Something Completely Different

I'm going to transfer (copy) my American Presidents thread to here and see how it works. That should get my posts up. :laughing:

And here we go...


THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS


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But first...


THE TECHNICALLY FIRST EIGHT PRESIDENTS


One of the great myths of American history is that George Washington was the first President. Alas, we have been lied to. He is actually the ninth President.

For, you see, there was something in between the end of the Revolutionary War and the Constitution, something called the Articles of Confederation. This was a document that gave more power to the states and gave more authority to the congress. Indeed, there wasn't much of an executive, nor judicial branch at all. In a sense, it was an early American version of the United Nations as we know it today.

Nevertheless, they needed a President, who, despite having no authority whatsoever, had to preside over the Congress itself. The people, of course, had no say in this; it was all controlled by the delegates. The President would be chosen by the delegates and would preside for one year, after which, a new President would be chosen. This lasted  eight years, and as such, we had eight Presidents.

And with that...

John Hanson (Maryland)

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And the first President of the United States was actually John Hanson. I had to mention him because, besides a disgraced Vice President that we'll cover much later in this project, it's the only time my home state will be mentioned. He was charged with more or less wrapping up the Revolutionary War as well as approve the Great Seal of the United States. Other than that, all I know about him was that they named part of US 50 in Annapolis after him.

Elias Boudinot (New Jersey)

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Boudinot is perhaps remembered for signing the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War. He might be remembered more for being the first Anti-American to hold power. Why do I say this? Well, he vehemently opposed slavery and supported the rights of Native Americans. I mean this guy was a Communist before the term even existed. It's amazing the guy wasn't hanged for treason.

Thomas Mifflin (Pennsylvania)

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A military man by nature, he fought with George Washington during the Revolutionary War, then tried to have the guy deposed. Fortunately, he didn't have a problem with slavery however, so he passed the Joseph McCarthy Commie test. As far as his year as President goes, he isn't remembered for doing very much. Pennsylvania named a town after him.

Richard Henry Lee (Virginia)

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This guy is mainly famous for being a buddy of Patrick Henry. You might remember him as the Give me Liberty or give me death guy. Of course, he's now dead.

As for our Richard Henry, he would go on to be a strong supporter of the Constitution after they included the Bill of Rights. He's remembered mainly as a fierce defender of liberty and is probably one of the better eggs of this bunch.

John Hancock (Massachusetts)

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Perhaps the most famous of these eight Presidents. Hancock is notable for his ego sized signature on the Declaration of Independence and the namesake of an insurance company.  Of course, he was also one of those Boston rebels and was at one time wanted by the British. He was ill during much of his tenure and his duties were performed by David Ramsay and his successor, Nathaniel Gorham. But again, his exploits during the Revolutionary War are something of legend.

Nathaniel Gorham (Massachusetts)

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Gorham was something of a financial whiz which explains why he went bankrupt during a questionable transaction between New York and Massachusetts a decade later. Anyhow, his term was relatively short (just a few months) and not much else is remembered about him.

Arthur St. Clair (Pennsylvania)

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Another military mind, though probably not as competent as, say, George Washington. He abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and would ultimately be cleared in a court martial. He later became Governor of the Northwest Territory but would be removed because he couldn't beat a bunch of Indians.

Cyrus Griffin (Virginia)

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And they saved the best for last, well, sort of. For he wasn't really a politician in the classic sense. No, he was more of the judicial variety and would be instrumental in the court system that America enjoys today. I guess he was more or less a caretaker with the Continental Congress as they were about to adopt a new Constitution that would give the Government more central powers.







And because of this new fangled document known as the United States Constitution (I think you can see a ripped up copy of it in Philadelphia if you're ever in town), it changed the way we elected our Presidents, who would now yield more power than before (Though the Congress and that pesky Supreme Court would keep him in check a bit) and now his decisions would determine the direction the US would take, sometimes for good, sometimes not as much. Guess it all depends on your political ideology, really.

Anyway, stay tuned as we start off with the slightly overrated first President.

Much of information taken from: https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/presidents-who-served/ (http://\"https//www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/presidents-who-served/%5C") return

Nice, @Rubber Soul!

I learned something today after all.. and who knew The Hansons had such a notable ancestor.

I'm eagerly anticipating the continuation (or copying over) of your journal :)

Yeah, it looks like it copied very well. I'll try to transfer one per day.

1. GEORGE WASHINGTON (I cannot tell a lie- John Adams did it!)

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Born: February 22, 1732, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died: December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia

Term: April 30, 1789- March 4, 1797
Political Party: Federalist

Vice President(s): John Adams

First Lady: Martha Dandridge Washington

Before the Presidency: George Washington's childhood is chock full of myths such as the legendary cherry tree story. Of course, in reality, his father died when he was eleven and he would be raised by his older brother thereafter. Though home schooled, Washington could have been considered fairly well educated for his day and it would come in handy with his military career.

And what a military career he had. He fought in the French and Indian War as a Lieutenant Colonel when he was only in his twenties. He embarked on a political career later as he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgess in 1759. It was while with the House that he took a stand against what was perceived as unfair tax practices by the British Government. He was subsequently appointed to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and the following year he returned to his military roots as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Though not always successful, he and his troops were able to outlast the British and, in the end, accepted a surrender from General Charles Cornwallis. The rebels had won the American Revolution.

Once the war was over, Washington surprised the world by giving up his commission and returned to a private life. This impressed people as he proved to be a man who was not hungry for power. This sparked Virginians to send Washington with a delegation to the Constitutional Convention in 1786. After the Constitution was ratified in 1788, Washington was drafted to be the first President of the new United States.

Summary:  1753: Major, Virginia Militia

                    1754-1755: Lieutenant Colonel, Virginia Militia, fought in Seven Years War

                    1755-1758: Commander of troops, Virginia Militia

                      1758-1775: Member, Virginia House of Burgesses

                    1774-1775: Delegate, Continental Congress.

                    1775-1783: Commander in Chief, Continental Army

                      1787: President of the United Sates Constitutional Convention

What was going on: The Bill of Rights, the Cotton Gin, The Whiskey Rebellion, Jay's treaty,

Scandals within the administration: None that we know of

Why he was a good President: George Washington was the perfect choice for America's first President. He was considered to be above reproach. Though officially a Federalist, he detested the idea of party politics as he would suffer from partisanship even in his day. He also signed bills such as the Bill of Rights that would keep the United States solvent, if not perfect, to this day.

Why he was a bad President: He failed at stemming the tide of partisanship between the Federalists and Democrat-Republicans. His Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, would resign under protest in 1793. It is questionable whether he handled the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania as well as he could have. Then there was the controversy over the Jay Treaty of 1795 in which the US would claim neutrality in the wars between England and France. It still didn't solve the immediate problems with France and the US would inevitably go to war with Britain anyway.

What could have saved his Presidency: Irrelevant. Despite his actual flaws, Washington was a very successful and well respected President. He continues to go down in history as one of the Presidents with the most integrity, even when you put all the Father of our Country myths aside.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A lot of things. But especially had the Jay Treaty exploded into war with France, something his successor, John Adams would have to contend with.

