I think he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer of the Kennedy clan but he did his best with the material at hand, which I find genuinely inspirational.

His moral career is somewhat checkered going back to his college days and lasting into his dotage, but I think he meant to do well for the most part and he certainly could have done worse.

He came to my high school arguing against the Volunteer Army and asked our assembly: "How many of you are in favor of a Volunteer Army?"
All hands rose.
"How many of you would volunteer?"
All hands fell.
I agreed with him on that.

I was visiting his offices in DC during his brief run for President. His offices were loud with the ringing of every phone and harried staff trying to stem some reportorial tide. I found out later that someone had stuck a microphone in his face and asked him why he wanted to be President and he'd stumbled the answer.

His campaign against Mitt Romney in the 90's used anti-Mormon tactics and it made me believe that he had outlived his career.