Opinion of John F. Kennedy

[ElectionsGuy]

George Washington: 77.6% Approval
John Adams: 87.0% Approval
Thomas Jefferson: 70.4% Approval
James Madison: 81.0% Approval
James Monroe: 66.7% Approval
John Quincy Adams: 79.6% Approval
Andrew Jackson: 23.7% Approval
Martin Van Buren: 77.8% Approval
William Henry Harrison: 50.0% Approval
John Tyler: 23.3% Approval
James K. Polk: 64.3% Approval
Zachary Taylor: 80.0% Approval
Millard Fillmore: 12.5% Approval
Franklin Pierce: 16.1% Approval
James Buchanan: 6.3% Approval
Abraham Lincoln: 89.1% Approval
Andrew Johnson: 19.2% Approval
Ulysses S. Grant: 76.2% Approval
Rutherford B. Hayes: 35.3% Approval
James A. Garfield: 83.7% Approval
Chester A. Arthur: 80.8% Approval
Grover Cleveland: 54.8% Approval
Benjamin Harrison: 31.1% Approval
William McKinley: 44.7% Approval
Theodore Roosevelt: 67.7% Approval
William Howard Taft: 68.3% Approval
Woodrow Wilson: 38.9% Approval
Warren G. Harding: 31.1% Approval
Calvin Coolidge: 45.2% Approval
Herbert Hoover: 35.8% Approval
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 78.7% Approval
Harry S. Truman: 74.6% Approval
Dwight D. Eisenhower: 80.8% Approval

35th President of the United States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy

We're now into (what I would consider) the modern era.

Note: I accidently made the Eisenhower thread a day late, so you still have a day to vote for/against him.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Mega HP.

[Potatoe]

While his extramarital exploits aren't honorable, I support his policies and views, though he shouldn't be watered down to somebody else's mouthpiece, *ahem* which some Camelotters tend to do.

[Oakvale]

BAMF (normal etc.)

[Sopranos Republican]

BAMF (normal etc.)

[SWE]

Ff

[The Dowager Mod]

Vastly overrated.

[TDAS04]

FF, but definitely overrated. 

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Billionaire playboy who achieved nothing of note.

[Deus Naturae]

Billionaire playboy who achieved nothing of note.

[Cassius]

Massive HP.

[Consciously Unconscious]

Horrible person.  He's only popular because he was killed while in office.  Had he been not killed and was reelected in 1968, he would have screwed up on Vietnam and would probably have left office disgraced.  Plus, he was morally bankrupt, which reflects on his character. 

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Jelly Donuts are good.

[Goldwater]

FF.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Hard to call - The Kennedy family were very interesting, as the Kennedy Museum in Berlin proves, enjoyed that museum quite a fair bit. Though he was very sleazy, and who knows how Vietnam would have turned out - no one knows for sure.

Overall, HP, although not the worst President.

[H. Ross Peron]

FF, but definitely massively overrated. 

[Maxwell]

Lean HP

[TNF]

Definite HP

[ElectionsGuy]

HP overall

[Rooney]

I am not a fan. He allowed his economics to be far too highly influenced by Galbraith's The Affluent Society. Misdirected by Galbraith's views that budget surpluses were dangerous he led the nation into the first peacetime, non-recession deficit and to over $100 billion in debts. The loose currency and low interest rates, coupled with a massive tax cut and military build-up, led to a massive expansion of the public/private sector. Just like under Reagan this makes people think it was a time of great prosperity. GDP did grow but so did debt. I think JFK would be a Republican today. Like Republicans, he brought about economic growth through unpaid tax cuts, military spending, loose currency, low interest rates and ballooning debts! Why do Democrats want to claim this guy again? Is it the hair?

Above all I find his brother Robert to be more distasteful than Jack. RFK's war on steel magnates setting their own prices is one of the more disturbing moments in the history of civil and economic liberty. To force the lowering of the price of steel RFK sent IRS goons after steel industry officials. He used audits as weapons and used mafia like blackmail tactics to get the administration's way. These are things the Democrats, rightfully, tried to impeach Nixon over. Yet, the Patron Saint of the Old Dimmycratic Party Robert Francis Kennedy did them all the time and he is usually praised for it. Why do Democrats want to claim this guy again? Is it the hair?

In terms of foreign affairs I find Kennedy to be a mixed bag. I do firmly believe that JFK wanted out of Indochina. Henry Cabot Lodge obviously wanted more soldiers there and the assassination of the Diem brothers does not reflect well on him, however, JFK did tell Cronkite in 1963 that the "boys" in South Vietnam were expected to win their own war. Make of that as you will. Kennedy's infatuation with Castro is another issue all together. Operation Northwoods and the Bay of Pigs aimed to create war with Cuba which was hardly a wise policy. Furthermore, Kennedy continued the illegal "hidden hand diplomacy" of Eisenhower. Coups in Iraq, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic all were covered in the bloody hands of the CIA. Yes JFK made the Peace Corp and it built some flush toilets in Uganda. He also allowed for the government of Iraq to be overthrown. I think the goings on in Baghdad got his attention more than the toilets.   

[Peter the Lefty]

Personal HP.  Politically a mild FF, whose two younger brothers were much bigger FF's on this front. 

[Mordecai]

FF.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Vastly overrated.

[politicallefty]

FF, even though I do agree that he is overrated.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

He's an FF, even if he did steal 1960 and invaded Cuba (but that's not entirely his fault anyway). I'm posting to keep the most recent thread up.