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JFK, Conservative
In an era of partisanship and shifting political labels, a fascinating look at just how “liberal” President John F. Kennedy actually was—or wasn’t. “America, meet the real John F. Kennedy.” —Washington Times John F. Kennedy is lionized by liberals. He inspired Lyndon Johnson to push Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act. His New Frontier promised increased spending on education and medical care for the elderly. He inspired Bill Clinton to go into politics. His champions insist he would have done great liberal things had he not been killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. But what if we've been looking at him all wrong? Indeed, JFK had more in common with Ronald Reagan than with LBJ. After all, JFK's two great causes were anticommunism and tax cuts. His tax cuts, domestic spending restraint, military buildup, pro-growth economic policy, emphasis on free trade and a strong dollar, and foreign policy driven by the idea that America had a God-given mission to defend freedom—all make him, by the standards of both his time and our own, a conservative. This widely debated book is must reading for conservatives and liberals alike. “Provocative and compelling . . . Ira Stoll has succeeded in changing our very perception of Kennedy as one of liberalism's heroes."—Weekly Standard “An informative analysis of the ways in which JFK did indeed evince his conservative side—he was very religious, open to a free market unencumbered by governmental interference, and staunchly anti-Communist.” —Publishers Weekly
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Ira Stoll
2 books11 followersIRA STOLL is editor of FutureOfCapitalism.com, and the author of Samuel Adams: A Life. From 2002 to 2008 he was vice president and managing editor of The New York Sun. Previously, he served as Washington correspondent and managing editor of The Forward, as North American editor of the Jerusalem Post, and as president of the Harvard Crimson.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 5, 2018
Ira Stoll's goal in this book is to argue that John F. Kennedy — long a liberal icon — was actually a conservative. To do this, he chronicles Kennedy's career, highlighting the speeches given and policies advocated which supposedly reflect his true conservative beliefs. Yet this proves to be little more than an exercise in sophistry — and an unconvincing one at that.
Though seeking to claim Kennedy as a conservative, Stoll refuses to define what he means by "conservatism", arguing that the "shifting definitions of the terms over time" make such an effort futile. Instead he depicts Kennedy as a conservative by virtue of being a devout Catholic and anticommunist who opposed union corruption and cut taxes — a conceit which presumes that liberals couldn't be these things, when in fact many were. Moreover, Stoll fails to address Kennedy's own repeated self-identification as a liberal, as well as the attacks leveled on Kennedy by his conservative contemporaries. Failing to acknowledge these only highlights the weaknesses in his argument, which will only convince readers who want to believe that the man who once declared that he was "proud to be a liberal" was anything but.
Though seeking to claim Kennedy as a conservative, Stoll refuses to define what he means by "conservatism", arguing that the "shifting definitions of the terms over time" make such an effort futile. Instead he depicts Kennedy as a conservative by virtue of being a devout Catholic and anticommunist who opposed union corruption and cut taxes — a conceit which presumes that liberals couldn't be these things, when in fact many were. Moreover, Stoll fails to address Kennedy's own repeated self-identification as a liberal, as well as the attacks leveled on Kennedy by his conservative contemporaries. Failing to acknowledge these only highlights the weaknesses in his argument, which will only convince readers who want to believe that the man who once declared that he was "proud to be a liberal" was anything but.
December 21, 2013
I saw the author, Ira Stoll, give a presentation about this book, and I have to say that both on paper and in person he is far from convincing. Don't waste your time with this, JFK is a liberal--get over it.
November 30, 2015
One of the first things I did was to collect some JKF quotes from this book; his official records and speeches, and then played the who-do-you-think-said-this game. This is not hard to do, since Kennedy wrote most of all his speeches. According to Davis, his secretary, "When he wanted to write a speech he did it, most of it. I'd say 99%...". Folks would say, Milton Freedman (p91) to Joseph McCarthy (p19,35). Nobody even thought of guessing JFK. Why? Because the JFK we have been taught in school and on TV was carefully crafted to avoid his core beliefs. A deeply religious Kennedy? Anti-Communist, Raise Military Spending Kennedy, a Cut Taxes Kennedy? Adversary of Organized Crime in Labor Unions? Nope, not a word. The biased Theodore White interview with Jacqueline only came away with a Camelot quote, when the substance of that interview was left on the cutting room floor, "heavily editing her", which to me is dissimulation.
