John F. Kennedy

He was shot dead before he could prove influential or not.Maybe,he would have been great,maybe he would have been a disaster.We'll never know.

His contribution to the lives of American conspiracy theorists is immeasurable. UPDATE: Well, my telephone rang it would not stop, it's President Kennedy callin' me up. He said, "My friend, Bob, what do we need to make the country grow" ? I said, "My friend, John, Brigitte Bardot, Anita Ekberg, Sophia Loren. Country'll grow."

Kennedy brought youth and idealism -- and adultery and nepotism -- to the White House, and left in a casket less than three years later, the mood shattered. In between, Kennedy got through the decade's worst moment, the missile crisis, but botched other foreign policy tests, especially the Bay of Pigs (a scheme inherited from the previous administration). He continued the wise course of containing communism, but it led him into a guerrilla war in Vietnam. He launched the moon missions, but he left the country in the hands of his disliked rival, Lyndon Johnson. In short, Kennedy's legacy is mixed, but the overall grade is not too bad -- Kennedy looked and acted the part of president as well as anyone since, not that that's saying much.

His I have a Berliner speech was good, and he showed some courage during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but the personal distractions he had prevented him from dealing with the worst issues internally plaguing the US domestically.

Maybe he could be someplace on the list most influential in American history... but definitely not world history.

Unfortunately suffers from the Caesar complex: he needed more time to establish his influence. Still great, he did influence many but could have done much more given time. He probably could have even accomplished more during his life if he wasn't distracted by Marilyn.

One of the most popular presidents, established the Peace Corps, promoted Civil Rights legislation avoided a nuclear war with his management of the Cuban Missle Crisis and instigated the Space Race, just too bad his life was cut shot

I would say John F. Kennedy is fairly influential in United States History. But one of the most influential in World History? I kind of think that it is almost trendy to say he is. But the reality is that he isn't too influential. However, a better argument could be made that he is inspirational to some.

JFK is in the same league as KFC

A mostly ineffectual president. Charismatic to the max though. He was inspirational to the youth of America at that time. It wasn't until many years later that his feet of clay were exposed. Very sad that he was killed.

America is so better off with Kennedy dead that it's not funny. He did exactly ONE thing. Cuban Missle crisis. And he did that well...I'll give credit when it's due. Other than that he made America even more racially divided than it was, and his legacy for taking a bullet or two or three to the head makes people love the idiot. Happy those two boys are gone. Teddy is smart he never ran again. Besdes who wants a corrupt killer in the White House?

no no no no no kennedy was a great president. He knew what he was doing,just because he was forty-three didn't mean that he wasn't in OFFICE LONG ENOUGH. He was born and raised in politics! He knew what was up,and did great things he had more balls than you'd EVER have!

Largely inconsequential in historical terms. A mediocre, at best, president, whose assassination has given him a cachet he does not deserve.He was entranced by adventurism, which you'd think would endear him to Bush loyalists.

A piece of trash morally. A president that had two "great" earmarks in his short term. Civil Rights movement which was more a product of the times than the President and the Cuban Missile Crisis. And he almost messed that one up.

A largely ineffectual president

I do not see where he was a great president.  First of all, he was not in office long enough to really have any major political significance.  Second, it has well been suspected that his election was fixed because several ballot boxes in Chicago mysteriously disappeared.  The Kennedy family is perhaps one of the most corrupt families in the nation.  The only reason he is looked upon as a hero is because he was assassinated.  I think he was a failure from the beginning.

Some good policies and ideas, hes Civil Rights support came late and only due to fears about widespread black and pro-black rioting in American cities, not a true reformer like others of his time period, even less so than LBJ or his brother Robert. Still a charismatic leader who left a lasting impact on the American psyche.

As a president I would have given him three stars, but as one of History's top people he gets two.  You might say he avoided war with the Soviet Union, but then didn't everyother president who came after him?  Im not tying to denounce the man, but he does not deserve more than 2 stars.

Not sure how Kennedy made it on this list. He was an OK president that has been placed on a pedestal because he was assassinated.

JFK's decision not to attack/invade Cuba during the missile crisis saved over 50 million American lives. His decision alone validated his entire Presidency and protected the lives and futures of a wide range of people including those who criticize him. Or for that matter, the people who still have no inkling they are alive because of John Kennedy.

