Is it OK to call John Forbes Kerry JFK?

[eyesroll]

This is stemming from another thread, where the intro poster used "jfk" (no caps) as an abbreviation. There were several responses to the initial post -- most of which were not responding to the actual post; instead, people were claiming that the initials are off-limits unless one is talking about John F. Kennedy.

My own point of view? I don't really care either way. I don't use the abbreviation myself, but think it's OK if someone does -- it's an accurate abbreviation. (I'm also 28 and have no memories of Kennedy so that may affect my view.)

[whistle]

1. John Kerry or...

...just plain Kerry works for me.:pals:

[IronLionZion]

2. don't use it

then it looks like Kerry is riding on Kennedy's legend or whatever.

[MUAD_DIB]

13. Like the tired and true "The Party of Lincoln" fasle hommage.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. It's OK but even Kerry's camp has made it a point to refer to him as JK

[billbuckhead]

4. If carmakers can successfully bring back the Beetle, the Mini & the Hemi?

Why not use some marketing? Look at what Kennedy and Kerry have in common, both highly decorated action war heros from rich families in Massachussetts who became liberal Senators that are hated by the the far right.

[snippy]

5. No. Kerry is Kerry and JFK is JFK.

Wishing that Kerry was JFK indicates a dissatisfaction with Kerry being Kerry.

[JanMichael]

6. Beat me to it. I almost posted the same thread. I think it's inappropriate

To the point of trivializing both men.

[mulethree]

7. can't call him JK either its become slang for Just Kidding

[JI7]

11. we do call him JK and have for a long time

it's easy to figure out whether one is talking about john kerry or just kidding based on the context.

[dogman]

8. I don't care

but it strikes me as stupid. I would think Kerry would want his own identity but they are his initials. If he had the charisma to go with them it would be a better asset.

[Waistdeep]

9. From those of us old enough to remember,

it's hard to explain how much of our memory of John Kennedy is wrapped up with the initials JFK. For those a little older than me, there is also FDR. It's the repetition of thousands of headlines and articles that make the association for us. Of course Kerry's initials are JFK, but it's not about whose initials are whose, it's about the identity that these initials have for some of us.

For the record, you can use LBJ however you want --- I'm not really hanging on to any fond memories of him B-)

[RC]

14. Yeah, What he said.

Kids today have no sense of history.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1497876

[Carolina]

15. LBJ gave me my

civil rights in 1964. Before then I lived in a segregated world. He also appointed Thurgood to the Court. Yes, he erred big time in Vietnam, but he was a Texas boy from very humble roots who really believed in the ideas of the Great Society and the War on Poverty (from which came Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid). It is truly tragic in so many ways how not wanting to be the first president to lose a war spoiled a domestic agenda that was genuinely for the good of the people.

[mitchum]

16. Agree with you completely about LBJ

He is certainly the most progressive president of my lifetime

[yellowcanine]

10. Let's not use "Forbes" though.....

Brings back nasty mind pictures of Steve Forbes and his cheesy smile.

[UTUSN]

12. Got Majorly Burned Here for Doing It - Just Use "JK" Now

Whoops. Just saw post #7.

[Carolina]

17. It is NOT ok

Sorry to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, but I remember JFK and John Forbes Kerry is no JFK.

My first political awakening was in 1961 -- witnessing JFK's inauguration and hearing that speech which still stirs the heart and inspires the mind today. No matter what trash is revealed and regurgitated 40 years after his death concerning his health or his womanizing, nothing -- absolutely nothing -- can alter the inspiration that was John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the real JFK.

[Liberal_Dog]

18. I Don't Like It At All

I am not old enough to remember Pres. Kennedy either, but there is only one JFK.

[Zero Gravitas]

19. President Kerry

works for me.

JFK means Kennedy. There's no need to give the Corporate Interests Party a "you're no John Kennedy" advantage.

[Tellurian]

20. I think it up to Himself...

If John Kerry gives using JFK his blessing...

thats fine with me..

If using the initials JFK IRRITATES the HELL out of the

REPUBLICANS.. all the better!