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Kaler: WE ALL THINK WE KNOW AMERICAN HISTORY,
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PRESIDENTS,
THERE'S OFTEN MORE MYTH THAN TRUTH.
TAKE FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT.
DID YOU KNOW HIS CRIPPLING DISEASE
MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN POLIO, AFTER ALL?
OR THAT THIS DEMOCRATIC ICON
ONCE SUPPORTED A REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT?
AND HOW ABOUT THOSE WEIRD SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN THE LINCOLN AND KENNEDY ASSASSINATIONS?
DID YOU KNOW SOME ARE COMPLETE FABRICATIONS?
OR THAT JACKIE KENNEDY MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY INSPIRED THE LIST?
I'M JAMIE KALER, AND I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR
TO UNRAVEL THE LEGENDS FROM THE TRUTH.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
WHEN FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT BECAME PRESIDENT IN 1933,
THE FOURTH YEAR OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION,
HE REASSURED AMERICANS BY TELLING THEM
ALL THEY HAD TO FEAR WAS FEAR ITSELF.
BUT ROOSEVELT HIMSELF WAS AFRAID OF MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
HE ALWAYS SLEPT WITH A GUN UNDER HIS PILLOW.
AND SINCE HIS HANDICAP LIMITED HIS MOBILITY,
HE HAD A GREAT FEAR OF FIRE.
IN POLITICS, THERE'S OFTEN A BIG DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN WHAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SAYS AND THE REAL FACTS.
THERE ARE ALSO MAJOR DISCONNECTS
BETWEEN THE ACCEPTED HISTORY ABOUT FDR
AND THE ACTUAL EVENTS.
Brands: THIS WHOLE BUSINESS OF CREATING MYTHS ABOUT GREAT FIGURES IS
PART OF -- IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A NEED OF PEOPLE
TO MAKE HISTORY SIMPLE,
TO MAKE THE PAST RELATIVELY EASY.
BUT, ALSO, IT ALLOWS US TO CREATE HEROES.
Kaler: THE FAMILIAR ROOSEVELT STORY GOES LIKE THIS.
YOUNG FRANKLIN GROWS UP IN WEALTH AND PRIVILEGE
IN NEW YORK.
LIKE MOST BOYS DESTINED TO BE PRESIDENT,
HE'S A BORN LEADER WITH A FIERCELY INDEPENDENT SPIRIT,
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT BY 1921,
HE'S BUILT A BUDDING CAREER IN POLITICS.
HE WAS STILL KIND OF A PLAYBOY, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY GUY.
AND HE CONTRACTED POLIO.
AND THAT CHANGED HIS PERSONALITY COMPLETELY.
Kaler: AT AGE 39, ROOSEVELT'S DEBILITATING DISEASE
FORCES HIM TO RE-THINK HIS LIFE.
AND SOON, HE'S DRIVEN BY A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE.
HE WINS THE GOVERNORSHIP OF NEW YORK
AND RISES TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE.
IN 1932, HE DEFEATS THE REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT,
HERBERT HOOVER, WHO HAD DONE VIRTUALLY NOTHING
TO RESCUE AMERICA FROM THE DEPRESSION.
FDR'S BOLD ECONOMIC PLAN, THE NEW DEAL,
SAVES THE NATION FROM RUIN,
THEN ROOSEVELT LEADS THE ALLIES TO VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II.
THERE'S MORE MYTHS IN THAT SPEED READ OF HISTORY
THAN YOU'D EVER BELIEVE,
STARTING WITH HOW ROOSEVELT'S A BORN LEADER.
THE FACT IS THAT HE'S A BORN FOLLOWER,
TOTALLY SUBMISSIVE TO HIS DOMINEERING MOTHER, SARA.
Lichtman: SARA DOTED ON YOUNG FRANKLIN.
SHE BATHED HIM. SHE READ TO HIM.
SHE DIRECTED HIS ACTIVITIES.
SHE HAD TUTORS COME IN SO HE COULD BE HOMESCHOOLED.
HE DIDN'T GO AWAY TO SCHOOL UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL.
Kaler: THIS 1884 PHOTO SAYS IT ALL.
NO, THAT'S NOT A LITTLE GIRL.
THAT'S OUR 32nd PRESIDENT AT AGE 2 1/2.
