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Many Americans fell in love with President John Kennedy throughout his presidency. He was handsome, charming, and intelligent, and the media glamorized his life. When he moved into the White House his life and family seemed ideal. Kennedy became an important symbol to America in a time of change and crisis.
As event after event occurred, Kennedy began to appear to be a great American leader with many charismatic qualities; he was able to appear strong and in control even during the some of the most difficult times in America, he appeared to have the ideal American family, he had a competitive ego, and would never let anyone see him weak. Kennedy was born in 1917 to Joseph and Rose Kennedy, a rich, well known family of Boston. His father was a Harvard graduate, athlete, and millionaire. He had high aspirations of his son, but played favorites to Kennedys older brother Joe, whom he believed would be President someday. Kennedy, who was a fragile child that suffered from many serious illnesses, including Addison's disease, could never compete with his older brother. Wanting to gain his fathers attention, he learned how to push back his weaknesses in order to feel masculine, a family trademark.
Kennedy followed in his fathers footsteps; he attended Harvard, where he was heavily involved in activities and athletics (Giglio 2 - 4). Kennedy began his life with advantages of status and wealth, which Shils describe as catalysts to charismatic properties. He put a lot of pressure on himself to be masculine, competitive, and strong, which can be seen in his personality during his presidency. When Joe was killed in the War, Kennedy inherited the dream of becoming President (Hamilton 689 - 90). Joseph Kennedy once said, I got Jack into politics. I was the one.
I told him Joe was dead and that it was therefore his responsibility to run for Congress. He didnt want to But I told him he had to (Giglio 5). In order to keep his strong image, the perception of Americans was manipulated into believing Kennedy always wanted to be President, but that wasnt true; he didnt want anyone to know he did it all for his fathers approval (Giglio 5). Kennedy began his career in politics, serving first in the House of Representatives and second in the Senate. When Kennedy decided to run for President, he already had two major obstacles in his way his youth and his religion. There had never been a Catholic President, and many were bigoted against him.
He was only forty-three, and was running against Richard Nixon, who had been a well-known Vice-President under popular President Eisenhower for two terms. He was an under dog until he challenged Nixon to a series of debates on television. This was the turning point in the campaign. Nixon was recovering from a fever during these debates, and he looked pale and sick.
Kennedy had a strong tan, youthful appearance, and confidence that attracted American people. His political success was based on selling his apparent strength and confidence (Giglio 6). At this point in his life, Kennedy can be seen as a natural leader. Max Weber describes a natural leader of daily routine that comes forward and takes lead during times of distress, whether it be economic, religious, political, etc. This person can be average, but holds specific gifts of the body and spirit (that are) not accessible to everybody during times of distress (Weber 245).
These gifts are known as charisma. Charismatic qualities include strength, domination, and tough convictions. Weber also claims that this leader gains his control over people by proving his strength in life (249). Kennedys development from a natural leader at his time in his life into a charismatic leader by the time of his death is through the events in America and the world that will be expanded on throughout this paper.
Kennedy gave Americans hope for the sixties, saying The New Frontier is here whether we seek it or not-in uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus (Giglio 16). Kennedy made Americans feel that he was going to seek changes and improvements in America. Kennedy used his competitive energy to convince the voters that Eisenhower was letting Americas prestige in the world decline, especially to Communist countries. Kennedy charismatically challenged Americans, by making them believe in his youthful idealism, while Nixon wanted to keep the status quo (Giglio 17). The media made him out to be an ideal family man, with his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier (Onassis) Kennedy and young children. Jackie charmed the nation; she was fashionable, beautiful, and graceful.
The couple entertained many famous writers, musicians, and artists in the White House, and everything seemed perfect. In actuality, Kennedy had many large faults that were hidden from the nation. Kennedy was extremely concerned about his image throughout his entire life, and always worked hard to seem strong and masculine, as philosopher Max Weber describes as being an important characteristic of a charismatic leader. He had to keep secrets of his poor health throughout his political climb.
He had to take steroids and other strong medicines to deal with the pain. His desire to be perceived as perfectly masculine can also be seen in his treatment of women. Kennedys friend, Jim Reed, observed that his treatment and view of women and marriage was not as perfect as everyone thought. Reed recalled, I think Jack looked on women in a different way than I do. I think they were there for a purpose man should always conquer a woman. And she was there to be conquered (Hamilton 731 - 32).
Kennedy had affairs with many women, including Inga Marie Area, Florence Pritchett, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Judith Campbell, Pamela Tenure (Jacques Press Secretary), Priscilla Wear, Jill Cowan, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Blaze Starr, and Tempest Storm. He once told British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, If I dont have a women for three days, I get terrible headaches. Philosopher Edward Shils comments that properties associated with charisma related to a role in society, such as President, include wealth, income, occupation, the power to order by command, prohibition and control over resources, style of life, standard of living, education, primordial connections, including kinship, with persons possessing these qualities, and the power to protect or benefit the community or life itself (209). Because of the media, American people saw Kennedy as having all of these qualities to an ideal extent.
The 1960 s were a time of dramatic national changes soldiers were fighting in Vietnam, there were many war protesters in the states, the Civil Rights movement was at its peak, and the threat of Communism scared the whole nation. America fell into a time of many crisis and changes. Throughout all of the events, Americans perception of Kennedy developed him from a natural leader into both an eventful and event-making man that had many charismatic qualities. Both Shils and Weber agree that charisma of an elected leader helps to maintain order. Shils comments charisma not only disrupts social order, it also maintains or conserves it (200). Both philosophers consider charisma to be a power over order.
Charisma is also attributed to a person who represents a society as a whole. He held Americans together in a respect, as a symbol of democracy and youth, even though conflicts in opinions divided the country. According to philosopher Sidney Hook, a distinction can be made between two different types of great men throughout history: eventful men and event-making men. Historical and present day figures possess characteristics of one type or the other, but eventful and event-making characteristics can be found in one person (Hook 158). Kennedy had characteristics of the kind of men Hook describes. The actions of an event-making man are the result of intelligence and character rather than coincidences of position and time (Hook 154).
The consequences of an event or situation would be completely different if this man had not acted the way he did. Decisions are based on talent more than luck. This type of person makes things happen, rather than waiting for situations to come to him (167). Hook concludes that a man cannot influence historical events without the presence of social and group interests that need to be served. In the case of the event-making man, he has more control over which interests to further and which to suppress (169). Kennedy showed characteristics of an event-making man in his creation of the Peace Corps.
Before Kennedys presidency, many groups had attempted to create service groups, and Senator Hubert Humphrey had called for the creation of a Peace Corps during the 1950 s. Ike Eisenhower called the idea a juvenile experiment (Giglio 154 - 55). But in the 1960 s, the attitude of the youth had changed. Kennedys patriotic and anti-communism / colonialism ideals encouraged him to become President in order to develop a new relationship with the world.
Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps as a three-year alternative to the military for the skilled youth of America who wanted to offer them selves to the world. One of Kennedys personal goals for this idea was to hurt Communist expansion by helping to develop the resources of the Third World countries (Giglio 155). Kennedy furthered the interests of the socially concerned people of America, and changed the course of history in that way because the Peace Corps still exists almost half a century later. The fight against communism that continued from Eisenhower's presidency became a personal competition for Kennedy, it even seemed as if it was an extension of his obsession to prove his strength.
Kennedy was desperate for Cold War success. The civil war in Vietnam outlined any other issue during Kennedys presidency. So much money was given for the war efforts that less money was available for the War on Poverty in the U. S. Millions of Ame...
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Research essay sample on Peace Corps Charismatic Leader
