About
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.
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Reviews
"Insightful and well-researched. . . This volume will appeal to readers seeking an unvarnished appraisal of Kennedy policymaking."
Library Journal
"Stoll makes a solid case by carefully scouring the record. A compelling textual study of how JFK became all things to all people."
Kirkus
"A wonderfully mischievous analysis. . . Stoll's lively disputation offers a distinctive contribution to the debate."
New York Times Book Review