Election of 1788: This was a long drawn out election as the United States was just beginning to take form. There were also some odd voting rules in place. Technically, every man had the right to vote (Of course women had no rights at all in those days). But the catch was you had to be a landowner. Free blacks could also vote but they only counted as 3/5 of a vote. Progress goes slow, I guess. There was also the matter of the electoral college, seen as quite controversial now given that the winner of the electoral vote lost the popular vote in both 2000 and 2008 and in other elections won with just a plurality. The idea of the Electoral college (and slavery was a major player in all of this) would be that the less populous states, mostly in the South at the time, would have more clout in deciding who the President would be. Yes, New York would have more electoral votes than, say, Delaware for example, but the three electoral votes in Delaware would be just a little more equal than New York's  eight.

Not that it mattered much in 1788. Washington had been all but drafted and the vote, which Washington won easily despite some states not voting for their electors in time, was more or less a foregone conclusion.

At the time, the Presidential Candidate did not choose a running mate. Instead, the person who finished second automatically became the Vice-President. In 1788, that was Federalist John Adams. Other notables who received votes were John Jay, John Rutledge, and John Hancock.

First term: George Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. During this term, Congress enacted the first tariff and Washington signed the first Naturalization Bill into law. The Capital was temporarily moved from New York to Philadelphia though a permanent Capital would soon be established on the Potomac River, which divided Maryland and Virginia. All of the Thirteen colonies would ratify the Constitution. The Bill of Rights would also be ratified during this term. Vermont was admitted as the 14th state. And President Washington would appoint his first Minister as Thomas Pinckney was appointed the first minister for England. Washington also created a superstar administration that included Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury.

Election of 1792: The election again took a month to complete, but it was again a foregone conclusion that the popular Washington would be re-elected as he would be unopposed. The only real drama was if John Adams would be re-elected Vice-President. The Democratic- Republicans ran George Clinton against Adams. Adams would win 77 electoral votes to 50, while Washington's election was unanimous, something that would never happen again.

Second Term: Washington's second term was considerably less peaceful than the first as he would have to deal with International affairs for the first time. France was having its own revolution and their relations with Britain (never all that peachy to begin with) was getting quite warlike. Washington very much wanted to stay out of it despite pressure from France and the Democratic- Republicans. Partisanship over this issue in particular would take a toll on Washington, who clearly had no desire to fight another war on either side. He also had to send troops to quell the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania. They were upset over, surprise, higher taxes. Guess some things never change.

Despite the problems now besetting the administration, Washington remained quite popular and there was a draft for him to run for a third term. But Washington graciously turned them down, believing that no one should be able to be President for more than that. Like other veterans of the Revolution, there was a fear that someone would want to be king, thus ending the idealism of democracy.

So, Washington left with grace as he delivered his now famous farewell address. And he left believing the country would be in capable hands with fellow Revolutionary John Adams.

Post Presidency: George Washington retired to a quiet life at his plantation in Mount Vernon. He died, possibly from pneumonia, in December 1799, less than three years after leaving the Presidency. He did, however, state in his will that all slaves owned by him and Martha would be freed upon Martha's death.

Odd notes: All the myths surrounding George Washington are of legend. Of course, he didn't cut down a cherry tree and then fess up to it. He did have wooden teeth, however

He wouldn't shake hands as he felt the gesture was beneath the Presidency (The Presidents- History Channel)

Final Summary: Even during his life, he was referred to as the Father of Our Country. I still have to think that was a little presumptuous. After all, George Washington was just a man like everyone else. He wasn't anymore of a wise man than any of the other Founding Fathers. He made his fortune by living off the work of his slaves, certainly nothing unusual given the times and maybe not all that damning when you consider he would ensure their freedom later. I suspect Washington was conflicted when it came to slavery, something that I think would haunt Thomas Jefferson even more.

What can be noted is that, flawed or not, George Washington was a man of great integrity. He was clearly someone that put his country ahead of his own interests, something that will sadly be a rarity with our Presidents. Though he led the United States with a steady hand for the most part, he did not believe in dictatorships, and he certainly frowned at the idea of a monarchy. King George the American was not in his vocabulary.

Do I think he was a great President? I'm probably going to get flak for this, but I really don't think so. I do think he was a good President who tried to do his best, and with some success, but I'm not one that would want to put him on a pedestal. Was he a good man? Of course, but I don't think he was a political genius or even a military genius. He was just a guy who tried to be the best person he could be and, for the most part, succeeded. And you can't argue with that, can you?

Overall rating: B+ (Well above average but not quite great)

https://millercenter.org/president/washington (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/washington%5C") return

2. JOHN ADAMS (Don't slander me)

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Born: October 30, 1735, Braintree, Massachusetts
Died: July 4, 1826, Braintree, Massachusetts

Term: March 4, 1797- March 4, 1801
Political Party: Federalist

Vice President: Thomas Jefferson

First Lady: Abagail Smith Adams

Before the Presidency: John Adams grew up comfortably in rural Massachusetts. His father insisted on his education in hopes that he would join the ministry but Adams, who would become well educated, had other ideas. He taught for a time before entering law school. Launching his legal career in 1758, he gradually built up a reputable law practice in Boston and would be called upon to defend the British soldiers accused of killing Crispus Attucks in the Boston Massacre of 1770. This, of course, did not go well with his more radical cousin, Samuel Adams.

Adams was a reluctant participant in the events leading to the American Revolution. He didn't believe the British meant any malice with their tax laws. Still, he assisted the popular movement and, in time, began to side with the radicals on the independence issue.

Adams was chosen as one of four delegates from Massachusetts to attend the Continental Congress in 1774. It would be Adams who nominated George Washington to be Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Adams was also one of a group called on to create what would be known as the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Very active in his work, he was sent to France in 1778 to procure help in their quest for independence. He returned for a brief period in 1779 to help draft the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780.

After the war, he remained in Europe where he was busy creating trade treaties with various nations.

A prolific writer, Adams was a believer in the separation of powers and wrote essays based on that premise.

Adams returned to the US in 1788 in hopes he could be elected as Washington's Vice President. He was elected and would serve two terms in that capacity. As such, he would be considered the heir apparent to Washington once the latter retired.

Summary of offices held:

1774-1778: Member of the Continental Congress

1778-1785: American Diplomat to France and Europe in general

1785-1788: American minister to England

1789-1797: First Vice President of the United States

What was going on: The XYZ affair, The Alien and Sedition acts, the French quasi-war.

Scandals within the administration: The XYZ affair

Why he was a good President: Like Washington before him, Adams was a man of impeccable character. He was known for his blunt candor and, despite the crises that would fall before him, he led the country with a steady hand.

Why he was a bad President: It basically comes down to the Alien and Sedition Acts. By 1798 there was enough anti-French hysteria going on that Adams, in his infinite reasoning, decided to fight the wages of tyranny by becoming a tyrant himself. It was against the law to criticize the President as a result of these laws, and it would certainly lead to Adams' own downfall in the 1800 election.

What could have saved his Presidency: A less radical approach to the French situation and perhaps an olive branch to the opposition Democrat- Republicans couldn't have hurt either.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, it wasn't exactly destroyed  but a loss in the French Quasi-War certainly would have been disastrous. Enforcing the Sedition Acts more than he did would not have been a wise move either (As if the acts themselves were wise to begin with).

Election of 1796: With Washington retiring, Adams all but considered himself the heir apparent. Of course, the Democrat-Republicans had other ideas. They weren't going to be giving Adams a free pass like they had Washington. Instead, they nominated Thomas Jefferson and Mr. Waffles Burr to run against Adams and Thomas Pinckney. Again, they weren't running mates as of yet. The winner got the Presidency; second place got the Vice Presidency and that was that. 1796 may also be the first instance of actual mudslinging. No one dared to throw dirt on Washington but with Adams and Jefferson, it was fair game. Jefferson was accused of being a Francophile at a time when that wasn't cool as well as being accused of being an atheist (a ploy that is still used to this day).  With Adams, it was divide and conquer season as ally Alexander Hamilton was accused of playing Machiavellian politics in support of Pinckney. In the end, Adams won in a squeaker over Jefferson, who would become Vice President.

