The Kennedy Half-Century

Paul T. Roberts' documentary looks at the long-running impact of Kennedy's death on the American presidency. But first, The Kennedy Half-Century covers the 1963 assassination itself and immediate aftermath, talking here with a couple of eyewitnesses (including one woman who took a famous photograph just before JFK was shot). The long trail of subsequent presidents embracing or capitalizing on Kennedy's legacy and unfinished agenda began with Lyndon Johnson, who strategically employed the beloved memory of his predecessor to further civil rights and social reform. Richard Nixon labored under the shadow of his late rival; Gerald Ford incurred the wrath of Ted Kennedy by pardoning Nixon for alleged Watergate-related crimes; Jimmy Carter made the mistake of alienating the Kennedy clan and paid for it; and Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all have been—in one way or another—favorably or unfavorably compared to JFK and his dreams for America. JFK's trip to Dallas on that fateful day was supposed to help set the stage for his reelection a year later; instead, his ghost has hovered over the White House ever since. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)