What factors may have contributed to their level of charisma?
They each had their own charisma, but only John was known for his.
How could that be?
I will work my way from the youngest brother to the oldest.
Ted Kennedy was the black sheep of the family. If any member of the Kennedy’s “failed forward,” it would be him. He graduated from Harvard at age 24, two years after most seniors graduate, that go to college right away, and was rejected from Harvard Law School because of his low grades. He followed his third oldest brother, Bobby, to Virginia Law School. Just to add, he once tried to cheat on a Spanish exam while at Harvard, and got suspended from campus. He paid his roommate to take the exam for him but got busted.
His charisma lies in the fact that when you think of Ted, you think of him in light of being the one Kennedy brother that entered politics that wasn’t assassinated. We are drawn to him because we felt sorry for him while he was alive. Two of his more famous brothers were both killed running for President.
Robert Kennedy, the middle brother, would have made an even better president than his brother John. He was a tough and no nonsense guy that held a grudge. Those were his dad, Joe’s words, not mine. If you were on his “list” you stayed on it..The thing about Bobby was that he was a little more interesting than JFK as a political guy and as a person. While he was a ruthless and determined politician, his private persona couldn’t be any different. To those closest to him, he was witty and funny. He had a great smile and inspired others. My fave memory of him was the speech he gave while campaigning for President to a largely African-American crowd, right after the death of MLK. He appealed to them in the sense that both had lost “family” to senseless gun violence. They lost their symbol while he lost his older brother.
John Kennedy. If you look up charisma in the dictionary, his picture would be in Webster’s. He was in constant pain for much of his life, because of Addison’s disease, yet rose to become the President of the United States anyway. I don’t know about you, but I get FDR vibes, as he suffered from polio and presided over the country in a wheelchair. He had the whole package. He was attractive, confident, well spoken, and adventurous. He was so charismatic even Richard Nixon, his opponent in 1960 for President, liked him. A guy that grew up having to fight for his share while not liking the wealthy. He is known for Camelot, the closest America has ever come to a royal family or dynasty, and for his never-ending string of affairs. He died as a young man, at 46, which effectively crystalized him.
John Kennedy’s charisma was far above his brother’s. He may even be in the top three most charismatic presidents ever.
Joe Kennedy Jr. He was the eldest brother, as well as his father’s absolute favorite. He was groomed from an early age to become the first Roman Catholic President. So loved was he, that his maternal grandfather told Boston news papers, “This child will be the future of our nation!” He was a delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention, and planned to run for a seat in the United States House after his military days (Navy) were behind him. Sadly, Joe Jr. didn’t even live long enough to see his 30th birthday. He was killed in action during WW II, while serving as a land based patrol bomber pilot. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. His charisma in having so much expected of him from such an early age ranks him pretty highly.