Knowing Kennedy

As anticipated, the Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan was sure interesting. What most took away from it was the Paul Ryan seemed logical and measured while Joe Biden came across practically unhinged, with excessive laughter and smirking, a condescending demeanor and incessant interrupting.

Certainly, the behavior Biden exhibited was not becoming someone who holds such a high position in our government; our citizenry should demand more. Media across the spectrum have weighed in unfavorably for Biden, from his lack of truthfulness in Investors Business Daily to his rude behavior on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

The RNC wasted no time in releasing a hard hitting video ad:





Even though there have been some great lines over the years, Vice Presidential debates typically do not move the needle very much in terms of the outcome of the general election.

Say it ain't so Joe! Certainly, fresh in our minds was the strong performance of Sarah Palin in 2008, and who can forget Lloyd Bentsen catching Dan Quayle in stage fright after his ill advised quote in comparison of John F. "Jack" Kennedy.

In the recent VP debate, Biden seem poised to grab a "Lloyd Bentsen moment", as Glenn Beck posted, but failed in his effort in trying to tag Ryan as attempting to cast himself as comparable to former President Kennedy.

No such luck for cranky Uncle Joe.  As it turns out, Biden was wrong, again, and Ryan was correct.  While JFK seems off limits for debate comparison for some reason, I would like to indulge Biden and have a conversation about the beloved former President.  Who, if anyone, and whose policies are similar to the arena of ideas and philosophies Kennedy advocated?

It is not Obama and Biden, as we noted it would not be back in 2008.

I understand how so many in my parents generation, my parents included, held great admiration for President Kennedy, similar in many ways how a greater majority of my generation, inclusive of myself, hold President Reagan in such high regard.

Certainly, in the era of televisions becoming widespread, there was the whole Camelot phenomenon that enhanced the romance of the young President and his beautiful family.  Unfortunately, on a dreadful day in Dallas in November of 1963, the dream was over and the innocence of the country was lost. In seconds.

One would have to imagine that their infatuation and support of President Kennedy was largely due to agreeing with a large degree of the policies President Kennedy advocated. We can begin with perhaps the most famous quote from JFK, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country", which cannot be regarded as a ringing endorsement of expansive government entitlements.

Under the Obama administration, excessive regulation and taxation, increasing stimulus and expansive entitlements have been stunning in their advance, in no way resembling the positions JFK took with regard to this type of governance.

President Kennedy fought for tax cuts, noting they are an integral part of creating a growing and thriving economy.  While JFK thought, correctly, that free market capitalism requires a base of regulatory foundation, economies function best when those are not variable and are held to a minimum. 

In addition, and perhaps most importantly, Kennedy wanted to help create an environment where the citizens of America can pursue happiness, where hard work is rewarded with market driven pay scales allowing workers opportunities for advancement; morally, financially and ethically.  Kennedy was not a supporter of an expansion of entitlements, which creates a culture of dependency which restricts the freedom and incentive of the individual, robbing them of their identity.

Some say Ronald Reagan would be unable to be elected in the GOP of today.  Hogwash!  Reagan would be leading the opposition against the Progressives; in both parties.  In fact, the man who would not be elected in his own party, is John F. Kennedy.

In response to the disagreement over the truth in the debate, Western Free Press grabbed some old video and presented the answers.  Take a thorough listen:




Sadly, when reviewing many of the Democrats in support of Obama and his platform, it would be news to them that their beloved JFK would an opponent. I encourage those Camelot Democrats to expand their knowledge in getting to know Kennedy beyond the images associated with Camelot.  In his own words.

Don't tell Uncle Joe, but maybe Paul Ryan is the man who can carry the JFK torch? Just sayin.