The last good president we've had

Because of his assassination on November 22, 1963, JFK's presidency and legacy was never totally realized. Dirt has been dug up on his personal life (womanizing). His health issues were a constant threat to his survival but were kept secret. He had a very bad back and also Addison's disease (adrenal gland withering) which could have killed him at any time. Technically he would not have qualified to run for president had it been known about the Addison's disease but the secret was kept under lock and key. The Bay of Pigs was an inherited mess but he was blamed and he took responsibility. He did stand up to the Soviets during the Cuban missle crisis and won a lot of respect. His policies on Civil Rights and Vietnam were carried over to the Johnson era. Civil Rights progressed positively while Vietnam turned into a national tragedy (not necessarily the fault of Kennedy). The space program was successful and the Peace Corps was a monumental achievement. Tragically, we will never know h... Read more

A great president who was tragically assassinated very young.

penis

Again, the legend may be more significant than the man.

If his brother had lived and been elected he would have been on this list. John was great because he truly understood a war was not in the best interest of anyone.

Overall he was a bad president. He was shallow, and basically unlearned. He always had daddy to bail him out of scrapes and buy his advances. His Cuban and Viet Nam policies still damage the United States to this day.

I admit I have been one to overrate him elsewhere on this site, but I liked him. To me, he represented ideals more than anything. But even I must concede that his ultimate influence in world history is minimal at best.

This is a common comparison that has been around for sometime. To make a few corrections to this analysis all one has to do is do a little bit of research. First, John Wilkes Booth was born in Maryland on May 10th, 1838 not 1839. Marilyn Monroe died on August 5th, 1962, over a year before John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Abraham Lincoln never had a secretary named Kennedy, their names where John Hay and John Nicolay. I heard also that Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin and as a boy John F. Kennedy spilled Log Cabin syrup in his fathers Lincoln. You can find coincidences in other former presidents as well, if you get really bored with nothing better to do. As for John F. Kennedy, he is on president whose early and tragic death probably left him a bit more overrated than if he would had survived to old age.

Hehe, Graymalkin. Sort of reminds me of the sports announcers all those little trivial tidbits they come up with: WHO THE FREAK CARES?

His death changed a generation, and I certainly give him credit for courage. He's pretty tough to rank for this list, however, since he didn't get to finish what he started. I think his reputation is built largely on what might have been rather than what actually was.

He isn't as nearly influential as most of the names on this list. Not knocking the guy, but come on!

Over rated son of a gangster.

Let's give JFK credit for courage - he secretly suffered from enormous physical problems all his life, but kept quiet about it and kept pressing on. And given the kind of amoral upbringing he had, he really was a credit to his family, probably the best of the lot. His demeanor during press conferences was priceless: he knew how to have fun with the reporters, and he didn't act as though being president meant being a Monarch. Although I think he was a weak president overall, he was an improving one, which is very important. He was also a patriot. His response to the Cuban Missile Crisis was impressive. And he understood the value of tax cuts to help stimulate the economy. Democrats today like to identify themselves with Kennedy, but if he had been alive during the 1980s they would have reviled him as a boll weevil, and if he were alive today, giving the kinds of speeches he gave back then, the Democrats wouldn't want him at all. As one columnist said, the liberals remember him ... Read more

JFK was young and charimatic then he got killed. They glorified him by saying what a great prez he was for two years of so-so service. If he hadn't been killed would he have faded away or deserve his overrated rating?

i agree completely: john f. kennedy is a myth, he s a kind of pop-star. he s perhaps what america misses so much: having a kind of monarch-family to look up to. he had this wonderful beautiful woman. he inscinated his life perfectly. he made the white house to a kind of palace. and as the youngest president he fullfilled the dreams of a generation that believed its possible to change the world completely. his assassination rounded a myth that is comparable with james deans. as a president the time was too short to judge what kind of longterm policy he would have been realising. he did things that were contradictionary. so he was able to show chrustschow that also a young president can be taken serious (cuba-crisis). but he failed in some other things. so out of the historical perspective: he always will be remembered as a fascinating person, as an american idol. his life is out of that staff that tales are. but in my opinion he wasnt a president of historical importance.

For helping to develop the civil rights act that would be approved by congress after his death, and for largely preventing an-all out nuclear holocaust, and promoting NASA as a program, few could say this man did not have a huge influence on this world, even if it was only for two or three years.

While not among America's most accomplished president's, he was the one who set the political stage for legislative approval of the civil rights acts.

