After the Bay of Pigs fiasco the US was clearly on the geopolitical defensive. Rostow, who was a Deputy National Security Advisor at the time, sent a memo to Kennedy detailing three places where the US could push back in order to restore our position vis a vis the Soviets - Berlin, where we had the most to gain but where the risk of triggering WW III was greatest. Laos, where we could probably defeat the communists but who would notice. South Vietnam, which seemed perfect in terms of visibility, and strength of the opposition.
Kennedy went to Berlin and made a speech in which he declared himself to be a breakfast pastry. ("Ich bin ein berliner" as opposed to "ich bin berliner".)
Laos, and the NVA's whole right flank, were publicly written off in negotiations. (None of the geniuses apparently could read a map.) CIA operations there were reactive and on too small a scale to interdict supplies to the NVA and VC.
The South Vietnam conflict was escalated and escalated but with obvious results. (None of those geniuses had apparently read Sun Tzu or studied any Asian history either.)
Anyway, it has always been my opinion that Walt Whitman Rostow didn't get near the kicking around he richly deserved.
What great fortune Kennedy didn't have to speak in Hamburg.