When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
- Thread starter Historico
- Start date
Somehow I don't think this will go as smoothly as OTL, especially given the gap in family-raising expectations... (which is why she could never marry Bobby in an ATL despite their compatibility, BTW 
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The problem is that similar to Jack and Jackie IOTL, the generation gap (14 v. 12) is a major marital issue- it can be minimized so as to be nearly irrelevant, but it is always there. But that was what Jack, probably correctly, diagnosed as a Freudian "father complex"- Jackie subconsciously wanting a husband similar to Black Jack. Of course, the reality is a hell of a lot more painful when Jack suddenly dumps you at a party and returns later, having been somewhere else with someone else, if you get my drift...
She only met him once, and Joe had a steady girlfriend in Britain during the war- who happened to be married. Now you can understand why Joe Jr. was the one to walk Kathleen down the aisle with Billy Hartington in 1944 IOTL. Nowhere in my vast trove of Kennedy literature is her name ever mentioned, even in passing.
What about Barbara Pierce as a potential wife for Bobby? Not Catholic but Episcopalian is just Catholic Diet. Born the same year as RFK.
EDIT: NVM! POD too late, she already met and fell in love with Georgie.
What age was Al Smith's daughter Catherine? I can't find it.
EDIT: NVM! POD too late, she already met and fell in love with Georgie.
What age was Al Smith's daughter Catherine? I can't find it.
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Well, the Skakels are out, at least for Joe. You could surprise me and do a switcheroo, if you get my drift.
Whanz: If said Protestant converts, and only then.
Whanz: If said Protestant converts, and only then.
@ RB - Right. I meant that for Barb to convert to Catholicism, that isn't that big of a deal, unless her family strictly opposes. But then again, love knows no limits... Episcopalian would be the easiest conversion. Only getting used to the Latin service would be a big deal. Episcopalians did/still do confessional and the service is basically the same (save for the Latin). All the small things wouldn't be a big deal, the whole theological questions about the Pope and all, meh.
But that scenario is ASB, unless there are butterflies which Historico has forgotten to mention.
Which, Barb as First Lady (which I know it is) or Elliott Roosevelt as a war buddy of Joe's, being his Chief of Staff or something?
Elliott is not inconceivable, seeing as he was flying in the chase Mosquito both IOTL and ITTL. But given the bad blood between the Kennedys and the Roosevelts (which led to ER condemning Jack on McCarthy in '54 and endorsing Stevenson in '60), Joe Sr. wouldn't like it, but characteristically, wouldn't interfere.
Well ER could like Joe but hate Jack or Bobby, which wouldn't be surprising given my understanding about the differences between the boys.
Jack would be the least offensive to bleeding hearts like ER. Joe would be in the middle, and Bobby the most offensive.
Okay that makes sense. As a rule of thumb, I assume Bobby would be the most offensive in general to people
. Joe was an enigma to me. I thought he was a bit more elitist, but of course him living longer will naturally give him time to grow as a person.Yeah, Joe could easily be elitist, because he deeply craved acceptance into Brahmin society. Jack didn't care as much, but he was admitted too. RFK, unsurpisingly, was admitted (into the Spee Club) but voluntarily dropped out and revelled in doing so. That streak stayed with him throughout his life- and he was the least, if at all, elitist of the 3. It can only be compared to Bush II- a wealthy, Ivy League Dynasticrat who connects on a visceral level due to being perceived as "one of us" by WWC.
Now that about a dozen people have fried their computers with spilt coffee for that RFK-Dubya comparison of mine...
Now that about a dozen people have fried their computers with spilt coffee for that RFK-Dubya comparison of mine...