Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed

“Any victims who dare to fight back will find themselves confronting the awesome power of the Kennedy machine, one that recasts any woman, no matter how wealthy or famous or powerful, as crazy, spiteful, vengeful; a drug addict, a viper, a seductress. Whatever grievous harm a Kennedy man may have done to her, the message remains clear. She was asking for it. It was her fault.”

This quote describes the overwhelming power of the political media mechanism that the Kennedys used to maintain their status and influence. The media’s complicity with the pro-Kennedy narrative completely overwhelmed women who dared to protest their mistreatment.

“John didn’t live in the real world, and never had; he lived on Planet Kennedy, where he was king, and his main experience was a feedback loop of awe at his looks, his lineage, his fame, his politeness.”

This quote about John F. Kennedy, Jr., and his ill-advised business endeavors in the 1990s illustrates his total unpreparedness for reality. His inability to understand his own shortcomings foreshadows the main tragedy of the Kennedy men throughout the narrative.

“She never once asked if she had been hit. She never asked if any of the blood was hers. She never flinched from the sheer carnage in that back seat. Her only concern was Jack. He had to know he wasn’t going to die alone.”

This passage showcases the total selfless devotion expected of Jackie Kennedy, despite her husband’s careless disregard for her feelings and well-being. Despite the power imbalance, Jackie and John F. Kennedy, Sr., were deeply in love, and Jackie took major steps to defend his legacy after the assassination.