Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
A lot of presidents have blood on their hands. To examine an entire life is complicated.
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Agreed. I don't think it's as simple as "he was a great public servant" or "he was a person whose personal actions raise important questions about his character."
Both are true, in my view--and the Kennedies are a weird bunch, both astonishing public servants and machiavellian manipulators. There's clearly a light side and a dark side to that family, and no-one should make excuses either for Chappaquiddick or for any of the other suspicious dealings that the Kennedy clan has been involved in.
On the other hand, it remains true that Kennedy had a profound impact on the every day life of millions of Americans. Disabled Americans, women, the poor, veterans, the list goes on... all of them owe a huge debt to Ted Kennedy, and no incident from his past can change that.
In the end, it was a good thing he never became President. He accomplished far more as a Senator than he ever would have in the White House. His legacy is far more wide-reaching than either of his brothers could have hoped for.
