A photo that could have changed history?

Recently a photo has come to light showing JFK on a yacht doing what young rich powerful men of means and normal levels of testosterone do, married or not, namely enjoying the presence of beautiful young, and in this case naked ladies.

Risqué? You bet. The photo proves nothing other that that JFK is the libertine we all knew him to be. Perhaps if this photo had come out before the Lewinski affair Clinton might have avoided an impeachment? But it is hard to see how such a picture would have seriously altered history. Although perhaps a sexually satisfied Kennedy was a bit slower to draw on a confrontation with the Soviets over their missiles in Cuba. So maybe the event itself was important, but the picture, not so much. Was Kennedy a dog for possibly balling one or more young nubiles while his pregnant wife was waiting to deliver? Of course. But is such behaviour really unexpected, especially among the chattering class? Of course not.

Would he have been elected had this photo come to light then? Probably. After all, the girls were my brother and the senator's friends, I was embarrassed by being there, but you know we were on a boat in the middle of the ocean. How was I to know, and there wasn't any hanky panky anyway, and Jackie said I could go. What's the big deal? Those inclined to vote for him would have, those not so inclined would not have.