President Kennedy was true to himself, right to the day he died.
He knew the power of the image, and how to massage it for his benefit.
It put him at odds with his wife, who didn't want their two kids used as photo ops--so, JFK would wait until she was out of town before inviting John-John and Caroline to the Oval Office for some frolic in front of the staff photographer.
I've read at least one account about the late president being haunted by a picture he'd once since of his predecessor, Calvin Coolidge, in a full headdress and thinking to himself that it made a Chief Executive look less than presidential to don what he deemed "silly hats" for the White House press.
And so it came to pass that, on November 22, 1963 at a breakfast in Fort Worth, Texas, JFK would be presented with a brand new hat by the local Chamber of Commerce. The crowd roared as the President, known for going without a chapeau, motioned as if he'd bust his self-imposed embargo and actually put his gift on.
He didn't, saying he'd try it on the following Monday at the White House.
That, of course, never happened. And, neither did the picture.
Enter George W. Bush.
The current leader of the free world either a) got caught up in the moment b) succumbed to his inner frat boy or c) forgot there's always a camera rolling on the President when he decided to cut a rug at a Rose Garden photo op this week about malaria awareness in Africa.
http://player.clipsyndicate.com/player/play/190/369304?cpt=8&noresize=1
Do I care that Mr. Bush chose to shake a leg? Naw. Actually, it's kinda fun to see the man who's finger is always on the button so comfortable with himself that he'd actually do such a thing. For me, it would require the downing of at least a 12 pack--as anyone who's ever seen me half shined up at a wedding will attest.
But, in this age of cellphone cameras and the Internet, those in power and who rub up against celebrity in even the most remote way have to know that their picture will be taken, that said photo can go global in a mouse-click, and that those images live on FOREVER via Google search.
President Kennedy didn't put on the cowboy hat the day he died. That was 44 years ago.
Think yesterday's video will have a shelf life beyond that?
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