Senator Ted Kennedy talking about the optimism of his older brother President John Kennedy. President Kennedy's ability to inspire people and make them believe they can do things that they didn't think they could do before. Which to me at least is the definition of an inspirational leader. Generally someone doesn't need to be inspired to do things that they believe they can do and know they should do. Assuming they are responsible, because they just do those things. President Kennedy inspired Americans to believe that we could put men on the moon and do it by the end of the 1960s, which is exactly what we did. That we didn't have to go to war with the Soviet Union at least in a physical way because our ideas and form of government based on federalism and individual freedom was better. That all Americans under law and the Constitution are created equal and based that are entitled to equal rights under the law. We lost an amazing and incredible leader in Jack Kennedy and is someone who hasn't been replaced since.
Source:The Boston Globe- Robert Shrum: former Ted Kennedy political adviser
"From fumbled start to ringing finish, it was the one simple question by Roger Mudd that the senator could never quite answer in his failed 1980 campaign for the White House. Series produced by Ann Silvio; chapter by Ann Silvio and Scott LaPierre."
Anyone who doesn't know why they want to be President of the United States, should not run for President. It is too big of a job to have someone who hasn't put much if any thought into why they are running, or why they would be the best person for the job. Also, anyone who doesn't want to be President, shouldn't run either because of all the work and sacrifices that go into to simply running for President let alone doing the job itself. Sacrifices that the candidate as well as their family make.
I believe Senator Ted Kennedy qualified for both when he was looking at a 1980 presidential bid against President Jimmy Carter who just happened to be from the same party the Democratic Party. He not only didn't know why he wanted to be President of the United States, because he didn't want the job in the first place. He felt some obligation to the so-called Progressive Left in the Democratic Party to run for President against Jimmy Carter who was very vulnerable against the Republican Party for reelection. But also came from the Center-Left New Democratic wing of the party.
Despite this horrible tragedy, Ted Kennedy made a very successful and productive life for himself afterwords. Ted Kennedy, was basically still a frat boy in 1969 even at 37. He was married and already had kids, but wasn’t very serious about his marriage and liked other women. He was still dealing with the assassination of his brother Bobby and perhaps Jack as well. He simply wasn’t ready for the national spotlight and people to be looking at him as the future leader of the country. Because he was still trying to grow up, something that he didn’t really accomplish at all until the mid or late 1990s when he was already in his sixties with grandchildren. Up till then he was still trying to balance his personal life which could be chaotic and his professional life as a U.S. Senator.
If you watched the 2009 HBO documentary about Ted Kennedy which really was Senator Kennedy in his own words I really think you see how responsible and hurt he was from his own childish and immature actions that cost the life of a young women Mary Joe Kopechne. First of all, he’s driving this women home instead of his wife from this party. Which I believe is a big clue there. And driving her home when he’s had too much to drink. Ted, was still dealing with alcoholism in his early sixties. He drives the car into a lake and the first thing that comes to his mind is his personal survival. And the second thing his is professional survival. Not the women who was in the car with him. That came after it looked like he might be held personally responsible for her life.
Of the three Kennedy brothers that served in Congress and had successful careers in politics, Ted Kennedy had the best and longest career. Even though he was never president. But compare his Congressional record with his brothers and most people who have ever served in Congress in either the Senate or House and Senator Kennedy is in the first class, whatever you think of his politics. And all of this despite his lack of maturity and personal responsibility. He was never built to be President of the United States. By the time he was personally ready for that and to even make a strong run at that, he was in his early sixties. And Bill Clinton was already president and the Democratic Party was moving away from Senator Kennedy’s more social democratic politics. But Senator Kennedy, once he finally grew up became a great man and a great senator.