Hiding the real Kennedy: Let's face it, all they had to do was bring up philandering or something unbecoming a president and the narrative would derail. Mention Bay of Pigs, Castro, Vietnam, and the commoner had nothing to go on except for incomplete information. The Cuban Missile Crisis mainstream story deftly avoided Russian Communism, and made the story about a battle of wills, not ideology. This book sets that straight too.
Ira Stoll has done a great service to everyone interested in the post FDR world of Communism and Materialism run amok by giving us a man we never completely knew. Someone who stood up against thuggery in the United States and the world. JFK was someone who believed deeply in God and human dignity and valiantly fought against those who sought to destroy it.
Mr. Stoll, whom I agree with, compares all the subsequent presidents with JFK's vision. Ronald Reagan (p209) seems to come out the winner. That seems bizarre to a rank and file Republican or Democrat, but Stoll makes his point well. After all, both became disillusioned with who the Democrats were.
With quotes like, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.", we would tend to think that Kennedy was a big government liberal, but on examination he opposed much of their moves for more control. Freidman comes to his defense with an interpretation that seems the most valid. Kennedy was often the lone Democrat found supporting conservative ideas, like opposing farm price subsidies (which was a big deal in the 50's with as many farmers as there were).
Kennedy, as I gather from this book, was in enemy territory most of his career. The Communist threat was quite real, and as with most religious conservatives at the time, he was alarmed. The State Department was out of control, his advisers were adversarial at times, and the party pulling him in diverse directions, poor health, he found himself alone at times.
Those were times to be remembered for greatness as well. I remember the space race of the 1960's and how it inspired Americans to a higher cause. His vision did live on despite the desperate attempt to rewrite his history.
The positives of JFK were largely set aside for political purposes This book sets a new, or restored, view of a very misunderstood man.
Hiding the real Kennedy: Let's face it, all they had to do was bring up philandering or something unbecoming a president and the narrative would derail. Mention Bay of Pigs, Castro, Vietnam, and the commoner had nothing to go on except for incomplete information. The Cuban Missile Crisis mainstream story deftly avoided Russian Communism, and made the story about a battle of wills, not ideology. This book sets that straight too.
Ira Stoll has done a great service to everyone interested in the post FDR world of Communism and Materialism run amok by giving us a man we never completely knew. Someone who stood up against thuggery in the United States and the world. JFK was someone who believed deeply in God and human dignity and valiantly fought against those who sought to destroy it.
Mr. Stoll, whom I agree with, compares all the subsequent presidents with JFK's vision. Ronald Reagan (p209) seems to come out the winner. That seems bizarre to a rank and file Republican or Democrat, but Stoll makes his point well. After all, both became disillusioned with who the Democrats were.
With quotes like, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.", we would tend to think that Kennedy was a big government liberal, but on examination he opposed much of their moves for more control. Freidman comes to his defense with an interpretation that seems the most valid. Kennedy was often the lone Democrat found supporting conservative ideas, like opposing farm price subsidies (which was a big deal in the 50's with as many farmers as there were).
Kennedy, as I gather from this book, was in enemy territory most of his career. The Communist threat was quite real, and as with most religious conservatives at the time, he was alarmed. The State Department was out of control, his advisers were adversarial at times, and the party pulling him in diverse directions, poor health, he found himself alone at times.
Those were times to be remembered for greatness as well. I remember the space race of the 1960's and how it inspired Americans to a higher cause. His vision did live on despite the desperate attempt to rewrite his history.
The positives of JFK were largely set aside for political purposes This book sets a new, or restored, view of a very misunderstood man.
February 19, 2014
Unconvincing arguement. one of the greatest issues that was left completely alone is a deffinition of terms. what the author views as conservitive is more than likely not what anyone else feels a conservative is. More over political terms change over time. JFK fascinates us becuase of his charisma and mystery, i dont think his achievements warrent the effort to recatigorize him. Past politicians dont quite fit with what our current parties represent.
November 13, 2022
Very interesting book!! And the author sights many many important sources and there's a wide variety of sources. And so many of the points he makes he writes things to support both sides! A must read for anyone who enjoys presidential history!
October 18, 2017
Stoll presents a number of points of interest, not that I necessarily agree with all of it. (Though I think brother Ted was the true liberal icon of the Kennedy family.) The author's comparison and similarities between JFK and Reagan - as well as differences with a few other POTUS - towards the end was a good demonstration of how things change with the parties over the years. While the book was a little dry in spots, it is recommended for those who will read anything related to JFK's term.
February 26, 2020
Interesting, but wish it was a bit more organized. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning but somewhere in the middle my attention was lost in the jumble of facts. Glad I finished it nonetheless.
