The *last* great American president.

[weazel]

Was John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Let the word go forth
From this time and place
To friend and foe alike
That the torch has been passed
To a new generation of Americans.

Let every nation know
Whether it wishes us well or ill
That we shall pay any price - bear any burden
Meet any hardship - support any friend
Oppose any foe to assure the survival
And the success of liberty

Now the trumpet summons us again
Not as a call to bear arms
- though embattled we are  
But a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle  
A struggle against the common enemies of man Tyranny - Poverty - Disease - and War itself

In the long history of the world
Only a few generations have been granted
The role of defending freedom
In the hour of maximum danger
I do not shrink from this responsibility
I welcome it

The Energy - the Faith - the Devotion
Which we bring to this endeavor
Will light our country
And all who serve it
And the glow from that fire
Can truly light the world

And so my fellow Americans
Ask not what your country can do for you
Ask what you can do for your country
My fellow citizens of the world - ask not
What America can do for you - but what together
We can do for the freedom of man

With a good conscience our only sure reward
With history the final judge of our deeds
Let us go forth to lead the land we love - asking His blessing
And his help - but knowing that here on earth
God's work must truly be our own.

Inaugural Address - January 20, 1961

I just watched 13 Days, thank you JFK....and Kevin O'Donnell...without these men where would we be now?

I wonder where all the great men have gone when I look at the contrast compared to those who have followed him.

[funkedup]

Just another slick dishonest crook.

[weazel]

Slider......you stink.  

[whgates3]

funkedup has it correct - all those meds he was on, well a lot of them would be used as stopgap meds in those days for syphilis that went too long being untreated after the initial infection, the back brace would have been part of the treatment as well.  His dad was a major criminal and he got elected by stealing the election in West VA...not too dissimilar from W, except in W's case the $$$ comes from grandad being a criminal...only good president ever was the one that was not a member of a political party: George Washington (also the only honest president ever).

Teddy Rosevelt was not bad

[Eagler]

Joe got him in, and probably killed
Did he really beat Nixon?
his assassination anointed him, otherwise ....

he did get the moon shot started for whatever that really accomplished in the end cept a distraction from death & suffering of our boys in SE Asia at the time

for change on a Global scale Regan beats JFK hands down

[weazel]

JFKs jockstrap, he's a prime example of how the presidency has turned into a beauty contest....all spin, no substance.

[Toad]

Well, he certainly did have some of the better wordsmiths as speechwriters.

Otherwise, just another pol.

[Toad]

Originally posted by weazel
I just watched 13 Days, thank you JFK....and Kevin O'Donnell...without these men where would we be now?

Not still living down the incredible damage that VietNam did to our Nation internally and internationally?

After all, Lyndon and McNamara were Kennedy choices.

Just a guess.

[weazel]

Focus on JFKs bad points , just remember he's the reason why your kids aren't wobbling around on three legs and arguing with their 2nd head.  

Who would you choose Toad-San?

[Toad]

Or we could ignore his bad points and just call him the last great American president without any analysis of why that would be so other than a speech he probably didn't write?

And Kennedy saved my children by giving the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service to Dr. Kelsey?

Gee, I'm thinking it was Dr. Kelsey who deserves the credit.

[weazel]

Thalidomide?

About as much as his inaugural address I suppose. I only added it as those are arguably his most famous words.

The 3 legs and 2 heads was in reference to the resultant fallout if a nuclear exchange had occured over the Cuban missle crisis.

Being disingenious isn't your normal style Toad.

[SirLoin]

"Last great American President"..?

Still waiting for the first one.

[funkedup]

It was JFK's blundering that got us into the bad situation with the USSR in the first place.

[john9001]

JFK was the one who hired the idiot McNamara, screwed up the bay of pigs, caused the cuban missle crisis, and almost started world war three..     yeah , he be great

[Pongo]

The last president that controled the press or had its unfailing support. coincidence I think not.

Give me a Carter over a Kennedy any day.

And what was wrong with Ike? He was a great president wasnt he?
Not flashy enought I guess..