AND, YES, THAT IS A DRESS HE'S WEARING.
HE WEARS THEM UNTIL HE'S 6.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE THINK OF ANY MAN
WITH THE CHOPS TO BECOME LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD
AS AN INDEPENDENT, SELF-RELIANT GO-GETTER,
THE TRUTH IS THAT FDR IS THE ULTIMATE MAMA'S BOY.
Brands: FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT WAS NOT A REBEL BY TEMPERAMENT.
HE SAW NO PARTICULAR REASON TO BREAK OUT OF THIS.
AND SO FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE, MAMA -- SARA DELANO ROOSEVELT --
PLAYED A VERY LARGE ROLE IN FRANKLIN'S LIFE.
AND HE WAS FINE WITH THAT.
FDR WAS ABSOLUTELY A MAMA'S BOY,
BUT NOT IN THE PEJORATIVE SENSE OF THE WORD.
SHE INCULCATED HIM THE NOTION
THAT HE SHOULD MAKE HIS MARK ON THE WORLD,
THAT HE SHOULD REALLY ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING,
AND THAT PEOPLE OF THEIR STATUS AND OF THEIR CLASS NEEDED
TO HELP THE LESS-FORTUNATE.
Kaler: WHATEVER POWER SARA ROOSEVELT PASSES ON TO HER SON IS
NEARLY EXTINGUISHED WHEN HE CONTRACTS POLIO.
FDR'S ILLNESS IS NO SECRET DURING HIS LIFETIME,
BUT HE SUCCESSFULLY OBSCURES
THE EXTENT OF HIS DISABILITY FROM THE PUBLIC.
Brands: AMERICANS LIKE OUR PRESIDENTS STRONG,
AND ROOSEVELT UNDERSTOOD
THAT IT WOULD COMPLICATE THE STORY
IF PEOPLE THOUGHT OF THEIR PRESIDENT AS --
AND THE TERM USED IN THOSE DAYS WAS A CRIPPLE.
Kaler: NOT ONLY IS HE UNABLE TO WALK BY HIMSELF,
BUT HE CAN'T EVEN STAND WITHOUT LEG BRACES.
WE'VE ALWAYS ACCEPTED ROOSEVELT'S POLIO
AS AN UNASSAILABLE FACT.
BUT MEDICAL EXPERTS HAVE RECENTLY ASSERTED
THAT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD POLIO AT ALL.
INSTEAD, THEY BELIEVE HE MIGHT HAVE HAD
A POTENTIALLY DEADLY NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER
CALLED GUILLAN-BARRE SYNDROME,
IN WHICH THE BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKS NERVE CELLS.
WHILE IT'S UNUSUAL FOR POLIO TO STRIKE AN ADULT,
THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH GUILLAN-BARRE.
Brands: IN ROOSEVELT'S DAY, POLIO WAS COMMONLY CALLED
INFANTILE PARALYSIS
BECAUSE IT STRUCK INFANTS AND CHILDREN
MUCH MORE COMMONLY THAN ADULTS.
Kaler: ROOSEVELT ALSO SUFFERS TEMPORARY FACIAL PARALYSIS,
BLADDER AND BOWEL PROBLEMS, AND INTENSE PAIN
WHENEVER SOMEONE TOUCHES HIS PARALYZED LEGS,
ALL UNCOMMON IN POLIO BUT TYPICAL OF GUILLAN-BARRE.
Lichtman: WE'LL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE,
AND IT'S NOT CLEAR THAT IT MATTERED.
THERE WAS NO CURE, ANYWAY,
OR NOT EVEN ANY DIAGNOSIS IN THOSE DAYS
BECAUSE THIS AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESS WAS UNKNOWN.
Kaler: STILL, IF ROOSEVELT'S POLIO REALLY WAS MISDIAGNOSED,
IT'S AN UNINTENTIONAL FICTION THAT SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES.
FDR'S ILLNESS RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT POLIO,
AND HE CHAMPIONS EFFORTS TO WIPE IT OUT.
BY 1952, JONAS SALK DEVELOPS HIS BREAKTHROUGH VACCINE
THAT BEGINS TO ERADICATE THE DISEASE.
WHAT ABOUT THE DETAIL WORTHY OF A HOLLYWOOD SCREENPLAY --
THAT ROOSEVELT'S DISABILITY CHANGES HIM
FROM A FRIVOLOUS PLAYBOY INTO A TRUE LEADER
DRIVEN BY A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE?
