The President Has Been Shot!: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

As a Senior Fellow at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, Swanson has been open about his conservative political views and has professionally promoted them. In what ways, if any, do Swanson’s own political views shape how he depicts and interprets Kennedy’s presidency?

How did mass media, especially television, impact Kennedy’s political career, presidency, and/or the events surrounding his assassination? In what ways did Kennedy use media to create and promote a certain image of himself and his presidency?

How did President Kennedy approach the Cold War overall? What were the strengths and weaknesses of his policies?

Swanson writes that many Americans see President Kennedy’s assassination as a “dividing line in our history” (209). How did Kennedy’s assassination affect American politics and culture? How did subsequent presidencies in the later 60s and 70s compare to his own?

Although Swanson admits that Lee Harvey Oswald’s exact motives are a “great mystery,” he speculates that Oswald’s primary motive was that he wanted “fame” (207-08). What are the strengths and weaknesses of Swanson’s theory? What other factors, if any, might also have been at play?

Research one of the important domestic policies of Kennedy’s administration mentioned in The President Has Been Shot!, such as his work with civil rights issues. What was the significance of this policy? How did it reflect the broader ideals or limitations of the Kennedy presidency?

Swanson makes extensive use of images, such as maps, photos, and diagrams throughout The President Has Been Shot!. Choose at least three of these images. Why do you think Swanson chose to include these particular images in the text? What do they add to his narrative and/or arguments?

Analyze the depiction of Jackie Kennedy in the text. How is she characterized? How does Swanson use her life and experiences to illustrate some the text’s key themes and ideas?