Many people wonder if Senator John Kennedy, the Republican from Louisiana, is related to the famous Kennedy family that includes former President John F. Kennedy (JFK), his brothers Robert and Ted, and their numerous descendants. The answer is no. Senator John Kennedy and JFK are not related by blood or marriage. They just happen to share a common surname that is popular in Ireland and among Irish Americans. In this article, we will explore the origins and backgrounds of both John Kennedys and how they differ in their political views and careers.
Who is Senator John Kennedy?
Senator John Neely Kennedy is an American lawyer and politician who was born in Centreville, Mississippi, in 1951. He grew up in Zachary, Louisiana, and attended Vanderbilt University, where he majored in philosophy, economics, and political science. He then earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in civil law from Oxford University. He practiced law in New Orleans and became a partner at the Chaffe McCall law firm.
Kennedy entered politics in 1990, when he was appointed as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue by Governor Buddy Roemer. He later served as the state treasurer from 2000 to 2017, switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in 2007. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2008, losing both times to incumbent Democrats. He finally won the Senate seat in 2016, defeating Democrat Foster Campbell in a runoff election. He was re-elected in 2020, defeating Democrat Antoine Pierce.
As a senator, Kennedy is known for his conservative views on issues such as abortion, immigration, health care, and gun rights. He is also known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial remarks, such as calling the Affordable Care Act “the dumbest thing” he had ever seen, accusing China of “trying to steal all of our stuff”, and questioning the qualifications of some of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees. He is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Banking Committee, the Senate Budget Committee, and the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Who is JFK?
JFK, or John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the 35th president of the United States, who served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1917, into a wealthy and influential Irish Catholic family. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., was a businessman, diplomat, and political figure who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. His mother, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the daughter of John F. Fitzgerald, a former mayor of Boston and U.S. congressman. JFK had eight siblings, including Robert F. Kennedy, who became the U.S. attorney general and a senator, and Ted Kennedy, who became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
JFK graduated from Harvard University in 1940 and joined the U.S. Navy in 1941. He served as a commander of a patrol torpedo boat in the Pacific during World War II and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroism in rescuing his crew after his boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. He suffered from chronic back pain and other health problems as a result of his injuries. He also contracted malaria and was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare disorder of the adrenal glands.
After the war, JFK briefly worked as a journalist and then entered politics, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., who was killed in action in 1944. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1946, representing a working-class district in Boston. He then moved to the U.S. Senate in 1952, defeating the incumbent Republican Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. He married Jacqueline Bouvier, a socialite and journalist, in 1953. They had four children, two of whom died in infancy.
JFK became the youngest person elected president and the first Catholic president in 1960, defeating the Republican vice president Richard Nixon in a close and historic race. As president, he faced many challenges and crises, such as the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War. He also initiated many domestic and foreign policy initiatives, such as the Peace Corps, the Alliance for Progress, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the New Frontier, and the Apollo program. He was widely admired for his charisma, eloquence, vision, and leadership, but also criticized for his inexperience, indecisiveness, and personal scandals.
JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, by Lee Harvey Oswald, a former Marine and communist sympathizer. His death shocked and saddened the nation and the world, and sparked many conspiracy theories and controversies. He is regarded as one of the most popular and influential presidents in U.S. history, and his legacy continues to inspire generations of Americans and people around the world.
Conclusion
Senator John Kennedy and JFK are two very different politicians who share a common name but not a common ancestry. They have different backgrounds, ideologies, and achievements, and they represent different eras and challenges in American history. While Senator John Kennedy is a conservative Republican from Louisiana, JFK was a liberal Democrat from Massachusetts. While Senator John Kennedy is a lawyer and a legislator, JFK was a war hero and a president. While Senator John Kennedy is still alive and serving in the Senate, JFK was killed in his prime and became a legend. The only thing they have in common is their name, which is a coincidence and not a sign of kinship.