Did he have an influence? Yes. A blip in U.S. history. He was popular despite being a northern democrat who was a senator and catholic (like JFK as in Kerry), but he was influencial. He singlehandedly got Bush elected in 2000 as most Cubans voted for Bush as a result of Kennedy. His assassination brought us Watergate as he would have served 2 terms and then his brother would have been elected and not shot over Nixon (or whoever else was running). His assassination allowed us to get Civil Rights passed, which would not have happened if he were president. Plus, he increased funding in Vietnam. Though I don't think Oswald should have killed Kennedy, I understand. Kennedy was influencial on history, but more in a negative way (like Hitler). My god. I just compared Kennedy to Hitler...

As a leader he was above average. As a president, he was the most polarizing politician of his time with a boldness and brashness America found surprising. He didn't live long enough (or serve as president long enough) to truly evaluate his presidential leadership style, but certainly started many cataclysmal changes in motion from his stand on Civil Rights for blacks to his youth initiatives (Peace Corps). Whoever killed him (probably the US mafia) had many powerful sympathizers resulting in the most massive information cover-up since the beginning of the media age.

pretty mediocre when compared to either roosevelt, churchill, truman, nixon, reagan, or even clinton. he did have success in the cuban missile crisis, but that could have been averted if he had taken the soviets more seriously. perhaps he would have grown into the job in his second term, but at the time of his death his civil rights legislation was stalled even though his party led both houses of congress. to think that he would have not gotten his hands bloody in vietnam is misguided and naive; kennedy was a cold warrior who wrongly believed in the domino theory.

JFK was one of the Greatest President. All throughout his term he worked to satisfy the people and overall bring peace to America. He did enter the Presidency at a rough time...Fighting communism. But he was one of the best!!

More style than substance, but he sure was a dynamic leader.

he was cool. he solved the cuban missile crisis. so yea.

He was very overrated. Given a pass because 1) assassinated 2) first catholic president and did not sign USA over to the pope as many protestants seemed to think he would 3) comes from an area of the country where blind hero worship is the norm.

The older I become the more and more respect I have for Kennedy. It is a true shame that he was assassinated and did not have the chance to finish his term and eventually serve another four years. His re-election was a certainty. He displayed great leadership through the Missle Crisis, took on the debate of Civil Rights, and displayed cautious steps into Vietnam. Who knows how he would have reacted to escalating the situation in Vietnam? Granted, his accomplishments were few in number, but that makes sense because he served only slightly under three years in the White House. Had he been able to live long enough to finish his first term and then begin a second, his accomplishments would have been several. He would have been the one to sign all the Civil Rights legislation and see the first man land on the moon. Then again, he may have had to burden the blame and protests of Vietnam like LBJ. Who knows? He certainly was a centrist politician and might have even been described as a... Read more

Fortunately, the myth of Camelot is beginning to fade away and the Kennedy presidency is beginning to be examined objectively in order to determine just how John F. Kennedy should be regarded as a leader. Despite my reputation as being somewhat "emotionally attatched" to Kennedy, I still manage to see things in perspective and realize that Kennedy had his faults, both in his public and private life (moreso in the latter). In this comment, I will attempt to clarify my position on Kennedy, and hope to achieve balance. I will first examine Kennedy's negative attributes, both as a leader and as a man, and then I will examine his strengths. [Negative Attributes:] (1) Although VirileVagabond and I, through our e-mails, have disagreed on the dynamics of the Bay of Pigs invasion, I do think that we agree on the overall issue itself: Kennedy was wrong to let the invasion go forth. And when he did give the CIA the green light for the invasion after he assumed office, Kennedy should've been willi... Read more

REVISED: To start off, let's remember that this is a list of 20th Century leaders. When it comes to JFK, his advocates and defenders are forced to speculate, often commenting about "what if Kennedy had lived." The problem with this should be self-evident. "What ifs" are pure guesswork; what matters is what happened. Addressing the popular love affair with JFK, Kennedy is primarily loved and given so many passes (much like Clinton) because he was the first president of his generation. Objectively, he was a largely failure. The Bay of Pigs was an embarrassment (whether the administration encouraged the action or not). Kennedy brought us closer to nuclear confrontation (ie the Cuban Missile Crisis) than at any other time in history, and this could have been avoided if the missiles in Turkey would have been negotiated away in secret. He took us deeper into Vietnam (though whether this was a poor decision in foresight is debatable). Even his moon challenge was designed to militariz... Read more

I like Kennedy as a visionary and challenger of the human spirit. He is rated too highly on this list, however. His influence as a leader is not on the same level as Truman, Gorbachev, and Reagan.

i have to wonder if Kennedy had not been assassinated if he would be considered such a great president.It is like he became a hero becuase of his death.Of all the presidents the kennedys have always been of big interest.Most books have been written on them.I do not think he was a bad president. but he was very overrated.