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... who want to see a 'better America'. We could argue whther it's a good idea for Presidents to be mythically elevated - celebritized, so to speak - but it seems to come with the territory. JFK treated both the office and the people with respect - and he governed with respect for all, without accommodating those who sought institutionalized privilege over others. With the exception of the latter, he governed with regard for the majority viewpoint - not from his own ideological viewpoint (claiming some 'mandate' to prevail over the majority on specific policies) or his own self-interest.
He was also the first President in a long, long time with YOUNG children in the White House - an image of a 'family' very akin to an idealized family in the country. He carried the burden of being the first "television President" very well. The media ate it up - it made good ratings. The part that JFK gets credit for is that he didn't dishonor that regard, imho.
From a policy perspective, "putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade" opened the "frontier mentality" again ... a sense of discovery and optimism. At the same time, it enormously improved this country's standing in the sciences and education, sending millions to the colleges and universities for scientific and engineering educations. "Geeks" became "cool." The Cuban Missile Crisis was a test ... and JFK passed with flying colors.
He was the President of the "Gidget Era" ... and he did well.
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