THE BEST EVIDENCE IS ROOSEVELT'S POLITICAL RECORD
BEFORE HE'S DISABLED.
Lichtman: FDR LED A REVOLT OF MAVERICKS
AGAINST THE MOST ENTRENCHED POLITICAL MACHINE
IN THE COUNTRY -- TAMMANY HALL.
HE WAS AN INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATOR.
HE WAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
HE WAS CONSIDERED
ONE OF THE LEADING PROGRESSIVES IN THE COUNTRY.
POLIO DID NOT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE A MAN
WHO WAS ALREADY A VERY IMPORTANT FIGURE
IN THE NATION'S POLITICAL HISTORY.
Kaler: THE MYTHS SURROUNDING FDR OUTNUMBER
THE ZEROS IN OUR FEDERAL DEFICIT.
AND RECENTLY, ONE ACCEPTED FACT ABOUT HIM IS
CRASHING FASTER THAN THE DOW JONES IN 1929.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT WAS
RELATED TO TEDDY ROOSEVELT.
THEY WERE FIFTH COUSINS.
BUT DID YOU KNOW GENEALOGISTS HAVE DETERMINED
HE WAS ALSO RELATED TO 10 OTHER PRESIDENTS --
WASHINGTON, JOHN ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, MADISON,
VAN BUREN, WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
BENJAMIN HARRISON, TAYLOR, GRANT, AND TAFT.
I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THAT THE PRESIDENCY WAS IN FDR'S DNA.
MOST OF US REMEMBER FDR
AS EVERYTHING HIS PREDECESSOR WASN'T.
WE THINK OF HERBERT HOOVER
AS THE BLAND, INSENSITIVE, DO-NOTHING PRESIDENT
WHO LET AMERICA SLIDE DEEPER AND DEEPER
INTO THE GREAT DEPRESSION
AND ROOSEVELT AS THE CHARISMATIC ACTIVIST
WHO RESCUED THE NATION.
THE REAL HISTORY ISN'T THAT BLACK AND WHITE.
IN 1920, 12 YEARS BEFORE THEY'D RUN AGAINST EACH OTHER
FOR THE PRESIDENCY,
ROOSEVELT IS A HUGE FAN OF HOOVER'S.
Lichtman: HOOVER TRULY DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS HEAD OF FOOD RELIEF,
ESPECIALLY AFTER THE WAR, FOR A WAR-TORN EUROPE.
ROOSEVELT WROTE TO A FRIEND,
"I THINK HOOVER IS A GREAT WONDER,
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIM BECOME PRESIDENT."
Kaler: YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT.
FOR A BRIEF TIME, ROOSEVELT LOBBIES HARD
FOR THE GUY WE THINK OF AS HIS ARCH POLITICAL RIVAL
BUT ONLY BECAUSE HE MISTAKENLY ASSUMES
THAT HOOVER IS A DEMOCRAT.
WHEN FDR DISCOVERS HIS ERROR, HE BACKS OFF,
BUT THE TWO MEN ARE HARDLY THE POLAR OPPOSITES
WE PORTRAY THEM AS TODAY.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE ACCEPTED VIEW THAT HOOVER, AS PRESIDENT,
DID VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO SAVE AMERICA'S ECONOMY
AFTER THE DEPRESSION HIT,
HOPING THE FREE MARKET WOULD CORRECT ITSELF?
Lichtman: HOOVER TRIED TO STIMULATE THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY
BY BUYING UP AGRICULTURAL GOODS.
HE INCREASED PUBLIC-WORKS SPENDING.
HE DEVELOPED A MAJOR PROGRAM OF LOANS
TO FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO TRY TO SHORE THEM UP.
Kaler: WHAT ABOUT ROOSEVELT'S BOLD PROGRAM
TO PULL AMERICA OUT OF THE DEPRESSION --
HIS NEW DEAL?
WE'VE ALL BEEN TAUGHT THAT HIS PUBLIC-WORKS PROJECTS,
INDUSTRY REGULATIONS, AND FINANCIAL-RELIEF SYSTEMS
TURNED THE NATION'S ECONOMY AROUND.
IS THAT FACT OR FICTION?
