On the morning that John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, the president was given some gifts at a breakfast in Fort Worth.

One was a genuine Texas cowboy hat that immediately brought calls from the crowd for him to put it on. It was a tempting photo-op and would have been eagerly picked up by the press outlets worldwide, but JFK didn't bite. He rarely wore a hat of any kind, so it would have been out of character for the boyish-looking president.Keep in mind that Kennedy was the first president who understood the value of television and was a master at working an audience. His one-line exchanges with reporters during press conferences were classic, as was the early televised debate performances against Richard Nixon that propelled him to the White House.With great charm and ease he was able to deflect the situation in Fort Worth with a lighthearted comeback that was vintage JFK: "If you come up to the White House on Monday, I'll put it on there …"Of course, there would be no more Mondays at the White House for the charismatic leader. The fatal motorcade ride through Dallas ended Camelot and changed the course of history.With all his public charm and humor and his friendly banter, Kennedy remained true to himself. He didn't compromise his public image for the sake of a photo opportunity that might make him look foolish.Most politicians today are willing to say and do almost anything to pander votes.Last Friday's Rose Bowl game between Iowa and Stanford had presidential candidate Carly Fiorina in a tight spot, and most people think she fumbled the ball. In 1976 she received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford, but then again there was the Iowa Caucus, the first campaign slog for the presidential candidates, looming in less than a month.Just before the Rose Bowl kicked off, Fiorina threw her old college under the bus, tweeting: "Love my alma mater, but rooting for a Hawkeyes win today."The Twitter responses were swift and hard hitting: "Can we have her degree revoked for this?" one asked.Another called her dissing of Stanford for the sake of votes "expert-level pandering.""For being a Stanford graduate, she is not too bright," another opined.The skies above the Rose Bowl also provided a stage for some campaign hard ball. Stan Pate, a millionaire real estate developer and supporter of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, called GOP front-runner Donald Trump "disgusting" in a skywriting message.Candidates commonly use major sports venues to fish for votes. Some New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles fans were not happy when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was seen hobnobbing with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Outside of Trump, most of today's candidates would quickly trade hometown loyalties for the support of a Texas billionaire.Even President Obama, a Chicagoan, has played up to both of his city's baseball teams although he did raise the ire of Cub fans in 2008 with his lighthearted remark that they're not as serious as White Sox fans.Before he was re-elected to a second term in 2012, Obama made sure to select a number of teams from swing-states on his much publicized annual NCAA bracket.Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is a big money guy who knows the score when it comes to pandering for votes."What's concerning is the way all the candidates, Republican or Democrat, are trolling for votes," Cuban told an interviewer. "They're just pandering … within the realm of what gets votes … 'What do you want me to say? I'll say it.' "What we hope to see in our candidate is one principled enough to stand tall on his or her core beliefs. What we don't want to see is a candidate willing to sacrifice their past allegiances or principles by pandering to anyone or any group who throws them a 10-gallon cowboy hat filled with campaign money.By JIM ZBICK |

tneditor@tnonline.com