January 3, 2023
3.7008
November 4, 2024
While it was a fascinating read, it was so so disjointed and repetitive.
December 22, 2015
Dilatory on Civil Rights, devoutly pro-Israel, rabidly anti-communist to a degree that he stubbornly against all warnings, fathered the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Kennedy was a better model for Reagan, who quoted him and emulated his rhetoric more than any other politician in the 20th Century, along with other right wingers, this more than any progressives who led the Democrats in the same era. Kennedy, the full flavor of whose right wing views and motivations were papered over and/or obscured by his advisors Sorensen, Goodwin, Schlesinger and others in their memoirs. Kennedy, resolute in his determination to fight communism in Vietnam in adherence to the "domino theory": "We are not going to withdraw from that effort"-mid July 1963. Kennedy, the quintessential conservative, yet an icon for many liberals due to a myth-making industry about him that sprang up after his death.
February 1, 2016
I thought it was well written. enjoyed reviewing Kennedy's accomplishments chronologically and just peripheral discussion of Kennedy relationships that have been told over and over through the years. like so much in our political realm, both sides will read this and see what they want to agree with to describe JFK's political philosophy.
November 30, 2013
This book offers a point of view about JFK that I never considered before. Although it might seem far-fetched to some, this book offers a unique perspective on JFK's personal and political ideologies. I would suggest this to anyone who is as obsessed with JFK as I am.
November 6, 2024
Stoll is a conservative who admires Kennedy and wrote an entire book to make the case that his idol was also conservative. It reminded me of Adam Sandler's Hannukah song, except that "Hey, look at all these cool people who are Jews" is replaced with "Hey, look at this one cool guy who is a conservative."
He has some good points to make. JFK was a fiscal conservative whose main economic policy was a tax cut that he argued (correctly) would spur economic growth and essentially pay for itself, and then some. This was also Ronald Reagan's main economic policy. This was a big part of 1980s conservatism, but in the 60's conservatives were more fiscally conservative, and many of them thought that balancing the budget was the most important thing (the balance-the-budget conservative no longer exists. The last president to balance the budget was Bill Clinton, who had a big assist from the end of the cold war).
He was also a very strong anti-communist, defense hawk, and cold warrior who went to the right of Eisenhower and Nixon on the importance of building up the military. But in the 1960's wanting a weak military was not yet the liberal position. It was liberals who had wanted to build up American military power in the years leading to America's entry into WWII and it was liberals who were more interventionist through the 1960s (isolationism was a conservative position, and with J.D. Vance at Trump's right hand, it may be the conservative position again soon). He was a man of his time, and these were acceptable liberal positions in 1960.
Stoll also makes a case that JFK was highly religious, and relies heavily on his speeches to make this point. But politicians pretend to be religious all the time. It comes with the job at the national level. And Stoll just glosses over JFK's many sordid affairs which would seem to indicate that maybe he didn't take his religion all that seriously.
Stoll cherry picks examples and says thing like: yes JFK was in favor of price controls, but for the conservative reason of wanting to reduce inflation. I'm sorry, but price controls are straight up socialism, and I don't care what your reasons are, implementing such controls will never be the conservative thing to do.
The more interesting book would be the one about how Nixon was actually a liberal. I mean the man instituted wage and price controls, created the EPA, created OSHA, ended the Vietnam war started by his liberal predecessors, and improved relations with communist nations. The only problem is that NOBODY wants to claim Nixon for their movement.
JFK was probably more conservative than the history books would suggest, but what this book mainly shows is that what it means to be conservative or liberal changes over time. JFK was a 1950s style liberal. He probably would have changed with the times in the same way that both of his brothers did.
Twenty years ago being conservative meant being in favor of free trade. Donald Trump has changed this. Being conservative used to mean (at least in theory, and almost never in practice unless you are Calvin Coolidge or IKE) being careful with the public purse and avoiding budget deficits. This is no longer the case. Conservatives are as eager to waste your money as liberals are, only they waste it on different things. Times change.
He has some good points to make. JFK was a fiscal conservative whose main economic policy was a tax cut that he argued (correctly) would spur economic growth and essentially pay for itself, and then some. This was also Ronald Reagan's main economic policy. This was a big part of 1980s conservatism, but in the 60's conservatives were more fiscally conservative, and many of them thought that balancing the budget was the most important thing (the balance-the-budget conservative no longer exists. The last president to balance the budget was Bill Clinton, who had a big assist from the end of the cold war).