First term: The Adams term was dominated by the troubles with Franco-American relations. It was at the point where Adams had to form a militia in case the Americans went to war with France, which they would unofficially do in 1798. Things really exploded in the fall of 1797 when the XYZ affair was brought to Adams's attention. He had sent three diplomats to try to mend fences with Foreign Minister Talleyrand in Paris only to be told they had to pay bribes to see him. This, needless to say, didn't go well with Adams. The Department of the Navy was formed in the Spring of 1798, again, in preparations for war with France. He also pushed through the controversial Alien and Sedition acts which did several things, notably barring the French from entering America, making permanent citizenship harder, and making it a crime to publicly criticize the President. This would, of course, be Adams' death knell, and even some military successes against France in what would be known as the Quasi War couldn't save his Presidency.

Election of 1800: It goes without saying that President Adams was in heap of trouble upon this election.  His policy against France was not popular though some was hoping the war would continue for their own political reasons.  The Quasi War would ultimately end in a stalemate.

Meanwhile, the parties began to show real differences. The Jefferson led Republicans were now emphasizing less government, sort of a libertarian bent really. The Federalists, of course, more than overplayed their hands with the Alien and Sedition acts and the Republicans strongly emphasized their opposition to that as tyranny not unlike what the British had done a generation earlier. Indeed, the Federalists were splintering over the French issue themselves with Hamilton all but turning against Adams. The rumors that Hamilton was out to stop Adams was all but true in this election and he publicly spoke against the President (somehow, he avoided prosecution). Hamilton tried to convince the Federalists to vote for the Vice Presidential candidate, Charles Pinckney, but that scheme backfired. Neither Adams nor Pinckney would see the White House, now in Washington, come next year. It would be up to the House to determine the next President of the United States, but we'll cover that later. What was true was that John Adams goes down as the first incumbent to lose a re-election bid.

Post Presidency: Now out of the White House, Adams settled for a quiet family life in Braintree with his wife and children. He continued to write  and would reconcile with his former friend, former nemesis, Thomas Jefferson, also now retired from public life. The late friendship of two former Presidents was something of a rarity in American History ( I can only think of Ford and Carter for a comparable example). Indeed, both would barely make it to the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams dying that evening. Allegedly, his last words were, "Thomas Jefferson lives." Adams couldn't have possibly known Jefferson himself had died just hours before.

Odd notes: According to a biography by David McCollough, Adams was known as a bad dancer

Final Summary: With France and the domestic impact at home taking up most of his time, Adams could not have been the happiest President in history.  He did a reasonably decent job as Commander in Chief given that  he never actually served in a military capacity. As mentioned, he did manage to fight France to a stalemate. Of course, what really sunk him was the very undemocratic Alien and Sedition Acts (for comparison, check out Woodrow Wilson's Sedition and Espionage Acts and, to a lesser extent, Bush's Patriot Act). Otherwise, domestically speaking, he didn't do anything all that terrible.

But he didn't exactly set the world on fire either, then again, maybe if he had nuclear weapons...

Overall rating: C-

https://millercenter.org/president/adams (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/adams%5C") return

I've enjoyed your write-ups so far and especially like how you've divided the information into neat sections. How did you become so knowledgeable on American presidents?

It's something that dates back to my childhood. I've been fascinated with American History in general and became especially curious about some of the Presidents (the obvious ones of course, Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy). I read a puff piece on Andrew Jackson in fourth grade and I think it took off from there. Later, I became curious about more of the Presidents you never hear about and began to research them. Still have a lot to learn though. Turns out SGR has it all over me on this subject.

Of course the whole story is at MB if you want to read about the later Presidents. I'll be posting Jefferson here next (in a few minutes actually), but the others are still waiting at MB.

3.

3. THOMAS JEFFERSON (I did not have sex with that woman, Sally Hemmings.)

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Born: April 13, 1743, Albemarle County, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1826, Monticello, Virginia

Term: March 4, 1801- March 4, 1809
Political Party: Democratic- Republican

Vice President(s): Mr. Waffles Burr, George Clinton

First Ladies: Martha Jefferson Randolph/ Maria Jefferson Eppes (Jefferson's daughters, his wife died in 1782)

Before the Presidency:  Thomas Jefferson grew up in an affluent family. As such, he was well educated, attending the William and Mary College during the 1760s. He dined with the important people of the day in Virginia, including Governor Fauquier. He was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1767.

He started his legal career simply enough, practicing as a country lawyer. He was elected to the Virginia Houses of Burgesses in 1769. He vaulted into the national spotlight five years later when he wrote, the Summary View of the Rights of British America. It marked him as one of the more articulate radicals of the period and, as such, was sent to Philadelphia in 1776 for the Second Continental Congress. It was there that he was called upon to draft a document known as the Declaration of Independence. Though a biting attack on King George III was edited out, the document met with great approval and the Unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America was established on July 4, 1776.

The idealistic declaration would be enough to put Jefferson among the mythical founding fathers that included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison (Note: that of the five founding fathers, only Franklin was never President).

Like most of the early delegates, Jefferson never actually fought in the war. Instead, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates. Jefferson, along with Madison, was a staunch advocate of the separation of church and state. He also believed in compulsory education, at least for white men. He would also serve as Governor of Virginia for two years as the Revolutionary War played out. He was forced to flee Richmond, the Monticello, his home, to avoid capture by the British. Because of those circumstances, he was branded a coward in some political circles and was something he had to fight in all of his subsequent political campaigns.

After the war, Jefferson retired to Monticello where he began to write again after the death of his wife. He could be controversial by today's standards as he believed blacks to be inferior to whites (the common thought of the time sad to say). Later he served in the Confederation Congress and, in 1785, was appointed as America's minister to France, a post he held for four years. He also secretly began a relationship with Sally Hemmings, a mulatto slave, and the daughter of his father in law. During this period, he kept in touch with James Madison to keep up with the goings on in the States.

Upon his return from France, Jefferson was called upon to serve as President Washington's Secretary of State. Though well liked by Washington, the early divide in Government was becoming more obvious with Alexander Hamilton, who was, more or less, Washington's closet adviser, supporting a centralized government, while Jefferson was more of the Libertarian type. Indeed, in some ways, you could argue that Thomas Jefferson was the first true American Conservative and is one of the first names mentioned within the Republican Party when they talk of great Presidents.

Summary of offices held:

1769-1774: Virginia House of Burgesses

1776: Second Continental Congress

1776-1779: Virginia House of Delegates

1779-1781: Governor of Virginia

1783-1784: Member Confederation Congress

1785-1789: Minister to France

1790-1797: Secretary of State

1797-1801: Vice President of the United States



What was going on: War with Tripoli, Louisiana Purchase, Burr- Hamilton duel, Lewis and Clark expedition, the National Road,

Scandals within the administration: Mr. Waffles Burr was a scandal. He had a conspiracy named after him and, of course, the duel where he killed Alexander Hamilton. And of course, there was the affair with Sally Hemmings, which would have been pretty scandalous had it been known at the time.