THAT'S STILL A HOT TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
Brands: THE NEW DEAL WAS A FAILURE AT ENDING THE DEPRESSION.
AS LATE AS 1938, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS
NEARLY AS HIGH AS IT HAD BEEN
WHEN ROOSEVELT WAS ELECTED IN 1932.
AND THE NEW DEAL HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THAT.
Kaler: THE TRUTH IS OFTEN PAINTED IN SHADES OF GRAY.
AT FIRST, ROOSEVELT'S POLICIES SEEM TO WORK,
WHICH EXPLAINS WHY HE WINS RE-ELECTION IN 1936.
Lichtman: THE ECONOMY GREW ENORMOUSLY.
IT GREW AT ABOUT 9% TO 10%.
UNEMPLOYMENT WAS SLICED IN HALF.
IT WAS STILL HIGH, BUT IT WAS MUCH LOWER.
THEN YOU'VE GOT A RECESSION WITHIN THE DEPRESSION
IN 1937, 1938
THAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THE ECONOMY TO SHARPLY DECLINE
FOR A BRIEF PERIOD.
Kaler: IT'S TRUE THAT NEW DEAL JOBS ARE OFTEN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN STARVATION AND SURVIVAL FOR MILLIONS,
BUT ROOSEVELT'S PROGRAMS FAIL TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE JOBS
THAT MIGHT PROMOTE A GENUINE ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
SO IF ROOSEVELT'S NEW DEAL DOESN'T RESCUE AMERICA
FROM THE WORST DEPRESSION IN HISTORY, WHAT WILL?
THE UNPROVOKED AND DASTARDLY ATTACK BY JAPAN.
Brands: WHAT ENDED THE GREAT DEPRESSION WAS FEDERAL SPENDING
ON THE PREPARATIONS FOR AND THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR
THAT BOUGHT THE TANKS AND THE GUNS AND THE BULLETS
AND ALL THE STUFF THAT PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
NOW, ROOSEVELT WAS PRESIDENT AT THAT TIME,
SO ROOSEVELT GETS THIS KIND OF EX-POST-FACTO CREDIT
FOR ENDING THE DEPRESSION,
BUT IT HAD VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THE NEW DEAL.
Kaler: BUT EVEN IF IT DIDN'T PULL US OUT OF THE DEPRESSION,
THE NEW DEAL'S LONG-TERM REFORMS, STILL IN PLACE TODAY,
CONTINUE TO HAVE A STABILIZING EFFECT
ON AMERICA'S ECONOMY.
Lichtman: WE HAVEN'T HAD ANOTHER DEPRESSION,
AND WE USED TO HAVE THEM ALL THE TIME,
ALMOST EVERY 10 YEARS.
BANKING LEGISLATION --
THE FDIC TO INSURE BANK DEPOSITS,
THE SOCIAL-SECURITY SYSTEM,
MINIMUM WAGES, MAXIMUM HOURS -- ALL OF THESE FDR PROGRAMS.
Kaler: IN 1946, THE YEAR AFTER ROOSEVELT DIES,
THE GOVERNMENT HONORS HIM BY PUTTING HIS IMAGE
ON THE DIME THAT WE STILL USE TODAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT,
SEE THE TINY "J.S." UNDER HIS NECK?
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE COLD WAR,
RUMORS RUN WILD THAT IT STANDS FOR JOSEPH STALIN,
PLACED THERE BY A SOVIET AGENT IN THE MINT.
YEAH, A COMPLETE RED HERRING.
"J.S." ARE THE INITIALS OF THE COIN'S DESIGNER --
JOHN SINNOCK.
THERE ARE EVEN WEIRDER MYTHS TO EXPOSE ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS
ON THE PENNY AND THE HALF DOLLAR.
HEADS -- I'LL TELL YOU WHEN WE COME BACK.
TAILS -- YOU SEND ME 50 BUCKS.
[ SIGHS ]
SEE YOU IN A COUPLE.
IT'S SPOOKY HOW SO MANY PARALLELS LINK
THE ASSASSINATIONS OF TWO AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.
BOTH HAD EIGHT LETTERS IN THEIR LAST NAMES.
BOTH WERE BORN IN OHIO.
BOTH DIED IN SEPTEMBER.
THEIR SUCCESSORS WERE BOTH BORN IN OCTOBER,
AND BOTH DIED IN NEW YORK.
