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Bitter Media Tears Over RFK Jr.
Misty watercolor memories of the way we weren’t. Meanwhile, millions of Americans can’t afford to buy a house or retire.
“By His Endorsement of Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Shows the Dark Side of Camelot,” complained Jeet Heer bitterly for The Nation on August 28.
Since many of us may have forgotten the seven-decade-old myth of John F. Kennedy’s “Camelot”— a place that only ever existed in the media landscape of make-believe — a refresher:
In the years following John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the term Camelot became media shorthand for his presidency — a glamorous, idyllic era. But how did a brief, crisis-laden time in office become framed as a fairy tale?
It was Jackie Kennedy who first introduced the Camelot comparison, telling Life magazine shortly after JFK’s death that he loved the musical’s theme song. The press seized on it, turning Kennedy’s presidency into a golden age of idealism. In reality, the JFK administration had its share of Cold War tensions, domestic struggles, and political missteps, including the Bay of Pigs invasion and tense moments during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
However, Kennedy's charm, which was cultivated through his youthful image and charisma, proved irresistible to journalists. They were often enthralled, allowing JFK’s allure to overshadow hard…