Why he was a good President: Expansion for all extensive purposes began under Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase. As President, he noted the importance of the separation of powers. He was also something of an idealist. Though he would use his executive powers when necessary, he used the powers sparingly. He was also known for his eloquence and was able to articulate the ideals of limited governmental powers.

Why he was a bad President: He had a hard time controlling his scandals, or, more to the point, his Vice President, Mr. Waffles Burr, who not only shot Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury, but would also be up for treason. He was also accused of hypocrisy not only for owning slaves of his own and never emancipating them but allowing the expansion of slavery in the south and west.

What could have saved his Presidency: The question is what he could have done to improve his Presidency as Jefferson is considered by historians as one of the truly great Presidents. I'd go with addressing the slavery issue more forcefully. If he could have stopped the expansion of the slave trade (and he did end the exportation of new slaves to be fair), maybe the inevitable Civil War decades later could have been averted. Maybe he could also have been more active at trying to nip issues in the bud with Britain. It was during the second term of his administration where the impressing of Americans into the British Navy became an issue.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, the downside of the Louisiana Purchase, while great for America, was that it wasn't so great for Europe as Napoleon now had more funds to wage his wars with. Had we known the horrors of what was going on in Europe then (not sure even how much Jefferson knew, or if he really cared), maybe that would have hurt Jefferson from a historical standpoint. He also may have had to deal with more flak had the slavery issue been more on the front burner like it would be about thirty years later.

Election of 1796: With President Washington retiring. The next election would be something of an open field and it was this election where you saw the split in political philosophies and the forming of parties. In one corner, you had the Federalists, which supported John Adams and Thomas Pinckney while the opposition Democratic- Republicans supported Jefferson and Mr. Waffles Burr. It was a heated election aided by some tomfoolery by Federalist Alexander Hamilton, who tried to push Pinckney to woo southern electors. In the end, the ploy backfired, but Jefferson would still lose by three Electoral votes and have to preside as Vice President for the next four years.

Election of 1800: Once again, the President would be elected by a group of appointed electors with little input from the few men who actually had a right to vote as well as the 60% of each eligible black man (Not sure what part was not allowed to vote, the head and torso or the legs and feet). In any event, thank to the Alien and Sedition acts in particular, President Adams was not a very popular man, and he faced an uphill battle in his quest for re-election. He had proven the flaws of having a centralized Government though more good than bad would come out from that concept, which other Presidents would utilize (Lincoln, FDR, LBJ, etc). Jefferson, essentially a moderate Libertarian, was the opponent Adams all but dreaded.

And though the Federalists were split on issues such as with relations with France, they were united in trying to beat Republican Jefferson to a pulp. It was a nasty campaign from the Federalists side as they lambasted Jefferson as godless among other things (Jefferson was essentially a believing agnostic). It was worse for Adams as he not only had to contend with the Republicans, he had to deal with a faction in his own party, led by Alexander Hamilton. There were also rumors planted (by the Republicans) that Adams planned to marry one of his daughters off to royalty. And, in the end, Adams unpopularity was so profound, he ended up finishing a distant third in the election.

Instead, the front runners ended up being between two Republicans, Jefferson and Mr. Waffles Burr. And guess what? In the well though out brainstorm of the Electoral College idea, Jefferson and Burr tied with 73 electoral votes each, thus the runoff would be decided by the House of Representatives. This was another well though out brainstorm of someone who didn't trust the American voter (and maybe with good reason at times). It wasn't decided by the majority of each House member. No, it would be decided by the majority of states that each congressman represented. Thus, for example. If three Representatives from Maryland voted for Jefferson and two voted for Burr. It would be considered as one vote for Jefferson. No three fifths vote here. It also needed a majority, something neither candidate could muster for 35 ballots. (The Federalists decided to back Burr while the Democratic- Republicans stayed loyal to Jefferson). Finally, the great Machiavellian, Alexander Hamilton, was able to convince a few Federalists to switch their vote for Jefferson and he would become the nation's third President.

Two things would come out of this circus of an election. Most importantly, an Amendment would be ratified to ensure that the President and Vice- President would be elected separately instead of just a vote for President. The electors would also be elected by way of popular vote in each state and, in general, The President and Vice President of the winning party (They would now run together as opposed to against each other like before). Not perfect but still a lot better than the shenanigans that were the 1800 election.

The other thing would have more tragic consequences as Hamilton's involvement in the House election would cause bad blood between him and the ambitious Mr. Waffles Burr, who was not  a happy camper at having to settle for being Jefferson's VP.


First term: Though tensions with the French were dying down, The United States, already a player in global politics, had to deal with a declaration of war from Tripoli. The war never went beyond a couple of well publicized skirmishes but in the end, Tripoli got their butts proverbially handed back to them.

Again, relations with France were mended as Jefferson had supported the goals of the French Revolution. This opened up an opportunity as France, who had recently been ceded the part of the territory called Louisiana that they didn't already own from Spain, needed money to support the wars Napoleon was waging all over Europe. Napoleon, needing the funds badly, sold the territory cheap, for $15 million as a matter of fact. Not  a bad deal considering the fertile land the United States would now inherit. Despite some constitutional concerns (by Jefferson himself as a strict constitutionalist) and charges of hypocrisy by the more activist Federalists, the Senate happily ratified the purchase in October 1803 and the size of the US more than doubled. It would also be the last time large swaths of land were gained without force. (Yeah, I know, there's the Gadsden purchase and Alaska but tell the Mexicans that- they didn't sell us California after all. Okay, so they did, but only under force).

Jefferson also signed the Enabling act which made it easier for a territory to vote to become a state. Ohio would take advantage of the new law and it was admitted as a state in 1803.

But now we get to the worst moment in the Jefferson administration. Jefferson himself was widely popular after the Louisiana Purchase and people were eager to stake their claims on newly acquired lands (or, more to the point, lands they could legally take from the natives by any means necessary). The economy was booming, and people were happy.

But let's face it. His Vice President was an A-hole. And he had it in for Alexander Hamilton, a former Secretary of the Treasury. In some ways Burr admired Hamilton as the only gentleman out of the many who were critical of him. It is speculated that was the reason it was Hamilton whom Burr challenged to a duel. Hamilton was reluctant at first, out of concerns for his family and his financial interests, but he relented as he couldn't recant his criticisms of Burr.

So the two dueled off in Weehawken, New Jersey. Hamilton intentionally missed and that should have been the end of it.

But, like I said, Mr. Waffles Burr was an A-hole and he shot Hamilton in the abdomen. It was a fatal wound.

And with Hamilton gone, the Federalists died with him. Meanwhile, Mr. Waffles Burr suffered the curse of surviving, and his political career was all but over. Indeed, he would have to go on trial for treason three years later and though he was acquitted, his place in American history would be forever tarnished.

Election of 1804: Despite Mr. Waffles Burr, President Jefferson remained a popular figure, and, with new rules in place, was given a running mate more to his liking, George Clinton of New York. The Federalists, meanwhile, nominated Charles Pinckney of South Carolina. This time, the election would be less personal (though they did try to expose the affair with Sally Hemmings) than 1800 had been and more issue oriented, the Feds criticizing the Louisiana Purchase as unconstitutional and the Republicans comparing the Federalists to something of an aristocracy.

It didn't matter very much come election day though as Jefferson won in a landslide, losing only Connecticut, Delaware, and two electors from Maryland. Jefferson was happy that the nation, despite all its differences, could still come together at times. And indeed, until recently anyway and with the exception of the Civil War perhaps, the Nation has always come together in times of crisis (the world wars, the Great Depression, even 9/11, etc.)

