Oct 24, 2016
John F. Kennedy charmed voters, reporters and just about everyone he met with his quick wit and self-effacing jokes. Why was humor so important to JFK, who might be our most charismatic president?
Author Thomas Maier ("When Lions Roar: The Churchills and the Kennedys," "The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings," "Masters of Sex") joins us to talk about the "Irish" nature of Kennedy's humor. For all his privileged upbringing, JFK knew how to use the humor of an outsider. And blessed by the flourishing medium of television, he managed to leverage laughter more effectively than almost every public political figure who came before him.
Kennedy humor on video (via the Kennedy School)
MUSIC: Hail Columbia, "Boston Bounce" by Dan Belloc's Orchestra, "Gambling Jack" by Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers