what a wonderful day

September 22nd, 1963, Arthur Schlesinger wrote in his journal:

-------- On Tuesday night, the 19th, I had dinner with Jimmy Wechsler, Joe Rauh and Hubert Humphrey.  Jimmy had come from a forty-five minute interview with the President.  He was, as usual, wholly disarmed and delighted by Kennedy -- and particularly by the new note of impatience with Eisenhower, the Republicans and the business community (the same thing I encountered when I went to the White House for dinner the next night). 

Hubert was in marvelous form, overflowing with wit, charm, energy, eloquence and sheer animal vitality.  I asked him what he thought ought to be done next.  He replied, "The first thing I would do is fire Dean Rusk."  He feels that Rusk has been dangerously inadequate both in formulating foreign policy and in presenting it to the people.  Hubert is really unique:  George McGovern [U.S. Senator from South Dakota], who lives next door to him, told me today that he heard shouts of exultation outside his window this morning, looked down, saw Hubert striding around his lawn and saying "What a wonderful day," looked further, saw absolutely no audience of any sort...Humphreyan exuberance!

September 20

[On Wednesday the 20th we had] dinner at the White House with Joe and Susan Mary Alsop.  The President was in excellent form -- very lively, pungent and vigorous.  I was delighted to see that he was particularly concerned with the role of the business community.  He began by saying that he was struck by the paradox that, while labor leaders individually were often mediocre and selfish, labor as a body took generally enlightened positions on the great issues; while businessmen were often enlightened as individuals but invariably took hopeless positions on public issues.  He said several times that he now understood FDR's attitude toward the business community and that he only wished there were no Cold War so he could debate the future of America with the businessmen.

After dinner, at about 10:30, we adjourned to the projection room for a movie -- Blood and Roses, directed by Roger Vadim.  It was terrible; and the President left after 40 minutes, saying over his shoulder that he would be content to read my review in Show.  He also recommended that I see The Girl Without a Suitcase and A Cold Wind in August (or September?) and review them as contrasting treatments of the same theme.  He had not liked Breakfast at Tiffany's and expressed a general view that Hollywood had no guts any longer and could not do a sharp or interesting film.

We talked a bit about Berlin.  I think that I forgot to note a major theme in his remarks to Charles Wintour, the editor of London Evening Standard -- that the American people had no conception what a nuclear war was like; and that, if they did, they would not be half so bold in their attitudes toward foreign policy.  He recurred to that tonight; but also said (what is doubtless true) that mankind's recuperative powers after a nuclear war would probably be greater than anyone supposed.

[???!...]

...On Friday Norman Thomas came by, deeply perturbed over the administration's Berlin policy.  He reported a general impression in liberal circles that JFK's attitude was rigid and menacing, that he had no interest in negotiation, that military considerations were predominant in the administration's thinking.  I did my best to reassure him on these points.

----------------------
{Journals  1952 - 2000
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
The Penguin Press, New York.
2007}

In these notes from the time, it's striking to see the juxtaposition of Pres. K.'s determination to avoid nuclear holocaust, balanced against some group there in the bottom paragraph who thinks the Pres. attitude is "rigid and menacing" -- when you're pres., someone always think you're too warlike, and others always think you're too -- "peacelike"....(?)  And -- sandwiched in the middle of the juxtaposition, (ooh--uncomfortable) -- "mankind's recuperative powers after a nuclear war would probably be greater than anyone supposed." -- ??  whistling in the dark!  With giant problems and possibilities that are too big, like that, leaders -- and everyone, really -- had to consider all aspects.  That's what led some people to build bomb shelters in their back yards at the time.

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