Second Term: This was an era for exploring as Jefferson had dispatched Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana territory and beyond all the way to the Pacific Coast which was still controlled by Britain. The Tripoli war officially ended.

On the downside, there was concern about a war with Spain as Jefferson wanted Florida and then there was  the adventures of his former Vice President, Mr. Waffles Burr. He arrived in New Orleans with a plan to create his own country and invade Mexico. This would lead to charges of treason. Burr would be acquitted but it had to be an embarrassment to the Jefferson administration, faultless as they were in the matter.

There was also the problems brewing overseas. France and Britain were at it once again and this time the US was right in the middle of it. Both nations were capturing Americans in order to impress them into their navies. This forced President Jefferson to stop trade with all European countries in the short run with the Embargo of 1807. This problem would only get worse, and it would lead to another war with Britain, a major one, that Jefferson's friend and successor would have to deal with.

Overall, though, good things came out of the second term. Jefferson, despite having his own controversies owning slaves himself, stopped the slave trade in America (though slavery itself survived). The National Road project was also established under the Jefferson administration. In the end, Jefferson, who refused to run for a third term, left as a very popular President.

Post Presidency: Jefferson handpicked his successor, James Madison, who he was close friends with. Madison would be elected easily, and Jefferson retired to his plantation at Monticello. An intellectual by nature, Jefferson reveled in retirement by continuing his studies science and natural history. He was President of the American Philosophical Society until 1815. He also helped to found the University of Virginia.

He also forged a friendship with his onetime nemesis, John Adams and the two enjoyed a friendly mail correspondence until both died in 1826.

Jefferson lived an extravagant lifestyle, and it would cause some financial hardship for him. He had to use many of his 150 slaves as collateral and he sold much of his library to the Federal Government after the British had burned Washington during the War of 1812. Despite this, Jefferson remained wildly popular, even as he became terminally ill in early 1826. It is said he succumbed on July 4, 1826 after he was told he had made it to that day, a wish of both his and John Adams', who would die just hours later.

Odd notes: From https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/thomas-jefferson-facts (https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/thomas-jefferson-facts)
Jefferson's grave is inscribed with the three things of which he was most proud. Being President wasn't one of them.

President Jefferson was known to greet his guests while wearing slippers (The Presidents- History Channel)

Final Summary: I can't help but think he would have been so better off without the baggage that was Mr. Waffles Burr. And, of course, he was flawed, and politically, I'd probably be more in line with the Federalist policies of Alexander Hamilton.

But the impact he made on the history of the United States is indisputable. He doubled the size of the nation and did it peacefully. Though maybe inadvertently but with good intentions nonetheless, he started the ball rolling on the abolition of slavery when he ended the import of slaves into the United States. And he certainly has to rate as one of the more intelligent men ever to hold the office even if his personal financial acumen was , well, a little faulty.

Most importantly, he was one of the few Presidents who could keep a divided nation fairly united, especially in a time of relative peace. If that doesn't make him one of the great Presidents, I don't know what does.

Overall rating: A-

https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/jefferson%5C") return

4.JAMES MADISON ( Hello, Dolley )

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/James_Madison%28cropped%29%28c%29.jpg)


Born: March 16, 1751, Port Conway, Virginia
Died: June 28, 1836, Montpelier, Virginia

Term: March 4, 1809- March 4, 1817
Political Party: Democratic- Republican

Vice President(s): George Clinton, Elbridge Gerry

First Lady: Dolley Todd Madison

Before the Presidency: James Madison grew up a sickly child in a well to do family in Virginia. Though younger than the other Founding Fathers, he was still old enough to remember the fear brought on by the French and Indian War.  And, much like Jefferson, he had something of a sponge for a brain, wanting to learn as much as he could. He attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) and majored in Greek and Latin. Back home, he entered law in 1772 but found little interest in it. In 1774 he joined a local group called the Committee on Safety. A pro revolution group.

Things moved fast for young James Madison after that. He was appointed as a delegate to the revolutionary Virginia Convention in 1776 and he would strike up a friendship with the older Thomas Jefferson. Madison would end up being Jefferson's closet adviser over the years as well as his closest personal friend. He also served in the Virginia Council of State during the back end of the war.

Madison became  the youngest member of the Continental Congress in 1780 and would become a major player in that body. In 1784, Madison was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates where he battled Patrick Henry over the issue of Separation of Church and State though on the surface, it appeared to be more of a tax issue.

It was Madison who helped to spark the idea of a Constitutional Convention and he would lead the Virginia delegation. Madison supported a strong central Government and was something of an activist in this regard. It was his persuasive skills that would earn him the title, "Father of the Constitution".

Of course, Madison didn't write the Constitution, no one person did (Madison certainly contributed of course). But he was one of three people, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay,  to promote the new Constitution in the form of what would be known as the Federalist Papers. He wrote twenty nine essays, most of them emphasizing the need for a central Republican government. Much of the intent of the Constitution was laid out, in part, because of Madison's essays in particular.

Once the United States was established, Madison was elected to the House of Representatives in 1789, defeating a future President and ally, James Monroe. Madison was President Washington's largest supporter in the House, and he was the one who would shepherd through the Bill of Rights in 1791. He later would break with Washington over both foreign and domestic policies, and he opposed Hamilton's more radical approach to a centralized Government.

Still in the House, Madison would be very critical of President Adams' policies, in particular, the controversial Alien and Seduction Acts. He then rejoined the Virginia House of Delegates where he campaigned hard for Thomas Jefferson's bid for President. Once Jefferson was elected, Madison would become his Secretary of State. As Secretary of State, Madison lobbied hard for the Louisiana Purchase, the embargo against the Barbary Pirates, end the practice of impressing American Men into the British and French navies.

And, when it was time for President Jefferson to turn in his spurs, it was Madison who he hand picked to succeed him in the White House.

Summary of offices held:

1781-1783: Virginia Congress of the Confederation

1783-1786: Continental Congress

1786-1787: Constitutional Congress

1787-1789: Virginia House of Delegates

1789-1797: House of Representatives

1799- 1801: Virginia House of Delegates

1801-1809: US Secretary of State



What was going on: The Cumberland Road, New Madrid earthquake, War of 1812

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Well, basically, he got us through a very costly war, and he managed to do it without overstepping his authority. He didn't actually declare war on Britain, instead abiding by the Constitution and letting Congress make that decision. And, despite his unpopularity, he managed to shepherd the country with a steady hand, even while he had to run the country away from the White House.

Why he was a bad President: Madison was not what you would call a forceful man. In fact, it goes without saying that he was overshadowed by his legendary charming wife, Dolley. There was also some criticism that he could have handled the War of 1812 better (There's a reason Ontario is not a US state I guess).

What could have saved his Presidency: Well, maybe if he had conquered Canada :laughing: . Actually, he may have been better off if he had dealt with the British by more diplomatic means. Also, the war took much of his time away from the domestic issues of the day. No doubt there were events going on that would lead to the panic of 1819 under Monroe's administration. Also, if he had married someone other than Dolley Todd, who may have been the person who really saved Madison's tenure.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Actually, losing the War of 1812 tops the list, obviously. We also came very close to war with France, who hadn't stopped the practice of harassing Americans into service. A war with both France and Britain (who also happened to be at war with each other- again) would no doubt have been disastrous to the point that James Madison might have been our last President.