THE TWO PRESIDENTS --
JAMES GARFIELD AND WILLIAM McKINLEY.
GOTCHA.
THE PRESIDENTIAL PARALLELS EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT ARE
THE ONES LINKING ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JOHN KENNEDY.
BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT ALMOST EVERY PRESIDENT HAS
SOME KIND OF UNCANNY CONNECTION TO ANOTHER
IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH.
THE FAMOUS LIST OF COINCIDENCES FIRST APPEARS IN 1964,
THE YEAR AFTER KENNEDY IS KILLED.
IT GOES VIRAL 30 YEARS BEFORE E-MAIL AND THE WEB.
AND THE SIMILARITIES ARE
AS UNCANNY NOW AS THEY WERE THEN.
Lichtman: LINCOLN WAS FIRST ELECTED IN 1846,
KENNEDY IN 1946, BOTH TO CONGRESS.
LINCOLN WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 1860, KENNEDY IN 1960.
Kaler: THE NAMES "LINCOLN" AND "KENNEDY" EACH CONTAIN
SEVEN LETTERS.
BOTH MEN SUFFER THE DEATH OF A CHILD
DURING THEIR PRESIDENCY.
LINCOLN'S SECRETARY, NAMED KENNEDY,
WARNS HIM NOT TO GO TO THE THEATER.
KENNEDY'S SECRETARY, NAMED LINCOLN,
WARNS HIM NOT TO GO TO DALLAS.
ASSASSIN JOHN WILKES BOOTH IS BORN IN 1839.
LEE HARVEY OSWALD, 1939.
BOTH PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSORS ARE NAMED JOHNSON.
BOOTH RUNS FROM THE THEATER AND IS CAUGHT IN A WAREHOUSE.
OSWALD RUNS FROM A WAREHOUSE AND IS CAUGHT IN A THEATER.
ON THE SURFACE, THE LIST IS A MIND-BOGGLING COLLECTION
OF PARALLELS THAT HINTS AT SOME KIND
OF COSMIC CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE TWO GREAT AMERICAN LEADERS, RIGHT?
UM, NOT EXACTLY.
LET'S START WITH THE STRAIGHT-UP FALSEHOODS.
LINCOLN HAD A SECRETARY NAMED KENNEDY,
AND KENNEDY HAD A SECRETARY NAMED LINCOLN.
WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
LINCOLN HAD A SECRETARY NAMED JOHN HAY.
AND JOHN KENNEDY HAD A SECRETARY NAMED EVELYN LINCOLN.
[ CHUCKLES ]
SO IT'S CLOSE.
Kaler: WHAT ABOUT THE CLAIM
THAT BOOTH WAS BORN IN 1839 AND OSWALD IN 1939?
NOPE.
BOOTH WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN 1838.
ONE OF THE LIST'S MOST INTRIGUING ENTRIES IS
ALSO UNTRUE --
THE ONE ABOUT HOW BOOTH COMMITS HIS CRIME IN A THEATER
AND FLEES TO A WAREHOUSE
AND THAT OSWALD FIRES HIS FATAL SHOT FROM A WAREHOUSE
AND RUNS TO A THEATER.
BOOTH'S WAREHOUSE ISN'T A WAREHOUSE AT ALL
BUT A BARN USED TO CURE TOBACCO.
A LOT OF THE PARALLELS ARE ACCURATE
BUT SHOULD ONLY BE ACCEPTED FOR WHAT THEY ARE --
COINCIDENCES WITHOUT SIGNIFICANCE,
LIKE THE BUSINESS OF LINCOLN AND KENNEDY RECEIVING WARNINGS
FROM TRUSTED AIDES.
Lichtman: IF YOU'RE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
EVERY TIME YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF IN ANY WAY TO THE PUBLIC,
YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
AND THEY'RE ALWAYS BEING WARNED,
"DON'T DO THIS. DON'T GO THERE."
AND, YOU KNOW, 99.9% OF THE TIME, NOTHING HAPPENS.
Kaler: MANY OF THE OTHER PARALLELS ARE ALSO LESS BAFFLING
THAN THEY FIRST APPEAR,
LIKE THAT LINCOLN AND KENNEDY EACH LOSE A CHILD
DURING THEIR PRESIDENCY.
