Jeff Greenfield, political analyst and historian

One week they’re up. Next they’re down. One week we’re debating Republican control of the House; the next whether Democrats could potentially lose the Senate. One week it’s the Republican civil war, all wondering whether the GOP will see unity between the so-called Establishment and the Tea Party; the next week, Democratic unity is questioned, along with whether Democrats will stand with the President and Obamacare.The back and forth and ups and downs make for terrific political theater and much speculation. But beyond hopeless prediction – I mean, could anyone have predicted the last two months?– we seek understanding and context and clarity. And for that, I turned to Jeff Greenfield.With the 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s death upon us, I spoke with Jeff, veteran and thoughtful analyst of politics, culture and media and also author of the fascinating new book, “If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History.” The Kennedy part of the conversation will air later; for now, I wanted to know his views on news of the day.