You're about four years older than me. I remember Walter Kronkite explaining it on TV. The invasion was badly done, but it was done by exiled Cubans, with CIA training. About a year later came the Cuban missile crisis. Amateur hour or not, Kennedy did a great job not only on TV, but in negotiating a Russian retreat. Can you say that, Russian retreat?
So your point is that Kennedy had his amateur hour, though politically he wasn't a raw talent. Speaking of which, when do you think our "apprentice" will get past "amateur hour"?