Their glamour made them celebrities. Watch a press conference with Kennedy and listen to his spontaneous wit. No president in my lifetime did that. I’m 70. My mother thought he could do no wrong, even Bay of Pigs.
Presidents wer protected then. If his mistresses hit the news he would have been disgraced and toast, especially Exeter who was already with Giancana. I rate him an average president. I think if he had tow terms he may have been great or mediocre hard to tell, all supposition.
I think the Kennedys contributed directly either physically or psychologically with Monroe’s death. Peter Lawford being their intermediary.
I like the way they went after Hoffa and some of the mafia. But after having their support in the election that may have killed him.
I would add Catholics adored him. Many homes I went into had the pope and JFK’s photos displayed. When he died I was at a debate tournament in Glendora. We were all sent back to our own schools. I went to catholic boys school in La Verne CAL. We sat with TV monitors waiting for rides home. The young Irish priests were all distraught.