Not to mention he has very little if any legislative accomplishments and he was the one that sent the first combat troops into Vietnam. I've said it before and I'll say it again, once the aurora of Camelot and the belief of "What would've/could've Been" fades, Kennedy's standing with the public and scholars will fall.
So I have a portrait of James Dean tattooed on my left foot, along with the line "Life can be beautiful" from rebel without a cause.
As I've gotten older and seen more about his career, I've realized James Dean wasn't a great actor- he may have been very good, but he didn't have enough time to transcend to greatness. He is better understood as an icon. He is a symbol for american peak teenager, just as John Wayne is the icon for American rugged independence.
Kennedy is better understood in that light, as an icon, of the Gospel of Wealth era.
