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  J M Beal

"I am a Jelly Donut."

3/17/2014

2 Comments

 
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"Ich bin ein Berliner!" 
                                 --JFK

I may have to rename 'Miscellaneous Monday' soon, because I think we might be stretching the bounds of what actually counts as Miscellaneous. 

I think everybody knows the famous JFK quote, where he referred to himself as a breakfast confection while (successfully) attempting to reassure West Berlin after the building of the Berlin Wall. If you've somehow missed this little moment in history, there's a Wikipedia article here that sums it up pretty well (although I don't know that I trust it on when the story started). 

I have mixed feelings about Kennedy. It's hard to clearly view any well loved historical figure, particularly one who was assassinated young. Not just JFK, but his entire family had a wide, strange effect on American History. And that's only if you count the good things. 

My Monday Night Peeples were talking about Jelly Donut quotes, and I was searching around for blog inspiration and it made me think. For me, JFK is forever linked with my mother's commitment to voter responsibility. JFK was the first person she ever got to vote for, and it's made her a life-long democrat when I'm never sure she would have been, otherwise. I can't conceive of that dedication to party, but maybe that's because my first ballot wasn't followed by an assassination. 

I wonder what people my generation whose opinions on JFK aren't colored by what their parents think of him? 

Photo at the top from here under this license. 
2 Comments
Tamela link
3/17/2014 02:26:13 pm

The first president I got to vote for was Clinton. I don't know how my feelings toward him (of which there are many) had any influence on my affiliations with the Democratic Party.

I mainly just wish we would have gotten more of JFK... it's hard to judge a president who didn't even get one full term. I would have liked to see what else he would have done, and his brother too.

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Kate link
3/17/2014 03:36:36 pm

My first presidential election...I can't actually remember off hand. I do remember the first time I ever voted - it was during the 3 person Senatorial race in VA. I voted in the Republican primary because I didn't want Ollie North to be in any remote way capable of being the Senator.

As for JFK, I really don't think there was enough time to judge. His speechmaking was good. His brother could have been brilliant. But LBJ was his VP for a reason - he knew where the bodies were buried and how to work the DC system. So, I think they would have made a good team, if given time.

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