Out of the four Kennedy brothers, it's a known fact that Joseph, the oldest, was the one that was originally being groomed by their father to run for president one day - a plan that ended when Joe was killed in action in World War II.
But what if he wasn't? What if he survived, but was injured badly enough that he needed a wheelchair for the rest of his life? Would Papa Kennedy's plan still be able to go forward, given that FDR also had mobility issues yet managed to run for four terms, or would the increasing prevalence of cameras and television in the late 1950s/early 1960s allow Joe's political opponents to paint him as too weak to hold office?
But what if he wasn't? What if he survived, but was injured badly enough that he needed a wheelchair for the rest of his life? Would Papa Kennedy's plan still be able to go forward, given that FDR also had mobility issues yet managed to run for four terms, or would the increasing prevalence of cameras and television in the late 1950s/early 1960s allow Joe's political opponents to paint him as too weak to hold office?