Wednesday, February 20, 2013

“Listening In” Pulls Back Camelot’s Curtain To Offer Rare Frame Of Reference For Kennedy Leadership




 “For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

“I saw how ideally politics filled the Greek definition of happiness: ‘Full use of your powers along lines of excellence in a life affording scope.’”

One of my personal heroes is Robert F. Kennedy. My Dad looks a lot like JFK. So it was a no-brainer that Ted Widmer’s “Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy” would resonate with me on a number of levels.

The book captured conversations held in the Oval Office about a variety of topics. Not only is it fascinating to hear how JFK related to visitors and audiences of different priority and status, but it reveals quite a bit about the state of the world during his Presidency.

It is difficult for future generations to grasp the breadth of issues that faced JFK and his Cabinet, but these tapes open the blinds on struggles with the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, racism and equality, the space race, and other monumental challenges. In particular, a revealing statement by the author on the fallout of the New Frontier and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“But those achievements came at a cost, including the departure of much of the South from the Democratic coalition, the rise of a powerful right, and a stridency that has never left our politics since.”

Some of JFK’s insights also show the evolution—or, perhaps, the de-evolution—of politics from that generation to its current (disastrous) state. As Kennedy himself said on the art of being a politician, “I think you have to be able to communicate a sense of conviction and intelligence and rather, some integrity. That’s what you have to be able to do ... Those three qualities are really it.”

Unfortunately, one of the most humorous and humanizing comments by JFK wasn’t offered on either of the CDs that came with the book. In an exchange with his air force aide, Godfrey McHugh, about a snafu to do with a furniture purchase, he minced no words:

“McHugh: Why sir, this is obviously ...
JFK: Well, this is obviously a fuckup.
McHugh: That’s right.
JFK: That’s right.”

However, the sublime 1952 campaign song (“Do you want a man for president,/Who’s seasoned through and through?/But not so doggone seasoned,/That he won’t try something new.”) was included on a CD, to much amusement.

“Listening In” made for a rather quick read, but I found its unique perspective refreshing and educational. Being thrown into the proverbial middle of Camelot to witness JFK’s one-of-kind governing style and the massive potential that his approach and brilliance portended also made this a tremendous addition to my personal library.

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