BUT SO DID CALVIN COOLIDGE LOSE A CHILD
WHEN HE WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
AND SO DID JOHN QUINCY ADAMS LOSE A CHILD
WHEN HE WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I MEAN, WE COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON.
Kaler: IT'S ALSO NO SHOCKER THAT LINCOLN AND KENNEDY ARE
ELECTED TO CONGRESS 100 YEARS APART
AND WIN THE PRESIDENCY 100 YEARS APART.
IT MAKES SENSE THAT TWO MEN WHO ACHIEVED
THEIR FIRST POLITICAL VICTORY A CENTURY APART
WOULD ALSO ASCEND TO THE PRESIDENCY
SEPARATED BY THE SAME MARGIN.
BOTH MEN'S SUCCESSORS ARE NAMED JOHNSON.
NO SURPRISE THERE IF YOU CONSIDER THAT JOHNSON IS
THE SECOND MOST COMMON NAME IN THE UNITED STATES.
YOU COULD ARGUE THAT EACH PARALLEL BY ITSELF
DOESN'T MEAN SO MUCH,
BUT THE ACCUMULATION OF SO MANY COINCIDENCES IS
TOO BIZARRE TO BE DISMISSED.
BUT THAT REASONING DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LINCOLN AND KENNEDY
FAR OUTNUMBER THE PARALLELS.
LINCOLN WAS A REPUBLICAN. KENNEDY WAS A DEMOCRAT.
LINCOLN HAD SIGNAL LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
LIKE THE 13th AMENDMENT.
KENNEDY REALLY DIDN'T.
LINCOLN LED US THROUGH THIS HORRIBLE, BLOODY WAR.
KENNEDY DID NOT LEAD US THROUGH A WAR.
Kaler: AND THEN THERE ARE HUGE DIFFERENCES
IN THE ASSASSINATIONS.
ONE IS IN NOVEMBER, THE OTHER IN APRIL.
ONE TAKES PLACE INDOORS, THE OTHER OUTDOORS.
ONE SHOOTER FIRES AT POINT-BLANK RANGE,
THE OTHER FROM MORE THAN 200 FEET AWAY.
[ GUNSHOT ]
SO WHEN YOU GET RIGHT DOWN TO IT,
THE LINCOLN-KENNEDY PARALLELS
ARE LIKE A LOT OF CAMPAIGN PROMISES.
THEY SOUND GREAT, BUT THEY'RE EMPTY.
EVEN SO, THERE ARE SOME PRESIDENTIAL COINCIDENCES
MORE OUT THERE THAN WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT'S WAISTLINE.
THE STRANGEST MAY BE A HEROIC RESCUE
THAT LINKS ONE PRESIDENT TO HIS FUTURE ASSASSIN.
THIS PRESIDENT SHOULD SOUND FAMILIAR.
THE DAY AFTER HIS ELECTION,
A MAJOR NEWSPAPER RUNS AN ERRONEOUS HEADLINE
THAT HIS OPPONENT, THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK,
HAS WON THE RACE.
THE PRESIDENT -- RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
GOTCHA AGAIN.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO RIGHT
IF YOU WERE THINKING HARRY TRUMAN.
MORE EVIDENCE THAT PRESIDENTIAL PARALLELS ARE
A DIME A DOZEN.
THE LINCOLN-KENNEDY PARALLELS INTRIGUE US
BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE MORE THAN MERE COINCIDENCE,
MORE LIKE PIECES THAT, TOGETHER, FORM A MUCH BIGGER PLAN.
Brands: WHEN PRESIDENTS DIE UNTIMELY DEATHS,
A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK, "WHY DID IT HAPPEN?"
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK
THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS HAPPENS FOR A REASON.
THERE IS THIS COSMIC CONNECTION AMONG THINGS.
THE IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE ENORMITY OF THE CRIME
AND THE PUNINESS OF THE LONER WITH A GUN DOESN'T ADD UP.
NATURALLY, THERE IS A TENDENCY ON THE PART OF SOME
TO LOOK FOR LARGER IMPLICATIONS,
AS OPPOSED TO ONE DERANGED INDIVIDUAL
IN SEARCH OF ATTENTION.
