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>Yeah, remind me, how did that work out for JFK and the nation?
For JFK - not well.
For the nation - every time I use Medicare (often at my age) I think of the first Nixon-Kennedy debate where JFK proposed medical care for the aged and Nixon opposed it.
It was passed after his death during LBJ's term, but he was one of the early supporters of Medicare.
I became an admirer of his while in college after I read his Pulitzer Prize winning "Profiles in Courage" while he was still in he US Senate.
While in college I sent him a copy of a speech by one of our professors that seemed to echo some of the ideas in the book.
He graciously replied.
Needless to say, I cherish that letter.
It's hard to convey now what JFK meant to members of my generation. He was a war hero who could win a Pulitzer Prize - a rare combination.
I saw him at a fundraiser in the garment center in NYC during the 1960 campaign. The reception he got was tumultuous.
His death was a profound loss for us.