The problem, Ron, was the Warren report. It was a shameful piece of work to come out of a mature democracy, as bad as the UK's Widgery Report into Bloody Sunday, save only that (as far as we know) there was no deliberate intent to put the blame on entirely innocent parties. Add to that the sheer disgrace of the suspect being shot in police custody before he could stand trial, and the fact that his murderer in turn could not be kept alive long enough to go before a court, and it is hardly to be wondered that theories have abounded.

I'm not often caught agreeing with DougR, but I'd say his take on JFK is about right. With hindsight it seems that any progressive, non-conservative impetus came from Robert, though I didn't realise it at the time.

On Ebbie's point about Vietnam, it was JFK who put the US on course for that disaster. If Johnson had not had to inherit that legacy, which became his millstone, he might now be remembered as the best modern president (although I'd personally rank Ike quite high). Johnson certainly achieved much more on the domestic agenda than KEnnedy did, or looked like doing.