Putting JFK into perspective

Thank goodness "that" is over. At least for this year. By "that" I mean the annual revisionist telling of the day that shook the world; the killing of President Kennedy. In the multiple and unending retelling of the JFK life somehow much is forgotten or left out of the tale. In the various retrospectives I missed the part where John was sent to the Pacific after it was noticed he was cavorting around Washington with a known Nazi spy during The Big One. Or somehow we have forgotten JFK was elected President with election shenanigans that would make even the most hard-core "Bush Stole the election" fanatic sit up and exclaim "Now that is how it is done". Should I mention how Kennedy's indecisiveness and withholding air cover doomed the Bay of Pigs invasion? Should we discuss how he got us involved in Vietnam against the advice of the Joint Chiefs? Do Democrats decry his military excursions into the Congo? It is funny how the documentaries gloss over the serial affairs and adultery. The whole Camelot in the White House scenario only works if you cast JFK as the philandering Guinevere.

Recent polls reveal JFK was voted the best president of the twentieth century. At the time of his death he was in a severe re-election fight. There was no guarantee he would get the party nomination or re-election. Like Obama, people liked him, but thought he was a lousy Chief Executive. At the risk of scorn and abuse, I maintain that like Elvis, dying was a great career move for JFK. He was imminently more popular on November 23 than he was on November 22, 1963 when he was murdered by a communist loser.

I suppose you can claim I was but a tot when the world lost JFK, so my perspective is off. Yet, in the end, history never lies, only historians.