The Presidency by Hugh Sidey: How to Do Nothing Well

In a way, the great power game being played around the globe is made to order for an actor. The object is to do nothing for real.

John Kennedy once pointed that out. He reviewed the Atlantic Fleet in 1962 from behind a huge windscreen on the bow of the heavy cruiser Northampton as it steamed between two columns of hulking warships. The crew of each ship lined the deck and fired a salute as it surged by Kennedy.

He was profoundly affected by the event, and he mused about it for weeks. "I felt like Teddy Roosevelt," he joked. But...

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