A mostly ineffectual president. Charismatic to the max though. He was inspirational to the youth of America at that time. It wasn't until many years later that his feet of clay were exposed. Very sad that he was killed.

A largely ineffectual president

Very overrated.

Had it not been for the guns of Dealy Plaza, this guy would likely be placed in the same class of presidents as Taft, or Cleveland.

Possibly worse, given his love of intrigue and fascination with black ops.

There is no, repeat no, evidence he was contemplating serious withdrawal from Vietnam (a throw away sentence to a journalist isn't proof) and it is likely, had his cerebral cortex not wound up splattered over the trunk of his limo, that it is he, and not Johnson or Nixon who would be vilified for the war.

JFK's decision not to attack/invade Cuba during the missile crisis saved over 50 million American lives. His decision alone validated his entire Presidency and protected the lives and futures of a wide range of people including those who criticize him. Or for that matter, the people who still have no inkling they are alive because of John Kennedy.

Sadly, nobody really knows what may or may not have happened during JFK's presidency had he lived. The Bay of Pigs was an inherited plan from the Eisenhower administration (a Nixon plan BTW). Kennedy did not back the CIA and as a result the invasion failed and Kennedy will always be blaimed for that regardless. Don't forget that he forced the Soviets to pull their missles out of Cuba or face a war that nobody wanted. JFK began legistlation for civil rights, inspired Americans to be excited about space exploration, began the Peace Corps and (IMO) did not want to commit troups to Vietnam (only advisers) because he felt it was not OUR war to win or lose. Johnson made sure Kennedy's Civil Rights policies passed and he continued with the NASA space program but obviously failed in Vietnam because he did commit troups. No, JFK wasn't perfect but who among us is perfect? He was underrated IMO.

penis

This is Mr. Overrated himself. Just what did he do? His stupid bungling at the Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall and Summit Conference so conviced the USSR that he was a weak moron, that the Russkies pushed the envelope with the missiles. He barely escaped that with the skin of his teeth and then only by giving away the farm. He unleashed Castro to do mischief for the next forty years, and Europe was trembling. He tried to show he was macho in Viet Nam and you know the rest. I always get a kick out of the Kennedy-Lincoln comparison schtick. Lets continue: Lincoln was born in Kentucky; Kennedy was born in Massachusetts; Lincoln's wife was named Mary; Kennedy's wife was named Jacqueline; Lincoln was a Republican; Kennedy was a Democrat; Lincoln was defeated for the Senate; Kennedy was elected to the Senate; Lincoln served in the Militia; Kennedy served in the navy; Kennedy died in Texas; Lincoln died in the District of Columbia; Kennedy is buried in Virginia; Lincoln is buried in Illinois; Lincoln was born in February; Kennedy was born in May. Lincoln was born in 1809; Kennedy was born in 1917; YOU GET THE PICTURE--WE CAN GO ON AN ON.

Hehe, Graymalkin. Sort of reminds me of the sports announcers all those little trivial tidbits they come up with: WHO THE FREAK CARES?

This is a common comparison that has been around for sometime. To make a few corrections to this analysis all one has to do is do a little bit of research. First, John Wilkes Booth was born in Maryland on May 10th, 1838 not 1839. Marilyn Monroe died on August 5th, 1962, over a year before John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln never had a secretary named Kennedy, their names where John Hay and John Nicolay. I heard also that Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin and as a boy John F. Kennedy spilled Log Cabin syrup in his fathers Lincoln. You can find coincidences in other former presidents as well, if you get really bored with nothing better to do. As for John F. Kennedy, he is on president whose early and tragic death probably left him a bit more overrated than if he would had survived to old age.

I wanted to share something i received in my Email. Maybe some of you have read this, but for those who havn't its pretty compelling. I wasn't sure where to put it, so i chose here. Abe Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to congress in 1946 Abe Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960. Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. Bothe wives lost their children while living in the White House. Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. Both Presidents were shot in the head. Now it gets really weird. Lincoln's Secretary was named Kennedy Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln. Both were assassinated by Southerners Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln,was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy,was born in 1908. John Wilkes Booth,who assassinated Lincoln,was born in 1839. Lee harvey Oswald,who assissinated Kennedy,was born in 1939. Both assissins were known by their three names. Both names are composed of fifteen letters. Now hang on to your seat! Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford' Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford' Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assissin ran and hid in a warehouse. Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assissin ran and hid in a theater. Booth and Oswald were assissinated before their trials. And here's the kicker... A week before Lincoln was shot,he was in Monroe,Maryland. A week before Kennedy was shot he was in Marilyn Monroe.

JFK was young and charimatic then he got killed. They glorified him by saying what a great prez he was for two years of so-so service. If he hadn't been killed would he have faded away or deserve his overrated rating?

Overrated slimy pig. Gets two stars for banging Marilyn.

i agree completely: john f. kennedy is a myth, he s a kind of pop-star. he s perhaps what america misses so much: having a kind of monarch-family to look up to. he had this wonderful beautiful woman. he inscinated his life perfectly. he made the white house to a kind of palace. and as the youngest president he fullfilled the dreams of a generation that believed its possible to change the world completely. his assassination rounded a myth that is comparable with james deans. as a president the time was too short to judge what kind of longterm policy he would have been realising. he did things that were contradictionary. so he was able to show chrustschow that also a young president can be taken serious (cuba-crisis). but he failed in some other things. so out of the historical perspective: he always will be remembered as a fascinating person, as an american idol. his life is out of that staff that tales are. but in my opinion he wasnt a president of historical importance.

John F. Kennedy is clearly the most overrated president in U.S. history. To start off addressing the popular love affair with Kennedy, JFK is primarily loved and given so many passes (like Clinton) because he was the first president of his generation. Objectively, he was a largely failure. The Bay of Pigs was an embarrassment (whether the administration originated the action or not). Kennedy brought us closer to nuclear confrontation (ie the Cuban Missile Crisis) than at any other time in history, and this could have been avoided if the missiles in Turkey would have been negotiated away in secret. He took us deeper into Vietnam (though whether this was a poor decision in foresight is debatable). Even his moon challenge was designed to militarize space, an idea that was later eschewed via treaty. On the plus side, he did invigorate the younger generations to take an interest in politics, he lowered the draconian tax burden, and he established the Peace Corps (though a domestic version should have been established as well). The bottom line is that John F. Kennedy had some rather substantial failures, he didn't even serve a complete term (though due to no fault of his own), his primary challenge should have been avoided, and his achievements seem to be tainted or incomplete. On a final note, I would speculate that JFK would not recognize the Democratic Party today, though he would most likely remain a moderate Democrat.

JFK was one of the Greatest President. All throughout his term he worked to satisfy the people and overall bring peace to America. He did enter the Presidency at a rough time...Fighting communism. But he was one of the best!!

he was cool. he solved the cuban missile crisis. so yea.

He was very overrated. Given a pass because 1) assassinated 2) first catholic president and did not sign USA over to the pope as many protestants seemed to think he would 3) comes from an area of the country where blind hero worship is the norm.

In response mainly to the notion that JFK is a sacred cow who is untouchable in my eyes, I am writing this comment largely to achieve balance and once and for all clearly define my position on the Kennedy presidency. I, like many young Americans interested in history and politics, have been greatly influenced by John F. Kennedy. He was blessed with the ability to inspire an entire generation of Americans to take an active role in the political process. Through the Peace Corps, Kennedy communicated to America's youth that they could make a difference in an increasingly dangerous and unstable world. Although it was later eliminated due to poor direction and ineffectiveness, the Alliance for Progress could've been effective at preventing Communist subversion in Latin America. This is especially true when considering the backchannel communications Kennedy was engaged in with Castro in 1963 that may have led to improved relations between Cuba and the United States. With a more moderate Cuban government, it would've been much easier to focus efforts on Latin American development and security. While it is fair to call him a lightweight in the field of foreign and military affairs, Kennedy did have some successes in foriegn policy. The signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would've been virtually impossible in 1961. A change in tone on both sides resulting from the fallout of the Cuban Missile Crisis was largely responsible for the signing of the treaty. While this was mostly due to Krushchev's realization that nuclear war was a real possibility with tensions so high, Kennedy does deserve some credit. While Krushchev initially saw Kennedy as a lightweight, Kennedy was quite effective at gaining Krushchev's respect through his caculated moves during the Missile Crisis and in Berlin. The calming tensions that succeeded the Cuban Missile Crisis was largely a prelude to the detente' that was more aggressively pursued during the Nixon Administration. On the negative side, Kennedy's inexperience and naivety in the field of foreign affairs was quite evident in his handling of the Bay of Pigs. Most of the blame can be attributed to the misleading analyses of the CIA that assured Kennedy that the invasion would succeed with minimal American military environment. Kennedy, a lightweight who believed that he was in no position to question such experienced men as Allen Dulles, went along with the plan, and suffered for it. To his credit, Kennedy owned up to his mistake, and clearly learned from it. He was very inquisitive from then one and asked the right questions with regards to foreign policy matters. Kennedy's biggest mistake as President, however, was approving the overthrow of the corrupt South Vietnamese leader Diem. While Diem was corrupt, with enough US pressure he would've shaped up. In approving the overthrow of Diem, Kennedy essentially drove us further into Vietnam. While it is debatable as to whether Kennedy would've escalated the war in Vietnam as Johnson did, it is clear that his actions in Vietnam led to the political instability that led to Johnson's expansion of the war. Kennedy was very interested in global affairs, taking an avid interest in African and Latin American affairs. He realized that it was essential that the United States take the initiative at alleviating poverty and disease throughout the world. He took the initiative in alleviating world hunger, especially in Africa. He truly was one of the first global humanitarians in the White House, realizing that our country is blessed with the tools and the power to make a difference in the world. On domestic affairs, Kennedy was largely ineffective at getting most of his program passed. He was cautious but forceful at times in the enforcement of existing Civil Rights laws and the proposal of new ones. The Civil Rights legislation and the tax plan that substantially lowered the tax burden (then at rates as high as 90%) were not passed until after his death. He took the initiative and gave America something to take pride in when he initiated the moon race. In the final analysis, while Kennedy had some substantial failures as President, what he accomplished (or didn't accomplish) is not as important as what he represented, which was a vision of peace and justice for Americans, and indeed, humanity.

JFK was very overrated as President. He's revered in large part because he was the first of the World War 2 generation to serve as President. He communicated himself well and was very charming which gave him a much higher rating among contemporary historians. It helped that he was President during a very important period in American history, the Cold War was peaking in 1961 as Kennedy took office. JFK's tragic death forever enshrined him in history although he probably didn't deserve this so much. It is unfair to judge him completely however because much of his agenda hadn't been fully carried out by the time of his death. However, considering what he did as President, it is fair to say that clearly he doesn't deserve to be ranked among the top Presidents. In many ways Kennedy represents the America of the 1950's and 1960's: clean cut, idealistic, vigorous. That's why people liked him. His record deserves to be examined more closely. On the foreign policy front, the biggest mistake he made was not providing air cover for the Cuban fighters during the Bay of Pigs invasion. The CIA deserved much of the blame for the failure, but it was Kennedy's belated approval of air cover that created the mess. He blew our cover, exposing America's role in the invasion, plus the aircover that he approved of was insufficient at any rate. It was a total loss for us. His failure there along with his weak performance him Vienna in his first summit with Nikita Khrushchev caused the Soviets to build up their forces in Berlin and it lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis. We came unnecessarily close to nuclear war with the Russians because Khrushchev believed that Kennedy was weak. Luckily he was able to deflect the threat by means of a naval blockade and economic sanctions. If the blockade had failed, the US could have escalated the response, thus we wouldn't have been viewed as the aggressor. In the final analysis, Kennedy's actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis saved his reputation. Really we came out with the upper hand in that situation: the missiles that we had to remove from Turkey in return for Soviet departure from Cuba were outdated at any rate. This lead up to detente with the Russians, it was realized that a nuclear exchange would not be mutually beneficial for either country. America came out on top and Khrushchev was discredited, but at the end of the day, we became overconfident and that lead to our hubris in Vietnam. The Soviets however did end up achieving nuclear parity in the late 1960's, which caused the end of detente during the Carter Presidency and greater tension. The most important foreign policy development of Kennedy's last year was the signing of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which banned atmospheric testing of atomic weaponry; the only nuclear power which didn't sign on was France, which still occasionally tests its nukes. Kennedy's Alliance for Progress was a farsighted plan designed to resolve structural problems with Latin America's political economy; it addressed the gross inequalities in that regions socio-economic system without resorting to socialism. Problem was that the specter of Castro in Cuba weakened its appeal in the region and ultimately it was dissolved in 1973. Although today such a program would help out Latin America, the Alliance for Peace got lost in other priorities, most notably Vietnam. It can be argued that Kennedy wouldn't have escalated that conflict had he remained in office, but looking at his actions before his death, it was becoming apparent that we were becoming more involved in their domestic politics, namely the assassination of Diem, which was the event that signaled greater American involvement in the region. Domestically, Kennedy didn't do anything really significant. Key to his New Frontier program was a tax cut along with progress in civil rights. He acted on neither in large part because Southern Democrats didn't fully trust him. Much of his program was passed only after his death and Lyndon Johnson's talented legislative manuvers. The release of his medical records in recent years seems to indicate that Kennedy had much less viga than he let on. Most disturbing was the revelation that Kennedy used a doctor named Max Jacobson to acquire speed to help him cope with his Addisons disease and back pain. With the passage of time, Kennedy's Presidency has been examined far more closely. Whatever the verdict, his youthfulness and idealism endeared himself to a generation of Americans. Still he is far less talented than most of his acolytes give him credit for.

The older I get and the more I study his presidency, I gain a greater respect for Kennedy. I wish we all could have seen how he would have dealt with the escalation of the war in Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement.

The older I become the more and more respect I have for Kennedy. It is a true shame that he was assassinated and did not have the chance to finish his term and eventually serve another four years. His re-election was a certainty. He displayed great leadership through the Missle Crisis, took on the debate of Civil Rights, and displayed cautious steps into Vietnam. Who knows how he would have reacted to escalating the situation in Vietnam? Granted, his accomplishments were few in number, but that makes sense because he served only slightly under three years in the White House. Had he been able to live long enough to finish his first term and then begin a second, his accomplishments would have been several. He would have been the one to sign all the Civil Rights legislation and see the first man land on the moon. Then again, he may have had to burden the blame and protests of Vietnam like LBJ. Who knows? He certainly was a centrist politician and might have even been described as a moderate Republican in today's political terms.

without question the most overrated. the bay of pigs was a complete flop because of his lack of leadership, most of his civil rights legislation was bottled up in congress, and the russians viewed him as weaker than his predecessor. had he not been felled by an assassin, he would have won big in 64, then faced the same problems johnson faced in 66-68 with vietnam. i don't necessarily think he was a bad president, just highly overrated.

You have to admit that JFK had a lot going for him that would recommend him for a long-running martyrdom. He was relatively young, good looking, charming, father of two adorable small children, had an aristocratic beautiful young wife, was Irish Catholic, and from a large family that for all their money they still managed to project the appearance of sporty, patriotic, clean cut, youthful America. His assassination simply set all those factors into motion. It was like a snowball rolling downhill. Once it hit bottom it still took a lot of years to melt.

This is messed up. If you vote great do you mean that he is the most overratted? It seems that way but doesn't make alot of sense.

i have to wonder if Kennedy had not been assassinated if he would be considered such a great president.It is like he became a hero becuase of his death.Of all the presidents the kennedys have always been of big interest.Most books have been written on them.I do not think he was a bad president. but he was very overrated.

The bay of pigs invasion totally flopped.