Turning a chapter in history and our lives

For those of us who are slightly past the half century mark in age, and beyond, a chapter has turned in our lives.

We share a common point in history, November 22, 1963. I was too young to remember John Kennedy’s 1960 election over Richard Nixon, but I was old enough to remember watching his flag draped, horse drawn casket.

Our age group has seen the Kennedy name as an every day part of our lives for as long as we can remember. Eunice Shriver’s death just a couple of weeks ago and now Ted’s yesterday mark the end of an era.

Yes, I know, there is still one surviving sister, but it was John, Bobby, Teddy and Eunice that were the public face of the Kennedy clan. Say what you will about the Kennedys. Agree or disagree with their politics. You still have to recognize that August 25, 2009, in many ways officially marks the passing of a generational torch.

I had the opportunity to meet Senator Kennedy and his first wife, Joan, during his 1980 campaign for president. One of the perks of being a newspaper reporter in small town Iowa during a presidential election year is that you meet a lot of presidential candidates.

While it’s less true today with the mega-million dollar campaigns we now see, it was especially true in 1980. Any presidential candidate passing through Oskaloosa, Iowa, population 12,000, made the effort to meet with the local newspaper.

I rode in the back of the Kennedy limo with Senator and Mrs. Kennedy, just the three of us and the driver up front. I wish I could tell you that I found him terrifically intriguing and charismatic but, to be completely honest, Mrs. Kennedy was far more charming and engaged in the conversation.

The feeling I received from Kennedy was that, by 1980, he had fought so many political wars, with so many high-powered individuals, that he really didn’t see a challenge in meeting with a 20-something reporter from a small town newspaper located out in the middle of a bunch of cornfields.

Kennedy faced many challenges in that campaign. Not the least of which was running against an incumbent President from his own party. But I’ve always had the feeling that one of the reasons he didn’t gain more support was that he failed to understand and connect with Iowans on a personal level. He was accustomed to large campaign rallies and operating at a level 10,000 feet above the ground which wasn’t the grassroots type of campaign that Iowans expected at that time.

Oddly, that is in stark contrast with his political career. He was a dedicated voice for the underclass and a tireless public servant who accomplished many things during his career.

For those of us in the 50-plus age range, his death closes a chapter that began with John Kennedy’s election, and continued through his assassination, the dreams of Bobby Kennedy’s Presidential campaign and his assassination, the joy that Eunice Shriver brought to millions of mentally handicapped individuals via the Special Olympics and other efforts, and through Ted Kennedy’s long and storied career.

A new generation picks up that torch today. They would be well-served to bring with them the dedication and spirit that the Kennedys brought with them.