Kaler: IT'S SCARY TO THINK
THAT A NOBODY LIKE LEE HARVEY OSWALD ACTING ALONE
COULD ERASE A DYNAMIC YOUNG PRESIDENT
AND ALTER THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
THAT'S A BIG REASON MILLIONS ARE CONVINCED
THAT JOHN KENNEDY'S ASSASSINATION WAS
THE RESULT OF A CONSPIRACY.
Lichtman: HISTORY, IN PART, IS RANDOM, CHAOTIC, UNPREDICTABLE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE DEALING WITH THAT.
THEY WANT TO SEE ORDER.
THEY WANT TO SEE SOME KIND OF PLAN.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES PROVIDE A WAY OF CREATING ORDER
OUT OF CHAOS
AND CREATING A PLAN OUT OF WHAT SEEMS RANDOM.
Smith: IN A BIZARRE WAY, CONSPIRACY THEORIES OFFER
A CONSOLATION OF SORTS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED LOGIC
TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS ILLOGICAL AND IN SOME WAYS INEXPLICABLE.
Kaler: LINKING JFK's DEATH WITH LINCOLN'S
ALSO OFFERS CONSOLATION.
WHAT BETTER WAY TO EXPLAIN TWO SENSELESS ASSASSINATIONS
A CENTURY APART
THAN TO FIND A PATTERN BETWEEN THEM?
[ GUNSHOT ]
NO ONE CAN SAY WHO FIRST PIECED TOGETHER THAT PATTERN
AND CREATED THE MYTH THAT ENDURES TO THIS DAY,
BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN INSPIRED
BY KENNEDY'S STATE FUNERAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
JACQUELYN KENNEDY MODELED THE ELABORATE MEMORIAL
AFTER THE ONE GIVEN TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
MRS. KENNEDY WAS A REAL STUDENT OF HISTORY.
SHE WAS VERY YOUNG, BUT SHE WAS
ONE OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ACADEMIC
OF THE YOUNG LADIES TO GO INTO THE WHITE HOUSE.
Smith: AND SO IT WAS NOT SURPRISING THAT SHE WOULD
DRAW UPON THE GREATEST STATE FUNERAL
IN AMERICAN HISTORY -- THAT ACCORDED LINCOLN.
Kaler: KENNEDY'S REMAINS LYING IN STATE IN THE CAPITAL ROTUNDA,
THE BLACK CATAFALQUE, THE RIDERLESS HORSE --
ALL DRAWN FROM LINCOLN'S FUNERAL.
THE IMAGES FOREVER LINKING THE TWO MODERN PRESIDENTS
IN THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS
AND JUST MAY HAVE JUMP-STARTED
THE SEARCH FOR THE PARALLELS WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH TODAY.
EVEN THOUGH WE'VE EXPOSED THOSE LINKS AS BEING
FAR MORE FICTION THAN FACT,
THERE ARE SOME TRUE HISTORICAL COINCIDENCES
SO JAW-DROPPING YOU JUST HAVE TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD.
A YEAR BEFORE ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ASSASSINATED,
HIS SON ROBERT IS RETURNING TO WASHINGTON BY TRAIN
DURING A BREAK FROM HIS STUDIES AT HARVARD.
AT A CROWDED STATION IN NEW JERSEY,
THE SURGING CROWD ACCIDENTALLY JOSTLES HIM OFF THE PLATFORM.
Lichtman: AND APPARENTLY, HE WAS ABOUT TO BE CRUSHED,
PERHAPS, BY THE TRAIN
WHEN SOME STRONG ARM REACHED OUT AND PULLED HIM BACK TO SAFETY.
Kaler: ROBERT LINCOLN'S RESCUER IS A FAMOUS ACTOR
AND THE OLDER BROTHER OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH,
EDWIN BOOTH.
Lichtman: EDWIN BOOTH DID NOT KNOW WHO HE SAVED UNTIL LATER,
WHEN AN AIDE TO GENERAL GRANT SENT HIM HIS THANKS.
Kaler: ONE PROBLEM WITH HISTORY IS
THAT THE FACTS CAN BE SO INCREDIBLE,
THEY SEEM LIKE FICTION.
AND THE FICTIONS ARE SO CONVINCING,
WE MISTAKE THEM FOR FACTS.
BUT IF THE OLD SAYING IS RIGHT
THAT THE TRUTH SHALL SET US FREE,
WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES TO GET THE STORY STRAIGHT.