but in JFK?s years they did
nothing but make his critics say he was a lot of talk and no
action. Yet John F. Kennedy did have some significant
legislation passed through Congress, and even got
accomplishments done around Congress? back. One
achievement is when John F. Kennedy formed the Peace
Corps. (Sorensen, 256) Another was the giving of federal
support to the arts, which was done through executive
orders. (Kilpatrick, 54) Economically, his tax cut resonates
in the policy of former President Reagan. In fact, when
tallying the recommendations Kennedy sent to the 87th
Congress, of the 107 he sent 73 were enacted into law,
with measures dealing with water pollution, mental health
care, hospital construction, mental retardation, drug safety
and medical schools. (Manchester, 227) In total, his
biggest achievement was not in what was accomplished,
but what was proposed. The critics might believe that
passed legislation is the only indicator of political legacy,
but in reality what is proposed can have profound effects.
His proposals on Medicare and programs like it might have
lead to nothing in his term, but they did come to fruition in
later Presidencies. Truthfully, one cannot say a man does
not have a political legacy if he had proposed ideas, but
they had not been passed, since those proposals can
deeply influence later Congresses and Presidents through
their ideas and insight into problems. One way President
Kennedy has a true political legacy is in his use of
Television in his campaign for in the Presidential Election of
1960. Back when Kennedy ran, it was an underutilized
tool. Kennedy brought out its potential. Through television,
he was able to present himself to vast audiences that he
could never have reached. Kennedy exploited the television
debate, first used in that election. Kennedy had poise, while
also looking tanned and well rested, while his opponent,
Richard Nixon, was sick and looked dreadful. Afterwards,
during his presidency Kennedy effectively utilized the new
medium to his advantage. He was the ?contemporary man?,
as he was called by Adlai Stevenson after Kennedy?s
death. This was portrayed through TV in his vitality and
youth. (Schlesinger, 12) It was said by William
Manchester, ?Newspapermen and television commentators
reported the progress of the new administration almost
breathlessly. The televised news conferences were
immensely popular. Remembering his first debate with
Nixon, Jack became the first President to recognize and
exploit the possibilities of TV.? (Manchester, 135) His
family became a center of public interest. Everyone wanted
to know the name of his daughter?s horse or his son?s latest
escapade. The television turned the presidential family into
a mini soap opera, changing the way the Presidency would
be looked at after it. (Manchester, 250) This usage of
television is seen today, from round the clock coverage of
the president on television, to the media firestorm that
surrounded President Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal.
President Clinton is a byproduct of this usage of TV. He is
a telegenic person who has used his mastery of the medium
effectively to convince voters to vote for him. He also says
that his idol President is John F. Kennedy. Throughout
most of America?s history, the President had to appeal to
the commoner to be elected. That usually meant appearing
commoner then the ordinary person. However, John. F.
Kennedy did not hide his love of the high-life. He broke the
mold and invited the crème de la crème to the White
House, and entertained them with artists, poets, scientists,
musicians, and scholars. The guests would eat gourmet
food, and then maybe see a ballet troupe perform, or
perhaps they saw a Shakespeare company stage a play.
Whatever it was, JFK broke new political ground,
changing the perception of a President from a commoner to
an intellectual. (Manchester, 156). John F. Kennedy was a
man of idealism, and his idealism changed the political
landscape. He held that problems are man-made, and can
be therefore solved by man. (Kennedy, 2) He was man
who believed things of excellence could be achieved, no
matter how hard they are to attain. (Sorenson, 256)
Kennedy believed that it was the role of the President to
ignite hope ? for decency, equality, reason and peace.
(Sorenson, 257) In a speech at American University in
1963, President Kennedy said: What kind a peace do we
seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on he world by
American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or
the security of a slave. I am talking about genuine peace,
the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the
kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and
to build a better life for their children ? not merely peace
for Americans but peace for all men and women ? not
merely peace in our time but peace for all time. (Kennedy,
1) This kind of idealistic world vision that Kennedy was
known for inspired millions, with him growing a loyal
following of the younger generation of the time. He told his
fellow Americans to reexamine their attitudes towards
peace and freedom. (Kennedy, 6) In fact, he was the one
who inspired the youth of the 1960?s to actually participate
in the government and the world. He gave them an outlet,
the Peace Corps, and gave them inspiration to change the
world for the better, and therefore gained their votes. As
Arthur Schlesinger Jr. said, ?He voiced the disquietude of
the postwar generation . . .? (Schlesinger, 13). By using the
youth to his political advantage, he ignited a chain of events
that reverberates to this day. It was the first generation that
had grown up in an age when American innocence had
died. (Schlesinger, 12) This volatile mixture of loss of
innocence, youth and idealism lead to the SDS, Black
Panthers, The Weatherman, Flower Power and other
organizations or beliefs that had idealistic views. This is a
true political legacy, because by him inciting the youth of
the 60?s to do better and ? . . . Ask what you can do for
your country.? Led this country down the path of the
turbulent 60?s, changing the dynamics of the country?s
youth culture irreparably. However valid the point of JFK?s
critics in reference to Kennedy?s flimsy legislation record,
Kennedy does have a political legacy that is irrefutable. The
idealism he gave to the youth of America, his mastery of the
media, and his infusion of culture into the White House
have left its mark politically in such a way that Presidents,
Senators and congressmen can in no way escape it. John
F. Kennedy does have a political legacy, and it is one that
politicians must embrace or they will not be taken seriously
by Americans.
Kennedy, John F.
?American University Speech?.
Http://users.southeast.net/~cheryl/auspeech.html, June 10,
1963. Kilpatrick, Caroll. ?The Kennedy Style and
Congress.? John F. Kennedy and The New Frontier. Ed.
Aïda DiPace Donald. New York:Hill and Wang, 1966.
Manchester, William. One Brief Shining Moment:
Remembering Kennedy. Boston:Little, Brown and
Company, 1983. Schlesinger Jr., Arthur M. ?Kennedy on
the Eve.? John F. Kennedy and The New Frontier. Ed.
Aïda DiPace Donald. New York:Hill and Wang, 1966.
Sorensen, Theodore C. ?Epilogue.? John F. Kennedy and
The New Frontier. Ed. Aïda DiPace Donald. New
York:Hill and Wang, 1966.
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