JFK didn't have any particular love for the scientific discovery of a moon mission. It was the same kind of thing that you're describing today: demonstrate American "greatness" in a world that seemed increasingly hostile - just substitute Islamicists/Terrorism for USSR/Cold War.
I think that tells us two things:
1) We can still accomplish great things even from lowly motivations, and
2) We shouldn't necessarily take those lowly motivations as proof of a craven administration.
I agree that people who get involved with space programs will be glad to "take what we can get" in terms of funding whether that means deep-space robotic missions or another manned moon landing.
Good things will happen with both. But why not choose the bestwayforward when it comes to space exploration?
Why not free ourselves from the strictures of yet another "space race" with low-brow nationalistic goals where we again end up citing uninspiring spin-offs as the reward for "winning" the race?
I think that tells us two things:
1) We can still accomplish great things even from lowly motivations, and
2) We shouldn't necessarily take those lowly motivations as proof of a craven administration.