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"KENNEDY, JFK: THE PRESIDENCY OF JOHN F."
Term Paper ID:18679
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Essay Subject:
(Herbert S. Parmet). Discusses work on president's background, politics, ideology, advisers, civil rights, impact of father.... More...
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5 Pages / 1125 Words
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Paper Abstract:
(Herbert S. Parmet). Discusses work on president's background, politics, ideology, advisers, civil rights, impact of father.
Paper Introduction:
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the book, JFK: The Presidency of John F. Kennedy, by Herbert S. Parmet.
This book, the second in a biographical series on JFK, provides an overview of Kennedy's presidency, with an emphasis on the most outstanding (or notorious) episodes during his tenure, such as civil rights, the Cuban missile crisis, the Bay of Pigs, and other historical events. These events are covered in successive chapters, detailing the episodes which most people will find historically interesting.
Parmet's precise background is not mentioned in the book. However, he is obviously a seasoned writer in the area of political science, since his earlier works include; Aaron Burr: Portrait of an Ambitious Man, Eisenhower and the American
Text of the Paper:
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Eisenhower was a "hands-off" president who, in Kennedy's viewhad a myopic view of the world and far too little information in hisadministration to be able to cope with changing global conditions.Kennedy, on the other hand, enlisted the aid of a "brain trust," as hadFDR, who came from scholarly backgrounds and could provide detailedtechnical analysis of events around the world, as they happened. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the book, JFK:The Presidency of John F. On the other hand, in foreign policy matters--which is where his realinterests were--he moved with a quicker and freer hand. President Kennedy won a winning coalition for the Presidency becausethe Democratic convention closed that Friday evening at the vast LosAngeles Coliseum, a football stadium. It was doubtful, as Eisenhower had believed, that thefederal government could really enforce change without the possibility ofbloodshed (251). Kennedy Library in Boston, Princeton University Library, the FDRMemorial Library, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the FulbrightPapers. The lawbreakers, at this point, were allowed to get theirown way. Kennedy, was, finally a moderate conservative and a rationalidealist. As Parmet states (9), "Through the years Jack Kennedy's analysisbecame more sophisticated, his constituency more national and diverse, butthe voice remained focused on the task of preserving democracy as achallenge to the courage who were the few, the rich, the well-born." Ben Bradlee, Kennedy's publisher friend, noted that JFK wasfascinated by the "use and abuse of all power" (9). Kennedy, by Herbert S. He was much morewilling to use presidential power globally than domestically (99).Probably this was because he was, in fact, a cold-war warrior, who believedthat the major struggle in the world was between capitalism andcollectivism. The public view of Jack was as a"golden boy", but the original "golden boy" for the Kennedys was Joe, Jr.,the "lost prince," and the second son had surmounted a multitude ofbarriers to become a worthy replacement. This book, the second in a biographical series on JFK, provides anoverview of Kennedy's presidency, with an emphasis on the most outstanding(or notorious) episodes during his tenure, such as civil rights, the Cubanmissile crisis, the Bay of Pigs, and other historical events. This was a themethat he repeated again and again with variations that audiences required(9). Kennedy issued a proclamation calling on obstructionists to ceasetheir activities and disperse peaceably. The decision to integrate the South was a painful one forKennedy (251). Clearly, this was anelitist attitude, an aristocratic attitude of "noblesse oblige" thatconcentrated on the wealthy and educated to guide the many into a betterworld. On page 351, Parmet describes JFK as the survivor of what has been a"brutal filter." To become worthy of his father, he had overcome thenatural inhibitions of his personality. They hadboth been wrong (157). The civildisobediencecampaign that mounted during the spring of 1961 drew its strength in nosmall part from an underlying confidence that there was a man in the WhiteHouse who would sooner or later have to respond with the full power offederal authority." And finally, Kennedy did respond. His feisty and confrontational attitude was expressed when he toldhis brother, "What a fantastic job this would be if you didn't have theRussians" (131). He went to Howard University andattended a luncheon of a black women's sorority and talked in platitudinousterms about all children being able to develop their talents (263). On the other hand, Kennedy's response to the Cuban missile crisis wassolely his own. The turning point in JackKennedy's personal remoteness from the civil rights movement came with theoften described efforts of a black man, James Meredith, to join the studentbody of all-white "Ole Miss," the University of Mississippi at oxford(26 ). Unfortunately, in this same chapter Parmet notes that much of thetechnical analysis Kennedy depended upon so heavily later turned out to bewrong. He liked to say, "Life is unfair" (131). New York: Dial, 1983.