In my opinion, this OP was answered well enough that I don’t mind the hijack. But I suggest starting a new thread to attract additional comments and ideas. I too am surprised to hear that the contemporary papers mentioned those rumors, and I’m curious to hear exactly how they worded it.
I don’t remember any contemporary news accounts of JFK’s dalliances during his lifetime. The reporters back then definitely looked the other way, if they knew anything about the rumors at all; the stories only emerged after his death.
Here you go:
From NPR website:
JFK also tapped into popular culture to appeal to voters. His ads moved beyond the stodginess of past campaigns. There was no bigger star than Frank Sinatra, who reworked one of his big hits into a JFK jingle:
“Everyone wants to back Jack
Jack is on the right track
'Cause he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
1960’s the year for his high hopes
Come on and vote for Kennedy
Vote for Kennedy, and we’ll come out on top
Oops, there goes the opposition …”
I remember reading a memoir from a reporter from back in that era, when the news about Bill and Monica was front and center. He was in the election entourage, and every reporter knew about Kennedy’s dalliances. One of the older reporters told him “This guy’s going to do for f***ing what Eisenhower did for golf.”
I was eleven years old in 1960, and I remember asking my history teacher why I sometimes heard JFK called Jack. That was the first time I found out that Jack was a nickname for John. Heck, my dad’s name was John, and nobody called him Jack.
Interesting links!
Judging from them I wouldn’t be surprised if the only time he ever used John was when he took the oath as a commissioned Naval officer, and when being sworn in for his political offices.