John F. Kennedy and his extended family have a unique place in American politics, evoking nostalgia and reverence from many people. In fact, English literature scholar Ellie Crookes argues, there’s something distinctly magical about the Kennedy name.
Crookes writes that Kennedy’s presidency came at a time when a fascination with the occult, the medieval period, and, specifically, the legends of King Arthur’s court was well-established in the American psyche. In 1960, the year he was elected, Camelot debuted on Broadway and became a favorite of the president.
In an interview shortly after JFK’s assassination in 1963, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, cited a line from the musical: “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” The comparison of the Kennedy administration to King Arthur’s reign resonated with many Americans.
At the same time, Crookes suggests, American interest in the occult was morphing into a fascination with conspiracy theories. The two ways of thinking are closely aligned, offering explanations for frightening realities featuring hidden knowledge and strange, powerful forces.
In 1964, historian Richard J. Hofstadter coined the term “the paranoid style” to describe a widespread suspiciousness, especially on the right, prompted by political cynicism and anxieties about cultural change.
More to Explore
When Psychoanalysts Believed in Magic
Some of the most prominent conspiracy theories of the time centered on JFK’s death. And these sometimes took a turn into the magical, proposing that, like Arthur in many legends, the President was still alive, preparing for a triumphant return.
“That the rumor of Kennedy’s survival persisted, even though he sustained obviously fatal wounds…at an event that occurred in front of massive crowds and was recorded by numerous cameras, speaks to the tenacity of these stories and to the supernatural underpinnings of the myth, as well as the power of conspiracy theories,” Crookes writes.
An aura of magical destiny extended to the entire Kennedy clan, who, to many, became American royalty destined to transform the country, but at the cost of being “cursed” with tragedies. The magic also rubbed off on other politicians, particularly Barack Obama, who won early endorsements from JFK’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, during the 2008 primary season. Commentators referred to Barack Obama’s time in the White House as Camelot 2.0 or Obamalot, celebrating his relative youth and supposed idealism.
Weekly Newsletter
A much stranger version of Kennedy magic emerged from the QAnon conspiracy world that surrounded President Trump’s first term in office: a theory that John F. Kennedy Jr., who died in a 1999 airplane crash, was actually alive and would become Trump’s vice presidential nominee in 2020, helping to destroy his Satanic, pedophilic, and cannibalistic enemies. Some QAnon supporters also falsely claimed that the movement’s motto, “Where We Go One, We Go All,” or WWGOWGA, came from an engraving on a bell on JFK Sr.’s sailboat.
In fact, WWGOWGA probably originated with the Ridley Scott movie White Squall. But the Kennedy connection gave it a little extra magic.
Support JSTOR Daily! Join our membership program on Patreon today.