Election of 1808: Though popular, President Jefferson would leave his successor with a variety of problems starting with the embargo against England and France which had a devastating effect on the economy. It was at the point where New England was threatening to secede from the Union. So,  this would not be a cakewalk for Secretary Madison.

In some ways, 1808 was a copy of 1804 in that the Federalists again nominated the ticket of Charles Pinckney and Rufus King. The Democrat- Republicans, since they couldn't nominate Jefferson, went with the next best thing in Madison, but they kept the current Vice President, George Clinton, on the ticket. Madison was man of small stature, physically speaking, and the Federalist newspapers exploited that fact. He also had to deal with factions within his own party that he was, in reality, just another clone of Alexander Hamilton (probably not a smart move considering the way Hamilton had died). Even Clinton, though the VP candidate, announced his own candidacy for President. Indeed, it was only through Jefferson's persuasion that convinced the Republicans to ultimately rally around Madison.

As for the general election. There wasn't much doubt as to who would win. While not as lopsided as Jefferson's victory four years before, Madison's victory was still relatively easy with a 122 to 44 margin.



First term: Once in the White House, the first thing President Madison did was to lift the embargo on Britain, something that may have been a mistake. He also had to deal with a dispute with Spain over the West Florida territory (The US maintained it was part of the Louisiana Purchase). He also would appoint James Monroe as his Secretary of State in 1811.

But, of course, Madison will always be remembered as the President during the war of 1812, which was really a war that lasted for three years. Relations with Britain had soured to the point that each nations battleships began to engage with each other. Relations with Canada were also crumbling as they were being accused of inciting unrest in New England, the one area that was never enamored with Virginia politics. 

So, the United States was preparing for war against Britain. There was also some sabre rattling for war with France after they sunk a merchant ship with flour to British troops in Spain (There were still trade agreements apparently). Luckily cooler heads prevailed or we may have become the United States of Europe or something.

In the end, the US would declare war with Britain and even though the British would try and back off, at least initially, and because they didn't have cell phones in those days, the die was cast. By July 1812, the Americans were fighting in Canada and not with great success. This, not surprisingly would be a factor in the upcoming election.

Election of 1812: With the war in Britain not exactly going to plan (there was talk that it was a ploy to expand the territory of the US even more), it was to no surprise hat it would take a toll on the Madison re-election campaign. The war caused a rift with the Republicans yet again with a third of the delegation boycotting the convention altogether. The remaining delegates again went with Madison, with Elbridge Gerry as his running mate (Vice President Clinton had died in April).

The Federalists, desperate for one of their own in the White House, negotiated with disgruntled Republicans and decided on another Democrat- Republican, Dewitt Clinton, nephew of the late Vice President, as their nominee with Federalist Jared Ingersoll as their running mate.

They may have won too, had the Populist tactics not been exposed. They had different messages depending on the region they were in, something that would compel one John Quincy Adams to break from the party. The tactics probably not only lost them the election to the not very popular Madison, but probably was the death knell to the Federalist Party.

In the end, it was a relatively close election, but Madison ultimately won out with slightly more than half the popular vote. The electoral vote was fairly close too. Still, it signaled the end of what would be the Federalist Party.

Second Term: Basically, the second term was dominated by the war of 1812. By now, the British had brought the war to the United States, but they suffered basically the same results that the Americans had in Canada. They were famously repelled in the battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, both of which became legendary in American lore. In Baltimore's case, it inspired one Francis Scott Key to write a patriotic poem that would one day become the American National Anthem. The Battle of New Orleans created a national hero in the form of Andrew Jackson, certainly one of the most divisive Presidents in American history to be sure. Another future President, William Henry Harrison, also became a significant figure during the war.

Of course, I can't talk about the War of 1812 without mentioning the sacking of Washington in 1814 (just before the battle of Baltimore turned the tide against the British). President Madison and Dolley had to flee the White House before the British burned it to the ground but not before Dolley had the staff take as many artifacts with them as possible. The British may have burned the White House, but they couldn't take the historical treasures with them. More importantly, they couldn't take away the American spirit.

In the end, the British and Americans agreed to end the war in a stalemate. Now some patriots will swear the Americans won the war, and in one way, they did, in the sense that Britain was unable to get their colonies back (they had unrealistic goals too it seems). Others will say the Americans lost the war much like they lost Vietnam. Not really true, either. No, the Americans gained nothing from this folly but they didn't lose anything either, well, maybe a bunch of lives, but strategically speaking, well, you get the point.

So, it was a stalemate and the world lived on.

There wasn't much to report in the waning years of the Madison administration except that he would recharter a National Bank in Philadelphia, something one of our friendly war heroes will destroy a couple decades later.



Post Presidency: Madison retired to his plantation at Montpelier. He would serve on the board at the University of Virginia and would take over as rector upon Thomas Jefferson's death in 1826. And, though, like Jefferson, he never relinquished his slaves, he nonetheless joined up with the American Colonization Society which called for the gradual abolition of slavery.

By the mid-1830s and in his eighties, Madison's health took a turn for the worse and he passed away quietly on June 28, 1836. He left well loved though as more than 100 people, including some of his slaves, attended his funeral

Odd notes: At 5"4, Madison is the shortest of all the Presidents in American history

It is said the his First Lady, Dolley Madison, was in fact more popular than he was.

Along with Thomas Jefferson, Madison was once arrested (carriage riding was once illegal on Sundays)

Final Summary: It's safe to say that Madison had a very complicated eight years dominated by the problems with France and especially Britain. One shouldn't forget there were also some strained relations with Spain over Florida, which would eventually be ceded to the US.  It was really a pigheaded move to wage war with Britain and Madison is lucky he didn't end up the Dubya of his era. On the plus side, he was a stickler to the Constitution, even if it went against his own interest. After all, he helped to create it after all. I said something in the six pack thread that good people don't always make good Presidents. Madison, no doubt, was a well-meaning person and it is because of him that we have the rights that we do have under the Constitution.

But I think the War of 1812 definitely taints his Presidency quite a bit. Though certainly not as arrogant as Adams, who dealt with considerably less comparatively, I have to question whether he should have waged war with Britain to begin with. There was a mood of expansionism in the United States (all through the nineteenth century actually) and I think Madison may have fell under that spell himself, especially in regard to Florida.

At least they named a cupcake company after his wife :D

Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/madison (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/madison%5C")

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/james-madison#:~:text=Fun%20Facts&text=The%20smallest%20president%2C%20Madison%20was,weighed%20only%20a%20hundred%20pounds.&text=While%20enjoying%20a%20Sunday%20drive,riding%20was%20illegal%20on%20Sundays.&text=Madison%20wrote%20George%20Washington's%20first%20speech%20as%20president%20of%20the%20United%20States. (http:) return

5.JAMES MONROE (I Feel Good)

(https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?max_w=550&id=NPG-NPG_65_62Monroe-000001)


Born: April 28, 1858, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1831, New York, New York

Term: March 4, 1817- March 4, 1825
Political Party: Democratic- Republican

Vice President: Daniel Tompkins

First Lady: Elizabeth Kortright Monroe

Before the Presidency: Monroe, like the Virginia Presidents before him, grew up in fairly affluent means. His parents died when he was in his teens and he was taken in as a ward to his Uncle, who would be quite an influence on the young Monroe.

Monroe attended the College of William and Mary in 1774 and it was there where he got into some mischief with fellow students in support of the Revolutionary War. They robbed the Governor's Palace and gave the arms to the Virginia Militia; thus Monroe had a front row ticket to the war against Britain.

