>>Your analysis is thrown off by how much things have changed today in part
because of the lifestyle radical reforms that were precisely started by
Kennedy's looseness. <<
Does that mean that the previous presidensts and political figures were paragons of moral virtue?
As to your comments re. conspiracy v. lone gunmen - I said both views are plausible and both can muster some empirical support (I certainly buy your argument to consider the rightwing perceptions at the time of assassination). What I am arguing is that there is no evidence that would decisively *falsify* (in Popperian sense) one of these competing theories.
While the right as you argue, might have benefited from the assassination, it does not necessarily mean they organized it. It is quite conceivalbe that it was a fortuitious windfall benefit, or even that they took th attitude "we will not loose much sleep if someone shoots that guy. What I am arguinf is that tehre are many possibilities, and unless you come with irrefutable evidence linking specific people to specific action - we are in the realm of conjectures.
I would pretty much argue the same in case of MLK - the righ had even less to gain from his assassination. He was pretty moderate, willing to cooperate with the authorities, and most importantly his death could propel some more radical and less compromising black leaders to prominence. So from the ruling class's point of view, MLK might have been a nuissance, but they alsoe learned how to handle him. They had liitleto gain from his death.
The fact that rabid racists and fascists in the law eforcement despised him is quite another thing. But evn the law enforcement passively (by letting it known that they would not do much if someone killed MLK) or actively (by organizing the plot to kill him) contributed to MLK assassination, does not mean that they acted in the interest of the ruling class, let alon eon their instructions. Do not forget that the ruling class is far from being united, there are many factions with conflicting intersts.
wojtek