# President Kennedy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2002, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316 "2002-05-29T07:33:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316/21 "2002-05-30T02:53:32Z")
> [@](#): > > When Ted ran in 1980, he was doing okay until that interview on TV–I have no idea who quizzed him–but he blew it completely–he hemmed and hawed and “answered” as if he had never even rehearsed a response to a Chappaquiddick queston (maybe he hadn’t!). It was embarrassing to watch, you almost felt for the guy. His campaign was over, then and there. It was Roger Mudd. Some have argued that his answer to why he wanted to be president (he didn’t have one) was what really killed his campaign, because pretty much everyone knew about Chappaquiddick. Since then, “the Roger Mudd question” has become a bit of slang in politics. If politicians pull a Kennedy and don’t answer it well, their campaigns can quickly go under. Of course, Bush the Elder with his “vision thing” managed to win, but you must keep in mind he was running against a man who seemed like a lizard masquerading as the governor of Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316/22 "2002-05-30T04:59:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zigaretten \* > \*\*AS for 1992, remember that in 1990, when Kennedy would have had to start his campaign, Bushs popularity was still sky high after the Gulf War. \*\* The Gulf War began in 1991. ---
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316/23 "2002-05-30T09:23:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\* > > The Gulf War began in 1991. \*\* A quick check on the internet shows that Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990. Resorting to memory again; this would mean that Bushs “line in the sand” was probably drawn by the end of August and by mid-September his poll numbers should have been sky high. I don’t know when “The Gulf War” technically began, but it isn’t important for this discussion. All that matters is its effect on Bushs popularity. ---
**Author:** ![zigaretten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/91b2a8/32.png) [@zigaretten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zigaretten)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316/24 "2002-05-30T09:31:17Z")
Walloon- Oh…I see. I did say _after_ the Gulf War, didn’t I. Change to _from_ or _as a result of_ the Gulf War. You are absolutely correct. Ron [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kennedy/111316.md?page=1)