Kennedy, to my sensibilities, is one of the most recognizably human of Presidents, along with, of course, Abraham Lincoln.

There remains something deep, atavistic, spiritual about a system of government. We come home at night after our toils to hear, or be comforted by, a leadership, one which spans from our won individual everyday experience back into the cave of the ideal, to that which is behind all things. For some it is a king, ruling by official powers of divine rule, for some it is a czar, for some it is a democratically elected person chosen, as it were, from our own ranks. We look to catch any signs of what might emanate out of the deeper beyond, for wisdom, decency, the right path, the proper stance. That's the trust we place in a face, in a person. Truly, in potential at least, a philosopher poet king, standing as it were at the mouth, at the doorway, of the deep sweet and holy unconscious. Whether alone, or with like minded company (as one usually does on such a public voyage), hopefully not seeming like too much of an idiot or a fool. So was FDR a great president, for the New Deal.

But, as I say, in Kennedy there is a humanity, a level of self-comfort, something not found in say a hypothetical Nixon-ish attitude of shrewdness/ 'screw-them-before-they-screw-you,' 'bring-respect-back-to-the-Presidency' attitudes, manipulations, secrecy, etc., far less capable of sustaining a circumspect Emily Dickinson mode with a redwing blackbird outside the window, stuff which Lincoln was good at in a politely legalistic way, secretly a poet too. (The History Channel reminds us that Mr. Nixon had daughters, beautiful ones, who bear witness to a deep sensitive humanity to the man in his home life, so there you go. Ah, Tricky Dick, you should have shown that vulnerable side to us before.)

Hah! The news today offers an interesting counterpoint: The Atlantic. "JFK Worried Moon Mission was a 'Stunt,' New Tapes Show -- James Warren -- Politics." To quote from article, near bottom:

Near the end Kennedy concedes, "I think this can be an asset, this program. I think in time, it's like a lot of things; this is mid-journey and therefore everybody says, 'What the hell are we making this trip for?' But at the end of the thing they may be glad we made it."

Kennedy, the Earthly politician, doing his job.