By ARTHUR I. CYR, Scripps Howard News Service

Shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, CBS commentator Eric Sevareid perceptively noted that the most important legacy of the dead leader might well be an "attitude," a contagious spirit that all things are possible for Americans if only we have the vision and will.

Is JFK's legacy only emotional and intangible?

The weekend conference of leaders of the Group of 20 nations in Washington, D.C. underscores the global financial crisis. The world economy seems defined by wildly gyrating equities markets and frozen credit markets. There is broad consensus a global recession is beginning.

"Hitting a bullet with a bullet'' is the way even proponents of anti-ballistic missile systems describe the extraordinary technical challenge. Yet there has been sustained pressure within the United States government for a half a century to build such weapons.

While Americans generally focused on the intensely fought presidential campaign, historic talks between mainland China and Taiwan recently reached a successful conclusion.

Beijing's top negotiator, Chen Yunlin, is the most senior mainland representative ever to visit Taiwan. His counterpart Chiang Pin-kung is equally senior.

"A working majority for change," has become a standard stump statement by Barack Obama, reassuring and pragmatic while attacking the status quo of George W. Bush. Opinion polls show the Democratic ticket of Obama-Biden has a substantial continuing lead, though with notably varying percentages.

Right-wing Republicans, especially on the radio, are promoting the argument that Colin Powell's endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is a matter of race, since both are black. This very misguided move could transform current Republican political difficulties into Republican political disaster.

The decision by the Bush administration to remove North Korea from the list of terrorist states, in return for Pyongyang's decision to disable a key nuclear facility, may prove to be more than just another move in an endless game of chicken. This week, North Korea stated unequivocally that UN inspectors would be allowed full access.

The Oct. 2 vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis between Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin provided neither a draw nor a knockout, but rather revealed strengths of each candidate. Biden clearly was the more comfortable and informed on the details of policy; Palin excelled at providing a fresh presence and emphasizing her lack of connection with Washington.

The extended Wall Street turmoil resulting from the housing and subprime lending crisis contains major challenges, reinforced by the current media propensity for scare headlines and alarmist editorials.

Political leaders have helped to feed public anxiety.

Republican presidential and vice-presidential nominees Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska have largely succeeded in generating enthusiasm among Republican faithful at the St. Paul, Minn., convention. To win this fall, they must promote a vision that will be persuasive with the electorate as a whole.