He was also a very strong anti-communist, defense hawk, and cold warrior who went to the right of Eisenhower and Nixon on the importance of building up the military. But in the 1960's wanting a weak military was not yet the liberal position. It was liberals who had wanted to build up American military power in the years leading to America's entry into WWII and it was liberals who were more interventionist through the 1960s (isolationism was a conservative position, and with J.D. Vance at Trump's right hand, it may be the conservative position again soon). He was a man of his time, and these were acceptable liberal positions in 1960.
Stoll also makes a case that JFK was highly religious, and relies heavily on his speeches to make this point. But politicians pretend to be religious all the time. It comes with the job at the national level. And Stoll just glosses over JFK's many sordid affairs which would seem to indicate that maybe he didn't take his religion all that seriously.
Stoll cherry picks examples and says thing like: yes JFK was in favor of price controls, but for the conservative reason of wanting to reduce inflation. I'm sorry, but price controls are straight up socialism, and I don't care what your reasons are, implementing such controls will never be the conservative thing to do.
The more interesting book would be the one about how Nixon was actually a liberal. I mean the man instituted wage and price controls, created the EPA, created OSHA, ended the Vietnam war started by his liberal predecessors, and improved relations with communist nations. The only problem is that NOBODY wants to claim Nixon for their movement.
JFK was probably more conservative than the history books would suggest, but what this book mainly shows is that what it means to be conservative or liberal changes over time. JFK was a 1950s style liberal. He probably would have changed with the times in the same way that both of his brothers did.
Twenty years ago being conservative meant being in favor of free trade. Donald Trump has changed this. Being conservative used to mean (at least in theory, and almost never in practice unless you are Calvin Coolidge or IKE) being careful with the public purse and avoiding budget deficits. This is no longer the case. Conservatives are as eager to waste your money as liberals are, only they waste it on different things. Times change.
November 5, 2021
JFK is admired by many , on both sides of the political spectrum. The central point of this book is that many of his views were more aligned with a Conservative point of view than a Liberal one. This is quite clearly demonstrated, as the book points out, that Ronald Reagan often quoted and expressed many of the same views as JFK.
July 25, 2023
Dullsville. You know it's bad when the best lines are quoted from biographer Theodore H. White.
**Did not finish.
**Did not finish.
December 6, 2023
This book gives an accurate account of the presidency and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. I highly recommend for all to read or listen to on Audio Book.
November 13, 2025
Solid analysis of how his domestic and foreign policy positions align with conservative principles
February 24, 2014
Many people of today's Republican Party see the 40th President of The United States; Ronald Reagan as their hero. They all admire him for different reasons but one thing they can all agree on is that he believed in small Government and when he left office, he shrunk the size of Government. I'm not a major history buff but I can say without really thinking hard about it that the right wingers of today only see Reagan's accomplishment of shrinking the size of Government as a fairy tale. Their not stupid (as far as I know), they just don't want to admit that as he was in office, the Government grew at a rapid pace and by the time he left office, the power of the Government was far bigger than a monarchy. If that era had the technology of today, I don't even want to think about how big the Government would be in that case. Anyway, I personally believe that today's Republican Party sees Reagan as their hero because they really have no other modern Republican President who's considered to be, well, for lack of better words; clean. George W. Bush lied so many times, I'm surprised that he wasn't impeached. (So has Obama by the way. With that being said, I'm not a left winger.) George H.W Bush raised taxes even though he said he wouldn't, Nixon had Watergate and Ford was basically a nobody and when he ran against Carter, that's what he ran on; being a nobody. Eisenhower, I guess was too Liberal for today's Republican party to some extent. However, there is one President who is at least in my opinion; a true Conservative and that President is John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Now why does the extreme right hate to regard JFK as a Conservative? Well, I believe it's because he was a registered Democrat. Of course it was a different era when he was President but still, he was a true Conservative over Reagan. For a few examples; he cut taxes, proposed ideas to eliminate the power of the CIA, he didn't care about religion, he was Pro-Life, he was a very proud NRA member and the list goes on. I know that him not caring about religion might have also rubbed some of today's Conservatives the wrong way but in reality, believing in the separation of church and state is a Conservative view. The Republican Party changed in the mid 70's so that they could look more different than the Democrats and Reagan was one of those Conservatives who embraced the religious right well some of the old school Conservatives like Barry Goldwater voiced his opposition of that because he knew that that would lead to bigger Government. Ira Stoll's book is greatly researched and very well written that explains not just how JFK was a Conservative but also how he accomplished what he wanted by being a Conservative and he lists what he would have done had it not been for 11/22/63. Conservative Commentator Sean Hannity of Fox News once told George W. Bush; "Mr. President, thank God you're not a Kennedy!" Hannity once identified himself as a Reagan Conservative so I'm not surprised that he would say something like that. However, Hannity has written many books about Conservatism. I haven't read any of them but since he identifies himself as a Reagan Conservative and he seems to dislike JFK so much, I have to come to the conclusion that his books are actually misguiding people. Unfortunately, he isn't the only misguided political author but thankfully we have political authors like Ira Stoll.
