by Marty Keenan ~ Great Bend Post
November 22. The date jumps off the calendar at me like no other. Coming from an Irish Catholic Democratic family, November 22 has special meaning. Jack Kennedy, who survived his PT boat being split in two by a Japanese Destroyer, was gunned down on an American street in the presence of his wife. November 22, 1963 is a deep wound in the American psyche.
There are hundreds of biographies about John F. Kennedy. But Kennedy remained a puzzle, an enigma, in spite of all the scholarship, articles, and books. Chris Matthews collected information and anecdotes about JFK for years, and his book “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero” truly answers the question: “What was he like?” Matthews’ curiosity and keen insights about people and politics pay great dividends in this book.
Politicians often try to mimic Kennedy’s unique stage presence, sticking their hand in their suit pockets, keeping their hands close to their body. When he was on stage, he was understated, cool—in many ways, the anti-politician. It was so obvious; but I never figured out why Kennedy had these mannerisms until now. He hated the way politicians like Hubert Humphrey acted in public, waving their hands wildly over their head. I looked through several of my JFK books—many of which I inherited from my Irish relatives—and couldn’t find a single picture of Kennedy waving his hands above his head.
The stereotypical politician, wildly waiving his arms in the air—even both arms—was just wrong for him. Watch Kennedy on videotape greeting a crowd. He never gives big waves, especially raising his arms or hands above his head. And so he was understated, cool. He was different.
He was an introvert; a bookworm, really. He was the opposite of his Grandfather, Honey Fitz—former Mayor of Boston. He didn’t like the back-slapping, waving, stereotypical politician. The fact that he looked like a movie star made his unique “cool” approach even more appealing.
He hated wearing hats, and always refused to put a hat on his head when presented with one in public. He hated cliches, and was a different kind of politician—and that’s why he mastered television. As has been stated by others, television is a “cool medium” and it rewards coolness. Radio is a “hot” medium, and reward the loud, angry candidates. Kennedy’s seemingly shy, understated approach was perfect for television. The first televised debate with Nixon changed everything.
One disturbing point that Matthews makes seems counterintuitive—that JFK’s mother didn’t love him. But Matthews presents convincing evidence that his mother ditched him. Rose Kennedy, the saintly woman, seemed to shun Jack. The father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was much more demonstrative and loving toward him. Kennedy gravitated toward a close circle of friends—Lem Billings, Red Fay, Charles Bartlett and others—for his support. And his relationship with women remained superficial.
Jackie was smart and interesting, and well read, and he loved her—as much as he was capable. But he viewed women as conquests, and in doing this, he was being like his Dad. He came by it honestly. But the damaged relationship with his mother makes one wonder how that affected his views toward women. As Matthews points out, JFK neatly compartmentalized his life.
Matthews’ book contains a lot of things that I did not know about JFK. For instance, I had no idea that JFK and Nixon were extremely close friends (not socially), and that Kennedy liked, admired and respected Nixon—at least until they squared off for the Presidency in 1960.
Matthews also explodes the myth that JFK only went into politics because his older brother, Joe, died in World War II. Although a bookish introvert, Kennedy was fascinated by history and heroes his whole life, and he was not forced into politics by his brother’s death. He was naturally interested in being a part of the action. And he called the Presidency “the center of action.”
Jack was much funnier, wittier, and well-read than his older brother, Joe. Although the book contains little about Joe, one doubts that Joe could have become President, because he was too robotic (Al Gore), and not nearly as likable as Jack. Joe was jealous of JFK’s PT-109 heroics, and vowed to outdo his kid brother in war heroism. Joe died on a risky bombing mission, desperate to outdo Jack with a better war record.
One point the book makes clear: JFK was independent in thought and action. In terms of political positions he took, he was not a puppet to his wealthy father. As a Democrat, he was too conservative for the liberal wing of the party, and had a hard time winning over liberals like Eleanor Roosevelt, who seemed to constantly favor the liberal Adlai Stevenson, who was the Democratic nominee in 1952 and 1956. Roosevelt wanted Stevenson to be the nominee again in 1960.
To me, the most appealing thing about JFK was his political independence. He had his own money. In all the reading I’ve done on JFK, not once have I seen an instance in which he changed a political position to garner more campaign donations or to please a wealthy donor. Campaigns were cheaper then, but the key was, his Dad–with his money—gave Jack the greatest gift a father could ever give to a political son: the chance to think and act independently. Pay-to-play politics simply wasn’t a part of Kennedy’s political life. He had his own money, so he wasn’t hanging around lobbyists trolling for free meals, trips, sports tickets, etc.
And one obsession Kennedy had throughout his life was the fragility of life and the certainly and unpredictability of death. Never has any pubic figure in such bad health been presented to the public as so healthy. In fact, Kennedy nearly died from childhood illnesses, was plagued by Addison’s disease, and had a bad back—even before the PT-109 incident. He seemed surprised that he survived as long as he did, and he was ready to die at any time, almost expecting it.
Author Chris Matthews sifted through the copious notes that author Theodore White took while interviewing Jackie Kennedy shortly after the assassination. Jackie described the look on Jack’s face after he was hit by the first shot in Dallas, as “quizzical,” like a look he would give after giving a witty reply at a press conference. Who knows what it meant? But his early, heroic death seemed to be consistent with what he expected. He had a fatalistic view of death. And November 22, 1963 was his time.
JFK was the antithesis of most politicians today. He was independent, never panhandling for donations or freebies. He carried himself in a cool, dignified way, never doing “typical politician” things like raising both hands in the air (Nixon). But most of all he did something that is rare in politics: instead of promising things to the American people, he asked us to make sacrifices. Chris Matthews’ biography “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero” is like a cipher, that helps us connect the dots and understand this remarkable man, who left us too soon. We needed him. We still need him.