Chris Matthews, of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” discussed his new book about John F. Kennedy on Wednesday night, saying he admired the former president’s intellectualism, loyalty and values in both politics and personal relationships.
More than 200 people attended the forum on “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero” at the Stephen E. Smith Center with Matthews and former Boston Globe editor Marty Nolan.
“He was very loyal to old friends,” Matthews said about Kennedy. “A man that could earn love in a different kind of way. He was a good friend.”
In the biography, Matthews said he uses first-person accounts and numerous interviews with those who knew Kennedy to paint a picture of the man behind the presidency and the fame.
The talk began with John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum director Thomas Putnam, who introduced guests including Richard Donahue, a former assistant to Kennedy, and former Sen. Paul Kirk.
“What was John F. Kennedy like?” Putnam asked when introducing Matthews. “What was the genesis of this unforgettable man?”
These questions, Matthews said, were the purpose behind his biography.
“I’m absolutely overwhelmed by what I’ve been able to dig up,” he said.
The hour-long discussion detailed the life of the former President, with topics ranging from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the Peace Corps Matthews said that Kennedy was a “conservative with learned liberal values.”
“He wanted to hear both sides and learn arguments and broaden his thinking,” he said.
Matthews said that one of his favorite stories was when Kennedy snuck out of the White House with a naval buddy to see “Spartacus.”
Matthews said that he often asks himself, humorously, “What would Jack do?”
He said that the personal and intimate account of Kennedy’s life from youth to death showed a true friend, man and hero unmatched in modern times.
“So much of his growth came from being an intellectual,” Matthews said. “He was always trying to figure things out.”
The discussion also included references to a number of political icons, including President Barack Obama, other former presidents, former Sen. Robert Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy.
Matthews also said that today’s politics have “lower standards,” leading him to have no heroes in today’s harsh political climate.
“They won’t deal because they think compromise is bad,” Matthews said about the Tea Party.
Kennedy’s goddaughter, Sally Fay, attended the forum and told the crowd that she loves the book so far.
Doris Nelson, 76, attended the talk and said that she voted for Kennedy and really wanted to hear Matthews’s spin on his life. She also said that it is very important to learn from the people of the past and that there is a lot to learn from Kennedy.
“I knew he was a good politician and a good man,” Nelson said, “and it’s nice to see that people still honor that.”
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