What would today's liberals think of JFK?

Question

go read his inaugural address: Pure Bush Doctrine and more

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge—and more.

Answer 1

They would kick him out of the Democrat Party like they did Zell Miller.

What Democrat today would say these words, "Ask not what your country can do for you. But what you can do for your country."

Answer 2

I think that Brian is right. He would be a moderate/conservative. But you need to realize that there has been political re-alignement since then.

What happened was LBJ got to be President. He was from Texas. The state where JFK was killed.

LBJ was a corrupt politician who was exceptionally powerful as a Senator. He was a conservative Southern Democrat.

JFK and LBJ had almost lost the 1960 election, and even with the voting fraud and intervention by the Mafia, the problem was that the Southern Democrats in the electoral college were considering throwing the election into the House of Representatives because of Northern Democratic fondness for civil rights. The vote fixing in Cook County in Illinois swung the election because it made the Southern electoral college voters irrelevant. Eisenhower urged Nixon to sue, but he decided against it. Nixon is reported to have said that it would divide the country.

With JFK dead, LBJ knew that the chance of anyone from the Southern wing of the Democratic Party getting the nomination or winning was low.

His strategy to win the the 1968 election was to repudiate the Southern Democrats (his personal allies who had advanced his whole career), side with the Northern Democrats and the Repubicans on civil rights to get lots of new voters, get the Northern Democrats and some of the Southern Democrats to vote for welfare, and this would put the Republicans at a disadvantage with minorities and the newly enroled voters, pass a lot of socialist legislation to please Northern liberals, but if blocked by the Southerners and Republicans, appoint leftist judges to achieve the agenda through the courts, fight in Vietnam against the Communists and so get the support of traditional internationalist liberals in the Democratic and Republican Parties and also the conservatives.

It was a brilliant calculation that almost came off. Instead it gave rise to the riots in the cities and the demonstrations on campus and led to Richard M. Nixon's Southern Strategy and to the enrolment of millions of religious right people under Ronald W. Reagan.

The point is that before LBJ's Presidency, both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party were themselves in gridlock. The Democrats were conservative in the South and liberal in the North. The Republicans were conservative in the West and the Mountain States and moderate in much of the Mid-West, but were liberal in the North-East (they had the black vote). In New York, the Democrats were divided between patrician liberals and the old Democratic machine, which was highly pragmatic - I guess, moderate on average.

After LBJ's activities, the Republican Party ceased being the party with the lock on the black vote and became the party of the South. The Democrats ceased to be the party of the South and got a lock on the black vote.

Pre-LBJ, a moderate Northern Democrat was the person who could get the Democratic nomination and then win the presidency (JFK). Now it is a moderate Southern Democrat (JEC, WJC).

Pre-LBJ, a moderate Western Republican or a moderate Mid-Western Republican could get the nomination and win the presidency (Eisenhower, Nixon [he actually won in 1960 on the popular vote, but for the fraud]).

Since LBJ, a conservative Republican can win the Presidency, which was not possible after FDR, because the Republicans were not competitive in a whole region - the South.

So the short answer to all this is that liberals today would likely not get a JFK today, although they would support him if he were in office.

But this was all before there was a chance of the minorities getting one of their own in office, so traditionally, John Edwards is the only electable major candidate for the Democrats, but Hillary and Obama are electable because of the minority factor, so a Republican moderate like Giuliani is now competitive, because of the need to be more inclusive to beat Hillary or Obama.

If Hillary or Obama go far to the Left, then there is the opening for Fred Thompson in the Republicans - a charming Southern conservative. If they do not, then it is either Giuliani's year or if Fred Thompson gets the nomination, then it is Bloomberg's opportunity.

Anyhow, we are unlikely to see any more JFKs in the Democratic Party.

Answer 3

JFK had great vision. In today's politics, he would be a Republican. Bill Clinton couldn't hold a candle to him. What's even worse is that his brother, Bobby was better. For that matter, Martin Luther King, Jr. would have made an excellent President. It would have been great to see a Democratic ticket of RFK and MLK together. Either one could have lead this country. If JFK lived, and Bobby became President, this world (and especially the U.S.A.) would be a much better world. " Anybody here, seen my old friend (fill in the blank)? Can you tell me where he's gone? He's freed a lot of people, they seem so good, they die young. Abraham, Martin and John. R.I.P.

Answer 4

JFK was addressing issues arisen from the cold war in his amazing inaugural speech. JFK spoke strongly, but walked, much more gently, on international policy affairs. His use of American power was very guarded, in a time, that the Pentagon wished to enter a war, at any cost, with Russia. JFK towed the line well, it was a real balancing act. During the Cuban missile crisis, he was called weak by armed services top brass in conversations at the white house. JFK used great strength and courage to resist "conservative" forces, and, got us out of what likely would have been a nuclear holocaust, had we invaded Cuba, as every military adviser recommended to him.

Answer 5

JFK was very liberal on some items so no he would not be seen as a conservative Republican but then his views on strength in foreign policy were natural to the Democrat party of Wilson, FDR, and Truman. It is the Democrat party that came of the 68 and 72 conventions that has made them into the party of no defense, weak foreign policy, etc that JFK would not of understood. He also was a big believer in tax cuts to stimulate the economy something the Dems of today do not understand.

Answer 6

Any of those who answered the question with any form of "they would" are not liberals and most likely conservatives. Thus, they are completely clueless as to what a liberal would think and their answers are totally conjecture. If you want to know what a liberal thinks ask a liberal not a conservative.
Myself, I still think that JFK was a great president. He started to get things going on Civil Rights and stood up against the conservative practices of discrimination, segregation, and bigotry. He stood up against the big steel companies when they were price gouging. He instituted investigations into organized crime. Like the liberal FDR after Pearl Harbor, Kennedy stood up to the Cubans and the Russians when they were aiming missiles at our country. I consider myself pretty liberal. I realize that we must stand up to legitimate threats against our country. I would still like to see Osama bin Laden captured and justice for 911. I am against an unprovoked invasion and occupation of a country that was not directly threatening us. I doubt that any of the Kennedy brothers would be in favor of that.

Answer 7

I am not positive that today's Liberals think. But if they do, I have no idea what they think.

I view JFK as a sign of the times. A mark in the road, so to speak. I am okay with Democratic presidents who view him as a goal.

Answer 8

Yes with todays media coverage and every aspect of peoples lives played all over TV it is hard to imagine JFK would have even got close to reaching the oval office. Controversy would have killed him early in his career

Answer 9

For all I have learned about him, John F Kennedy was anything but a liberal. Liberal idiology didn't offically begin until 5 years after his death.
He woud tolerate the liberals, being that his brother is one of them, but I think he would be very disappointed in them.
From what I understand, a democrat during that time is more like a Republican is today.

Answer 10

Kennedy was smart enough to recognize that Iraq was no threat to our "liberty" and never would has invaded Iraq. Kenedy learned from his mistakes (Bay of Pigs). W is no JFK.

Answer 11

If JFK were alive and running today, he would not associate himself with the Democrats of today. They would be a horror to him.

Remember, JFK was a big fan of courage, especially political courage. Even wrote a bestselling book about it. There is no courage in today's Democrat party. Only cowardice and political expediency.