Oswald's babies - a genuine enigma for LNers and CTers alike

[Lance Payette]

I think that Oswald made up his mind at least by Thursday when he tells Frazier he wanted to get curtain rods, so he had a cover story for his brown paper rifle bag that he was planning to take to work on the Friday morning.
But the following exchange with Marina is interesting, was Oswald looking for a reason not to do the deed or was he hoping to get Marina's hopes up, then screw her over or perhaps deep down he knew that his marriage was over and just wanted confirmation?

This is why this sort of stuff continues haunt me. It all seems very unlikely for a committed assassin. It sounds very much to me like someone who was trying to find a reason not to follow through with the assassination. It could be viewed as his excuse for why he came to Ruth Paine's on a Thursday, but those seem like very specific conversations and promises if this was his purpose. What if Marina had said "Super, I'll ride in with you and we'll look for an apartment together."

A typical LN response is "He did it, damn it, it doesn't matter why or what he was thinking." I disagree - there are several weak spots in the LN narrative, and trying to piece together Oswald's motive and explain his attitude once he was in custody are, IMO, right at the top.

[Richard Smith]

This is why this sort of stuff continues haunt me. It all seems very unlikely for a committed assassin. It sounds very much to me like someone who was trying to find a reason not to follow through with the assassination. It could be viewed as his excuse for why he came to Ruth Paine's on a Thursday, but those seem like very specific conversations and promises if this was his purpose. What if Marina had said "Super, I'll ride in with you and we'll look for an apartment together."

A typical LN response is "He did it, damn it, it doesn't matter why or what he was thinking." I disagree - there are several weak spots in the LN narrative, and trying to piece together Oswald's motive and explain his attitude once he was in custody are, IMO, right at the top.

Not being able to explain the subjective motivations of an unbalanced individual is not a weak spot in the case.  The evidence clearly demonstrates beyond any doubt that Oswald assassinated JFK.  We can reach that conclusion based on the evidence without needing certainty as to his motivations or considerations in conducting that act.  No LNer that I have ever encountered has any apparent bias or dismissed evidence against Oswald having committed the crime.  Why would anyone care enough about him personally to be biased as to whether he committed the act or participated in a conspiracy?   I believe, for example, that John Wilkes Booth acted as part of a conspiracy to kill Lincoln.  I reach that conclusion based on the evidence and not any bias for or against him personally.  Asking questions like why a successful actor would throw his life away on a lost cause might be of historical interest but it does not move the needle against his guilt.  The evidence confirms that Booth did it.  Everything else is just filling in the blanks.

[John Iacoletti]

Not being able to explain the subjective motivations of an unbalanced individual is not a weak spot in the case.  The evidence clearly demonstrates beyond any doubt that Oswald assassinated JFK.

LOL.

Do you think that sheer repetition somehow will turn this into a true statement?

[Tom Graves]

LOL.

Do you think that sheer repetition somehow will turn this into a true statement?

Iacoletti,

How many bad guys and bad gals do you figure were involved with the planning, the "patsy-ing," the shooting, and the cover up?

Oodles and gobs?