As such, he served as an officer with distinction in the Continental Army until 1779, after which he joined the Virginia Militia as a Colonel. It was there where he connected with major leaders like then Governor Thomas Jefferson, who commissioned Monroe as a spy.

His political career started right after the war, using Thomas Jefferson as his mentor. He was elected to the Virginia Assembly in 1782 and joined the Continental Congress a year later. He wanted to expand powers to the Congress as well as organizing governments in the Western territories.

He was certainly somewhat of an independent character voting against ratification of the Constitution, his biggest beef being that Senators should be elected directly and not appointed (he would finally get his wish with the 17th Amendment in 1913). He also wanted a strong bill of rights, something that Jefferson supported, and Madison made true in 1791. He ran for the House of Representatives against James Madison in 1789 and lost, though they would remain amicable throughout. As it was, Monroe would be appointed to the Senate in 1790 and he, Madison, and Jefferson would form something of a friendly alliance.

President Washington was also aware of the young Monroe and he appointed him as minister to France in 1794. It was an eventful two years as Monroe was able to procure the release of Thomas Paine, who had the audacity to speak out against King Louis XIV. Alas, the French Revolution happened right after, and Washington had to recall Monroe.

Monroe returned to Virginia to practice law and was elected Governor of Virginia in 1799. He worked for the election of Jefferson and was an advocate for public education (Gee, I like him already). In 1803, President Jefferson sent Monroe to France as an envoy for the Louisiana Purchase. That same year, he was appointed as Minister to Great Britain, with a stint as an envoy to Spain in between. In 1806, Monroe signed an agreement with Britain resolving some outstanding issues, but didn't address the issue of impressment, something both President Jefferson and Secretary Madison insisted on. Monroe had seen it as a first step, while the other two (probably correctly) simply didn't trust the British. It was a temporary setback for Monroe, but it didn't alter the friendship between the three powerhouses.

In 1808, there was a draft within the Democratic- Republican party for Monroe to run against Madison, who Jefferson favored to succeed him. He accepted the draft but never really wanted to battle against his friend, noting they differed only on some foreign policy.

So, he was out politics briefly until 1811 when he again became Governor of Virginia. That lasted a whole three months as President Madison enlisted him to become Secretary of State.

And it as a tense time to be Secretary of State to be sure as this was the period of the War of 1812. It was a controversial war to be sure and Madison's Secretary of War quit as a result. Monroe would fill in on a temporary basis on two occasions during his stint as Secretary of State and he is credited with the comeback of sorts by the military towards the second half of the war. Monroe was also something of a hero as he oversaw the evacuation of Washington as the British burned the city down. Monroe returned to the city after the British had left and Madison put him in charge of its defenses.

So, while Madison's popularity continued to sink like a bowling ball, Monroe's popularity rose, putting him in good position for the 1816 nomination.

Summary of offices held:

1783-1786: Congress of the American Federation

1790-1794: US Senator

1794-1796: Minister to France

1799-1802: Governor of Virginia

1803-1807: Minister to the United Kingdom

1811: Governor of Virginia

1811-1817: Secretary of State

1814-1815: Interim Secretary of War



What was going on: The Seminole War, Panic of 1819,  Missouri Compromise, Annexation of Florida, the Monroe Doctrine,

Scandals within the administration: The Corrupt bargain (though that was more of a legislative scandal)

Why he was a good President: Though it has been abused at time, particularly in the Twentieth Century but especially during the Spanish- American War, his Monroe Doctrine has stood the test of time. Latin American nations saw the doctrine as a way of ensuring their own independence, and, when properly enforced, that's exactly what it did, as Monroe intended. Other times, well...

Why he was a bad President: He probably should have taken a more active role after the Panic of 1819. No, I don't mean he should have created a New Deal of sorts (for one thing, something like that wouldn't have played in Monroe's time), but he could have done more to alleviate the pressures the banks were going through at the time. Also, as mentioned, the Doctrine, though full of good intentions, opened the door for quite a few abuses by future Presidents starting, possibly, with Jackson, and definitely with James Polk and his Mexican- American war.

What could have saved his Presidency: A steadier hand during the Panic of 1819 would have been nice. Also, he should have pulled a Truman ala General MacArthur and fired Andrew Jackson's ass.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: For starters, had the fallout from the Seminole War have not been so seamless. Monroe was known for his great diplomatic skills and it no doubt saved him from another war. Also had the panic of 1819 exploded into something as devastating as the Great Depression a century later. Monroe didn't do much about the Panic but he probably did do more than, say, Herbert Hoover.

Election of 1816: Monroe was well positioned for the Democratic- Republican nomination but there was some hesitancy within the party of yet another Virginian in the White House. Some of them threw their support behind William Crawford of Georgia, another member of Madison's cabinet. He enjoyed a lot of congressional support, but he lacked the national constituency that Monroe enjoyed. In the end, Monroe won the nomination by a relatively close margin.

By now, the Federalists were more or less on life support, and they settled for the always dependable Rufus King with John Howard as his running mate. As such, it wasn't much of an election as Monroe and running mate Daniel Tompkins all but ran away with the electoral vote, King only winning three of the nineteen states.

First term: President Monroe began his term with a tour of New England, the one area where maybe he wasn't so popular. He emphasized unity and it was later considered the ushering in of the era of good feelings. Things were relatively quiet until late 1817 when there was a Seminole uprising in Florida. Good ol' Andrew Jackson, man of great restraint that he was, went against the President's wishes and drove the Seminoles into Spanish Florida and capturing the Capital, causing an international incident in the process. In the end , Jackson was reprimanded, and Pensacola was returned to Spain. One thing did come out of this however, as Spain would peacefully cede Florida to the United States in 1819.

Monroe also had to deal with the nation's first real financial crisis, known as the Panic of 1819. Thanks to conservative polices of the Second Bank of the United States, the financial strife lasted for four years.

It was also during this term that slavery would become a pressing issue with a debate over the admission of Missouri. Missouri, geographically speaking, straddled the line between the pro-slavery south and the abolitionist north, sort of like Maryland, Delaware (slave states), and Kentucky (a free state). In the end, the Missouri Compromise would be passed which made Missouri a slave state (Maine was also admitted as a free state) and the status of future states would be decided by the 36 degree, 30 line.

Election of 1820: I think it's safe to say President Monroe had an easy time with it when it came to re-election time. He remained popular within the ranks of his party and was a shoo in for re-nomination as was his running mate, Daniel Tompkins. Having said that, the nomination never officially happened but Monroe and Tompkins would represent the party on the ticket anyway.

Meanwhile, the Federalists, all but dead, didn't even bother to nominate a candidate, thus Monroe ran unopposed, the last time that would ever happen in American History. Even so, he couldn't garner a unanimous electoral vote, even with John Adams coming out of retirement to vote for Monroe. One elector from New Hampshire cast his vote for Adams' son, John Quincy Adams.

Second Term: The big issue as Monroe's second term started was the depression that resulted from the Panic of 1819. As it was, President Monroe basically followed the Jeffersonian laissez- faire approach and the market, fortunately, took care of itself. It didn't prevent future financial panics however as a more notorious panic lay just a decade and a half away.

President Monroe fared better on the foreign policy front. With most of the Spanish colonies on the verge of Independence, President Monroe wanted to ensure that European nations wouldn't try and form new colonies in the Americas, thus what would become known as the Monroe Doctrine was passed in 1823. It promised that any intervention by a European nation on a Sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere would be considered as an attack on the United States. It also pledged that the US would not interfere with any colonies still controlled by a European Nation. It is a doctrine that has been used, for good and bad, by  a number of Presidents, most recently by Ronald Reagan.

