The modern
Kennedy dynasty was founded by Junior's grandfather, Joseph
P. Kennedy (1888-1969). By any measure, Joe Kennedy was extremely
successful, becoming a bank president at age 25, and a millionaire
at 30.
He was chairman
of the Securities and Exchange Commission (1934-35), and ironically
outlawed the very speculative practices that he himself had
used to build his fortune.
He became
chairman of the United States Maritime Commission and, in 1937,
the first Irish-American to serve as the U.S. ambassador to
Great Britain. In November 1940 he resigned; he was convinced
that Britain was doomed to Nazi conquest and believed America's
only hope lay in isolationism--a novel theory, but one that
earned him few points with FDR.
In addition,
he was a WWI draft dodger, a rum-runner with mob ties, an emotionally
repressive father, and a serial adulterer. Supposedly, he paid
a young woman to cry rape, so that he could steal the Pantages
theater chain from its owner.
Kennedy
had nine children. He expected his sons to prepare for public
life and his daughters to be ready for marriage to distinguished
men who would become "naturalized" Kennedys. The children were
encouraged to read The New York Times at an early age,
and small talk was not allowed at the dinner table. When Joe
Jr. died in WWII, the political mantle fell to JFK, Sr.
Many have
suggested that Joe "bought" the presidential election for JFK,
but however it occurred, Camelot was upon us in November, 1960.
How to explain
the JFK charisma? He was the first president born in this century,
and he and his wife were not only photogenic, they both came
from the right backgrounds. After all, neither Truman nor Eisenhower
hailed from media centers, and most importantly, they weren't
young and pretty. What's more, JFK's was effectively the first
TV presidency. Thus, a sort of co-dependency between the Kennedys
and the media was created, and the permanence of image over
substance was forever enshrined.
Then, of
course, there was the assassination. If dying was a career move
for Abe Lincoln, it was probably a legacy saver for JFK. By
any standard other than beauty, his was a failed presidency,
and he was a very flawed man.
As for the
Kennedy curse, let us peruse the laundry list of "tragedies"
that hit this family:
1941--Rosemary
Kennedy, daughter of Joseph and Rose, is institutionalized because
of retardation and failed lobotomy.
1944-- Joseph
Kennedy Jr., one of nine children of Joseph and Rose Fitzgerald
Kennedy, four of them brothers, killed in aircraft crash during
World War II. He was 29.
1948-- Kathleen
Agnes Kennedy, Joseph's sister, killed in plane crash in France.
She was 28.
1963-- President
John F. Kennedy assassinated in Dallas. He was 46.
1963-- Patrick
Bouvier Kennedy, son of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, dies of
respiratory problems at the age of three months.
1964--Edward
Kennedy, brother of John and Robert, is critically injured in
a plane crash near Springfield, Mass.. An aide, Edward Moss,
is killed.
1968-- Robert
F. Kennedy assassinated in Los Angeles during presidential campaign.
He was 42.
1969-- Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy drives car off bridge on Chappaquiddick Island,
Massachusetts. Aide Mary Jo Kopechne is later found dead in
a submerged car.
1973-- Robert
Kennedy's son Joseph involved in car accident that left a female
passenger paralyzed for life.
1973-- Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy's son Edward Jr. has right leg amputated because
of cancer.
1984-- David
A. Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, dies of heroin overdose in
a hotel near family vacation home in Palm Beach, Fla.
1986-- Patrick
Kennedy, son of Sen. Edward Kennedy, then a teenager and now
a US congressman, sought treatment for cocaine addiction.
1991-- William
Kennedy Smith, a nephew of the Kennedy brothers, accused of
raping a woman at the family's Palm Beach estate. He is later
acquitted.
1997-- Michael
Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy, killed in skiing accident. He
was 39. Earlier, he was accused of molesting his child's baby-sitter.
1999-- JFK,
Jr. plane crash
So, we have
15 incidents covering a period of 59 years. Considering the
large size of the family, this is not extraordinary. Moreover,
the 1969, 1973 (Joseph), 1984, 1986, 1991, and 1997 incidents
were either self-inflicted, or the tragedy really hurt a non-Kennedy.
Arguably, since other, more experienced pilots didn't fly the
night Junior did, the 1999 incident was self-inflicted AND hurt
others.
By this
reckoning, we have eight "tragedies" in 59 years--hardly a disproportionate
dose. In addition, there is a recurring pattern of recklessness
and lack of concern for others--especially women.
JFK, Jr.
stood out because he was a direct JFK descendant, was handsome,
and managed to keep out of publicly embarrassing situations
better than his cousins. His sister Caroline is not as attractive
as he was, and lived on Long Island, far enough from the media
glare.
In conclusion,
we do have the very sad early deaths of three individuals--perhaps
at the hands of an over-privileged rich kid, who was finally
able to live without the oppressive influence of his mother.
America's
crown prince? Hardly, unless America is Camelot.
I wonder
if the pundits that created the Camelot metaphor ever realized
the irony: Camelot was fiction, and so is the public image of
the Kennedys. If a fairy tale must be applied, "The Emperor's
New Clothes" is far more appropriate.