February 6, 2019
“The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.” - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Who would today expect those words coming out from the mouth of John F. Kennedy? This book opens my eyes and mind about the other side of Kennedy seldom explored by historians. Perhaps because they are liberals and ashamed of this conservative Kennedy. A hawkish politician eager to confront communism around the world in names of freedom and liberty, he was also a religious person, with numerous references to God and Bible in his speeches. Kennedy also espoused monetarism even before it was cool, advocating less spending (except in military buildup) and more tax cuts. In other words, Reagan was late for about two decades. As I have said before, this book is an eye-opener, interesting enough to change my perception of Kennedy as starry-eyed, young liberal whipper-snapper who blundered both in Cuba and Viet Nam.
Who would today expect those words coming out from the mouth of John F. Kennedy? This book opens my eyes and mind about the other side of Kennedy seldom explored by historians. Perhaps because they are liberals and ashamed of this conservative Kennedy. A hawkish politician eager to confront communism around the world in names of freedom and liberty, he was also a religious person, with numerous references to God and Bible in his speeches. Kennedy also espoused monetarism even before it was cool, advocating less spending (except in military buildup) and more tax cuts. In other words, Reagan was late for about two decades. As I have said before, this book is an eye-opener, interesting enough to change my perception of Kennedy as starry-eyed, young liberal whipper-snapper who blundered both in Cuba and Viet Nam.
November 6, 2013
The author argues that JFK was conservative rather than a liberal. He bases this theory on several factors. Kennedy's belief that the rights of man came from God and not the state and his frequent use of biblical quotes, his strong anti communism, his belief in free trade and tax cuts, and finally his belief in military preparedness. He did not believe in deficit spending but in a balanced budget. While all these points are true the author didn't convince me that JFK was conservative.
The closeness of his election and the conservative make up of the Democratic congress were factors in his agenda and what he hoped to achieve. Anti communism was still a strong force in American politics and one could not take the political risk of giving in to communism. While there are merits to the author's contentions in the end he did not convince me.
The closeness of his election and the conservative make up of the Democratic congress were factors in his agenda and what he hoped to achieve. Anti communism was still a strong force in American politics and one could not take the political risk of giving in to communism. While there are merits to the author's contentions in the end he did not convince me.
September 16, 2016
Again, struggling a little for a rating. In terms of today's politics, there's little question that JFK was a conservative and Stoll rightly calls out Nixon as being more liberal than most would expect. But with anything involving JFK, it's almost impossible to separate myth from reality; Jackie and his staff created an almost impenetrable mythos surrounding JFK that says as much or more about how they either viewed him or wanted him to be viewed what he really was.
November 16, 2013
A concise, meticulously documented, and highly insightful volume that stands out in the vast forest of JFK literature as a valuable and accurate portrait of the man's views. Informative and fast-moving. A fine companion to The Jackie Kennedy Tapes and an essential corrective to the liberal hagiography of Schlesinger and Sorensen.
April 28, 2014
I was blown away.
I realized that what little I learned about this presidency through public education was woefully inadequate.
Excellent read and analysis of a president and his policies - and my oh my, how far has the democratic party drifted from these times....
No...I don't mean that in any way positively. Sorry.
I realized that what little I learned about this presidency through public education was woefully inadequate.
Excellent read and analysis of a president and his policies - and my oh my, how far has the democratic party drifted from these times....
No...I don't mean that in any way positively. Sorry.
August 28, 2016
Very interesting read. When you look back on some of the things Kennedy said and did during his Presidency and compare them to modern liberalism, there is a contrast there. Whether we can call Kennedy a "conservative" may be debatable, but he may not have been as liberal as "liberals" today are.
January 31, 2014
I enjoyed the book very much. I had never considered JFK as a conservative; however, I do have a slightly different view of him now.
Read
August 6, 2014I interviewed author Ira Stoll for The Arts Fuse. Read it here:
http://artsfuse.org/102347/fuse-book-...
http://artsfuse.org/102347/fuse-book-...
September 18, 2015
certainly learned a lot about JFK
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews