He lead the country into a new ethic of volunteerism and service to country and community. But he did cheat on his wife, and he did make some compromises to segregationists which cost him some black votes. In fact, his 68 percent (I think that's the number) of the black vote is the lowest any Democrat has received since before the New Deal. But sometimes the image and legend is more important than the person. Unfortunately, the spirit he generated didn't survive long after his death - at least not as a consensus.

His moral authority is shockingly overrated- JFK was a pig who has gotten a free ride by far too many in the media. His role in civil rights has been somewhat overplayed- Kennedy came in when it was more politically expedient. . .nowhere near the 'moral authority' that people claim. . .

In spite of his generally unbecoming personal behavior, JFK enjoyed relatively high moral authority due to his staring down of Kruschev in October, 1962, his firm anti-segregation stance and his general appeal to youth. Europeans loved Kennedy, even though the Berlin Wall was essentially constructed one morning in August, 1961, under his watch. His reaction to the wall construction, initially, was shocked acquiesence. When he realized how demoralized the west Germans were and the likelihood of communist aggression, his diplomatic efforts contained some starch. When he assigned the Berlin Brigade, his moral authority was back, at least in Europe. His domestic policies, which included a massive tax cut, primarily benefitting wealthy Americans, sparked an economic boom, and his costly social programs were not implemented by Congress (until his death when LBJ rammed them through) reduced the federal deficit, minute then by today's standards. His death distracts many Americans from failings, but his moral leadership, while president, was fairly strong.