Older DUers; Did Kennedy's cabinet choices draw a lot of flack?

[Joe Fields]

I can only look back at some of JFK's choices, since I was 4 years old when he ran for president, and was in the 2nd grade when he was assassinated. Of course, there wasn't the 24/7 "news" (propaganda) cycle that we have had for the last four or five presidents, but were JFK's picks considered controversial at the time?

some of JFK's cabinet choices:


Dean Rusk; Secretary of State. Career diplomat, given most of the credit or blame for dividing up Korea and pushing for war, then pushing for a longterm presence there.

C. Douglas Dillon; Treasury Secretary. On top of being a Wall Street investment banker (sound familiar?) and a close personal friend of the Rockefellers, Dillon was also a Republican.

Robert McNamara; Secretary of Defense. Ex-president of Ford Motor Company, McNamara was wholly unqualified to be Secetary of Defense. We all know his influence, concerning Vietnam.

So, I'm just thinking out loud, because although I'm not happy with some of Obama's choices, I feel it necessary to give the man a chance. It's strange to be discussing so much of a man who hasn't stepped foot into office yet, hasn't officially unfurled his agenda yet, and all we have to go by are his choices for cabinet and staff.

Kennedy appointed a Wall Street republican. Was much made about that?

Was there any emphasis about the "career politician" "beltway insider" tag back then, anywhere like there is today?

Dean Rusk was a career politician and a beltway insider. Was much made about Kennedy choosing him for Secretary of State? Was Rusk a controversial figure back then, or just recently?

Anyone who remembers any of this first hand please let us know what it was like back then. I'm thinking if those same choices were made in todays environment, we'd be screaming for Kennedy's head.

[pnwmom]

1. Back then, the parties were less divided along ideological lines

than they are now. There were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats. So I'm guessing that the Cabinets reflected that.

I think people like Newt Gingrich spearheaded the current divisions. And he and politicians like Reagan pushed the "inside the beltway" meme at a time when the Democrats had had a House majority for decades. Inside the Beltway meant "incumbant Democrat."

[Hekate]

9. That's how I remember it. "Compromise" was a word of respect. You cld also respect your Rep neighbor

If a person of the opposite party won an election, you felt like you could live with that.

Newt Gingrich, with the backing of Grover Norquist et al., embarked on a program of divide and conquer. They were responsible for demonizing their opponents -- in this case, Democrats. Over time I watched "Democrat" become an epithet, a dirty word in their mouths -- like "Jew" in the mouths of anti-Semites.

But that was long after JFK was in the ground.

Hekate

[OHdem10]

2. As I remember, there were not complaints at the time.

Remember there were many more moderate Republicans (Conservatives were
such a minority-the term was not used). Believe it or not our party
had more trouble with Conservative Democrats than Republicans at times.


I think the state our country is in has influenced the Cabinet selections.

[napi21]

3. The only complaint I remember is Jack picking his brother to be AG.

A lot of people really didn't like that. I think Bobby did a good job, but if a similar pick would happen today, I can just imagine the turmoil. Imagine if Shrub would have picked Jeb for AG!!!!!

I think you just can't compare the two eras of history. Way too much has changed.

[Joe Fields]

4. Wow. Hard to imagine a Jeb AG!

[napi21]

5. I don't even WANT to think of that! Just saying that if a current Prez

picked his brother for any cabinet post, all hell would break lose!

Obama doesn't have the opportunity AFAIK. I don't think he has any brothers, and his sister isn't into politics.

[Joe Fields]

6. Oh I hear you. I don't think anyone could ever get away with such a thing now.

[Fearless]

7. OH NO! There is NO comparison!

Tell me you did not just compare RFK to Jeb Bush!

:rofl:

[napi21]

8. Like it or not, they are/were both brothers of the President.

I agree that's the ONLY comparison, but it's fact.

[karynnj]

13. I was only about 10 years old then and even I remember that

there was controversy over that - and it had to be a big issue for me to have heard or read it. I do remember that JFK joked about it as "giving Bobby experience".

[EFerrari]

10. I was too young to remember but isn't the story that JFK brought

a lot of new cocky guys with him? That would have created a lot of resentment, wouldn't it?

[elleng]

11. 'The Best and the Brightest'

allegedly

[Joe Fields]

12. That's the one story I remember. It seems I've always heard talk about

"the best and the brightest" being plucked from Ivy League schools, to fill up his cabinet and staff. You would think that would cause resentment, but it appears Kennedy was pragmatic about several choices as well.