New JFK tape reveals his father thought he was hopeless at politics

curtisjohnson- the top brass army men wanted that war, something to do I guess. And they where going to get it regardless. Like Afghan, can't pull out because it would have all been in vain, how long is that thing going on now, coming up to 11 years. Is there progress, still the same thing going on though.

The Bay of Pigs was a poorly planned CIA driven operation which never should have been attempted in the first place. JFK sent advisors to Vietnam and all indications were that he wanted to pull out. Lyndon Johnson is the one that got us fully involved militarily in Vietnam to the benefit of his Texas contractor buddies.

wft. WillRuha, Just a few points, there might not have been a Cuban or Berlin crisis and I would not have had to man a fifty caliber machine gun in the Fulda Gap on the east/west German border had JFK not bailed out on the Bay of Pigs, which is why the communists decided to test him in the first place. The Berlin wall is also part of his legacy and might still be there if it was not for one of our greatest Presidents. JFK got us into the Viet Nam mess; he screwed the Irish when he changed the immigration rules. Because there is a big difference in what you wrote and what I know I assume that all this happened before your time and your rose tinted picture is what you got from the liberal media.

a big todo about nothing - folks desperate for a story makeup.

Thanks for posting this anecdote on JFK in 1960. John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy were dedicated to peace, civility, and progressive measures for advancing liberty and egalitarian democracy. That we can even discuss history is due to JFK's masterful handling of events and individuals during the nuclear Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, predicated on the severe underassessment of his courage and leadership by Nikita Khrushchev and such reckless militarists as Curtis LeMay, George Anderson, Jr., and Lyman Lemnitzer. JFK recognized that not only the Americas were imperiled by Soviet missiles in Cuba, but so too Berlin and Western Europe via Khrushchev's use of these weapons, seeking strategic advantage for Soviet capture of that key German city in 1963. Aware now that Soviet commanders in Cuba were armed with tactical nukes and orders to use them if fired upon, it is likely that if anyone else had been president during those tense days, World War III would have ensued, annihilating untold millions worldwide, with resultant radioactive fallout poisoning the Earth for eons to come. JFK and RFK prevented this unparalleled catastrophe. JFK was a man of candor and secrecy. To intimates he might disclose health problems he felt impelled to hide from public scrutiny. He was genuinely self-effacing and somewhat shy while projecting an image of self-confidence and social camaraderie. He eschewed the gregarious and boisterous behavior of typical politicians, viewing himself as less appealing to crowds than campaigners like Humphrey, Smathers, and LBJ. What he brought to American politics was a new coolness, an eloquent rationality expressed with purpose, conviction and brevity. He was America's last true president, a leader willing to restrain the irrational and ignorant aggression of militarists, ideologues, and extremists, who came to the fore in the wake of his violent removal from office.

The most extraordinary member of the Kennedy family was the father, Joseph P. Kennedy. He's the one who made all the money (estimated at $500 million) that made the Kennedy political dynasty possible. The Kennedy's were a remarkable family, but let's face it, if Joe Kennedy had been a Boston bus driver rather than one of the most successful businessmen in America, there's no way his son would have become the first Irish-Catholic President back in 1960.

JFK is still better than the Presidents that have come under him. With the exception of Obama, but I still think that JFK was better. Just in the fact the way he handled the Cuban crisis, that alone was great, the Priesidents now would have had us into world war three. I loved the way that he put J Edgar Hoover in his place, that was great. JFK was a great man, we all have flaws no one is perfect.

Joe Kennedy was a monster in many ways, a psychological bully. I know this from stories told to me by some people who knew members of the family well.

Anyone familiar with JFK, can spot his self-deprecating style a mile away. So what else is new?

Are we sick of the Kennedys? Why don't you writer focus on things of Ireland and Northern Ireland? There is so much good in both places and especially the beauty and things to see and do?

JFK was fatally flawed, due in part to his womanizing father. He and RFK would have been better off being college professors. I agree with comments below that state that you seem to obsess on the Kennedys. JFK himself never fed into this Camelot (crap); it was Jackie O. who wanted to create a mythology, and apparently succeeded, if only in parts of the USA and parts of Ireland. I mean, youse liberal omadhauns should just come off it, and start thinking deeply about substantial issues including the huge budget deficit in the USA.

Absolutely nothing new here. Everybody knows the "Old Bootlegger's" first choice and favorite son was Joe,Jr.

Who cares and why do you obsessively waste space and time on this rubbish from 50 years ago? Nothing really to do with Ireland or of interest to Irish people. The obsession with digging up Kennedy dirt is boring at best and senselessly vitriolic at its worst. Do you have no interest in writing about something - ANYTHING - of current or Irish relevant interest? Central has plenty of very good stuff and there is no shortage of topics to write about.

Looks like Sr's low opinion of JFK political abilities didn't stop Sr from circulating alot of cash nationwide, and perhaps make more sinister deals to get his son elected. Really, does this bit of very personal family gossip, if true, add to the historical record of JFK's presidency?