JFK Assassination

Atavachron wrote: John F. Kennedy overrated? That's very funny. Yes of course he was overrated, just like Winston Churchill (a favorite of mine, the fat b*****d), Albert Einstein (he wasn't really that smart, right? Those weren't his ideas), and let's not forget PA's favorite, The Beatles (who had their songs written by gnomes). Overrated.. psh.

The other ones actually accomplished something. :P

The Truth wrote: CIA

this I believe one of the least likely possibilities; the CIA is undoubtedly manipulative, hard to control and as often misled as misleading, but it's probably unthinkable to any agent, then or now regardless of a President's politics, to even consider something of that magnitude. Plus there'd be little point as he'd be gone in 4 years anyway.

I would even speculate the CIA had little or no knowledge of the threats to Kennedy's life leading up to Dallas, as domestic affairs are beyond their mandate-- they look outside not in. Kennedy was at times their nemesis but that's part of a President's job, and does not by any stretch warrant murder.

Oh not to mention a good economy, the Peace Corps, special forces, and pushing for the first manned moon mission.

..and civil rights legislation, the initial push for an Endowment For the Arts (particularly from Jackie), effective anti-Mob strategy, and a sane economic policy from a man who couldn't be bought because he was already rich.

And let's not forget...

she looks at the driver, Bill Greer, accused of shooting - or 'accidently shooting' - the President with his automatic pistol. The Zapruder film appears to show this but on further examination he is holding no gun and both hands are on the wheel. It was a good theory though and got a lot of attention.

I was told that Kellerman, the passenger in the front of the car, was actually steering while Grier turned and fired over his left shoulder.  Why were all the secret service bodygaurds riding shotgun on the running boards of the limo BEHIND the Presidents. They stand on the running boards to take a bullet. protecting the President.  They were all standing on the second car. You can see Grier adjusting his mirror first, then jerking his head back and look at  John, then you see the plastic something or other on his shoulder and then you see Kennedy brains get blown out at point range because his matter is already 50 feet back of the car  and ,of course, Jackie is climbing out of this death-trap and looks back at the driver,My god, is he going to shoot me too?

Atavachron wrote: ..and civil rights legislation, the initial push for an Endowment For the Arts (particularly from Jackie), effective anti-Mob strategy, and a sane economic policy from a man who couldn't be bought because he was already rich.

For the first 2 years of Kennedy's term in office he did precisely squat in response to calls from black leaders to implement comprehensive civil rights legislation. Given that the Democrats held a very narrow majority in Congress and that many democrat seats were held by southerners opposed to such legislation, it seems plausible that JFK would have required the white southern support to win re-election come 1964. In Feb 1963 Kennedy submitted to Congress a very watered-down version of the legislation required and there is very little evidence to suggest he promoted its implementation before it quietly expired. It took the televised violence of southern segregationists against civil rights campaigners in June 1963 before he was forced to act under the pressure of widespread outrage. Even then, the revised legislation had still not been passed at the time of JFK's death.

During the 1960 presidential election JFK's father Joe Kennedy arrived at an 'understanding' with Sam Giancana (a former Al Capone hit-man and one of the most influential figures in Chicago organised crime) The unions at that time were mob controlled and their rank and file membership were 'instructed' to vote for JFK. In addition to this arrangement, the Teamster's Union Funds were siphoned off  for JFK's election campaign funds. What Giancana and his cohorts got in return is open to debate, but certainly 'blind cop's eyes' has always been considered a delicacy on any any mobster's menu. Without the support of organised crime, votes bought with his father's money and electoral fraud in at least 11 states, JFK would never have been elected.

Judith Campbell Exner (one of a countless number of JFK's mistresses) acted as a conduit for papers and monies passed between JFK and the aforementioned Sam Giancana. Campbell also passed along money from Californian businessmen to JFK for at least three separate contract proposals (a.k.a bribes)
Why would a man rich enough to the extent he cannot be bought do this ? It's a little critter called greed.

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of JFK's time in office is that of fostering amongst the electorate a credulous naivety that led the voters to believe their tropical fish were safe in the hands of an Irish mob  family of seals.

Actually, there is evidence. Not from the Zapruder

halabalushindigus wrote: Actually, there is evidence. Not from the Zapruder

Do you speak of Greer's alleged 'hatred' of Kennedy and his catholic background? Or perhaps the theory that some of JFK's guards were so shocked at his lack of fidelity they killed him? For that to be true, every agent who has different beliefs than a President would be a perpetual threat. It doesn't really work like that.