----------------------- 7 His self-discipline, combined with hereditary assets,had taken him far. In the chapter, "Preparing for Power" (61-82), Parmet discuss thefact that the presidential styles of Eisenhower and Kennedy were completelydifferent. Jack hadto get there by his own wiles, and he had few illusions about the process. He had endured persistent pain andescaped a premature death sentence. "Above all, Jack Kennedy, trained to be a politician, was apolitician" (355). JFK: The Presidency of John F. Roy Wilkins, head of the NAACP, thought that Kennedy was morallycorrect in his beliefs about racial equality, but that his aristocraticbackground got in the way of enforcing those beliefs (252). Despite his statement tothe press, after the Bay of Pigs fiasco, that "I'm the responsible officerof the Government--that is quite obvious," he had relied upon the CIA andhis military advisors, before going ahead with the operation. Joseph P. The author's assertions and statements are very well documented,there being 34 pages of end notes at the back of the book (357-391). Kennedy's background was elitist. Kennedy surrounded himself with technicians,but he himself remained the consummate politician, manipulating people andevents largely through public relations. Kennedy, unlike his later Democratic counterpart, Jimmy Carter, wasno moralist, no idealist. For example, Kennedy followed the lead of his military planners in thecase of Laos by going along with a proposal to create a neutral commissionconsisting of Cambodia, Burma, and Malaya (139). These eventsare covered in successive chapters, detailing the episodes which mostpeople will find historically interesting. Kennedy's decision to enforce the Civil Rights Act was carefully andcautiously calculated. John F. As Parmet states, (249), "The civil rights movementhelped elevate Jack Kennedy to Lincolnesque proportions." But the realitywas, that the drive for racial equality overwhelmed him, forced him tochange his political calculations, and weakened the coalition he had workedto harmonize. Chester Bowles,another Kennedy associate, noted that Kennedy went into politics "largelybecause he was interested in securing power, but once he was in public lifeand had become President, it seems to me that he moved steadily toward thisbroader concept of using power constructively" (9). Born to a wealthy family, and amember of the democratic party only by necessity, Kennedy believed thatAmerica's elite class had the responsibility to take care of the welfare ofthe country. Parmet's precise background is not mentioned in the book. Kennedy, the former ambassador, had done his work behindthe scenes, but in a way, he was as much a liability as an asset. His word was circulated by the AlumniBulletin as "Jack Kennedy's Challenge," a plea for independent preparatoryschools to equip America with more political leadership. Parmet. He went to do those things thatdemonstrated toothless advocacy (263). Although many of his subordinates(including his brother Robert) were idealists, Jack was not. While having the advice of John McCone, his CIA director,Kennedy largely acted on his own to confront the Soviet challenge (283). This attitude was translated into his hiring of so many scholars,intellectuals, and wealthy people into his administration. Kennedy. Inthis regard, he viewed the presidency as a series of challenges, of testswhich had to be met and overcome. His life, his rise to power, and the White House yearsreflect his desire to govern a democratic society. Kennedy relied heavily on his presidential staff in making decisions. The "Acknowledgements" section of the book includes many scholarlysources utilized by the author in writing this volume, including The JohnF. However,he is obviously a seasoned writer in the area of political science, sincehis earlier works include; Aaron Burr: Portrait of an Ambitious Man,Eisenhower and the American Crusades, and The Democrats: The Years afterFDR. Works CitedParmet, Herbert S. In his domestic policy, Kennedywas very cautious, as in his involvement with the civil rights movement,always cautious about how much progress the American people would accept. As Parmet states, (252) "That so much exploded while Kennedy was inthe White House was no coincidence of history. After convincing the public that the administration was beinggoverned by dogmatic liberals--he was not one of them--the pollsdemonstrated soon after his inauguration that the majority of the Americanpeople stood behind him (98). As early as 1946, he had addressed his former teachers andstudents at the Choate prep school.
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