There was speculation that Monroe might run for a third term, but he decided against it, noting that the competition would be much more fierce. By this time the shadow that would be Andrew Jackson was coming to the forefront as was the volatile John Calhoun.

Post Presidency: Monroe would not be able to enjoy the long period of retirement that his three predecessors enjoyed. Indeed, he would die five years before his friend and predecessor, James Madison.

Still, he was able to serve on the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia and, in 1829, served with the Virginia Constitutional Convention.

In 1830, upon the death of his wife, he moved to New York City to live with his daughter and son-in law. It was there where he took ill for good and he would become the third President to die on the Fouth of July, just five years after Jefferson and Adams.

Odd notes:  Monroe once defended himself with fire tongs during a disagreement with the Treasury Secretary

Monroe has a World Capital named after him, Monrovia, Liberia.

Final Summary: You can argue that Monroe was the luckiest of all the Presidents. Though he did have to deal with a financial crisis, he didn't have to endure any major wars save for Andrew Jackson's little misadventure.  His era of good feelings tours made quite an impact on the general populace and, with the possible exception of the Missouri issue, didn't seem to have to deal with a hostile congress.

And maybe it was because Monroe was so good at the art of compromise, maybe a little too good. The liberal in me wants to dock him points on not taking a tougher stand against slavery, but then again, he owned something like 200 slaves himself, and, let's face it, he was a product of the times. And he'll always be remembered for the Monroe Doctrine (his idea but actually written by John Quincy Adams), which at least gave the Latin American cover from other nations, save the United States themselves. So, yes, he was a fairly effective President, and he had a great vision when it came to Foreign affairs.

Domestically though, uh, not so much.


Overall rating: B-

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/james-monroe
 (http://\"https//kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/james-monroe%5C")
https://millercenter.org/president/monroe (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/monroe%5C") return

6. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (the Cat's in the Cradle)


(https://www.jpost.com//HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?id=371394&w=640&h=428)


Born: July 11, 1767, Braintree, Massachusetts
Died: February 23, 1848, Washington, DC

Term: March 4, 1825- March 4, 1829
Political Party: Democrat- Republican

Vice President: John Calhoun

First Lady: Louisa Johnson Adams

Before the Presidency: I think it's safe to say that John Quincy Adams came from a political family given that his father was once President of the United States.  Indeed, he was a child of the Revolution and, as a young lad, was said to have committed treason in defense of his father who, of course, was deeply involved with the Revolutionaries. Though too young to fight, he witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill with his mother.

Because he was the son of John Adams, that afforded the young John Quincy to see much of Europe as he would accompany the elder Adams to Paris among other places. With part of his schooling taking place in Paris, John Quincy would find himself very well educated by the time he was ready for adult life.

In some ways, his career started at age 14 when, already fluent in French, he accompanied emissary Francis Dana to St. Petersburg, Russia as an interpreter. A year later, he would rejoin his father at the Hague. Finally, he returned to the US in 1785 where he would attend Harvard for two years.

He more or less followed in his father's footsteps and studied law, passing the bar in 1790. He was an admirer of Thomas Jefferson even though he was more in line with his father's politics. Adams struggled in his early years as an attorney despite the fact that his father was now Vice President of the United States, but President Washington, maybe through the elder Adams, who undoubtedly loved his children, especially the hard working John Quincy, became aware of his linguistic skills and appointed him minister to the Netherlands. His political career had begun.

When his father became President, Adams was assigned as the Minister to Prussia where he remained until his father's term expired. He returned to the US in 1801 and became involved with local politics, winning election to the Massachusetts State Senate.

And his star rose fast as he was appointed to the US Senate in 1803. He went against his Federalist party often, supporting President Jefferson on matters such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Embrago Act of 1807. This infuriated the party heads in Massachusetts and his days as a Senator were numbered. So were his days as a Federalist as he switched parties in 1808.

His political career was far from over. President Madison appointed Adams as the Minister to Russia where he became an ally of Czar Alexander, who he admired for standing up to Napoleon. It was, in fact, Adams who kept President Madison informed after Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812.

Adams would become involved with the peace negotiations with Britain that would end the War of 1812 and was one of the signers of the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814. Later, Madison would appoint Adams as Minister to the United Kingdom. He would return home in 1817 to become President Monroe's Secretary of State. There, he was credited for writing what would become known as the Monroe Doctrine. He also oversaw the transfer of Spanish Florida to the United States in 1819.

President Monroe's term was to end after the 1824 election, and it seemed as if Adams' diplomatic career might be over, and it was.

But the career was about to have another chapter

Summary of offices held:

1794-1797: Minister to the Netherlands

1797-1801: Minister to Prussia

1802-1803: Member Massachusetts Senate

1803-1808: Senator from Massachusetts

1809-1814: Minister to Russia

1815-1817: Minister to the United Kingdom

1817-1825: Secretary of State





What was going on: the Erie Canal, the B&O railroad,

Scandals within the administration: None that we know of

Why he was a good President:  He maintained good relations with most of the European nations, especially in terms of trade. And, even with all his flaws, no one could argue his integrity.

Why he was a bad President: He never did win the confidence of the Congress and his temperament probably wasn't fitting for a sitting President.

What could have saved his Presidency: Not much really. The Congress was way too hostile at the time. Actually, under today's standards, he could have even been impeached since the only crime you have to commit is to be disliked these days.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: As bad as his Presidency was, it could have been worse. Maybe he would have had no success in foreign affairs and, even with the debates over States rights (i.e., the right to enslave), no major violence occurred during his administration. A violent insurrection such as the events the led to the Civil War could have turned a bad administration into a notorious one.

Election of 1824: The rules were changing, at least in an unofficial sense. The previous three Presidents had served as Secretary of State at one time or another and it should have made Adams the favorite to be the next President.

But Adams didn't really have the charisma of Jefferson or Monroe in particular and there were some firebrands waiting in the wings that also wanted to be President. By now, the Federalists were dead leaving the US with just one major political party. As such, they never really decided on a nominee.

So, John Quincy Adams was saddled with the pretty tough competition. Andrew Jackson was perhaps the most popular of the four major candidates and he was wildly popular in the South, but he wasn't getting much traction in the North. The same went for the ambitious William Crawford, but, besides of an endorsement by Senator Martin Van Buren of New York, didn't seem to be going anywhere either.

Then there was the Speaker of the House, one Henry Clay of Kentucky. Like Jackson, he was something of a war hero, but he was also a very capable legislator. It was he who came up with the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and was certainly well respected by the House members.

There was a convention and if they had it their way, Crawford would have been the nominee to run unopposed. But there were many factions within the party, and the states had their own ideas, thus, the general election ballot would feature six, count them, six, candidates.

Two of them, John Calhoun and Smith Thompson would bow out, leaving four candidates to duke it out. Calhoun ended up as the running mate of both Adams and Jackson while Crawford pegged Nathaniel Macon to run with him and Clay went with Nathan Sanford.

As it was, none of the candidates had the support of the entire country. Those in the South mistrusted Clay and Adams and the people in the North weren't going to vote for Jackson or Crawford even if you put a gun to their heads.

So, for the second time in American History, the circus came to town. Jackson would win in the general election with a little more than 40% of the vote and have a plurality of electoral votes as well.

But there was just one problem. The Constitution stated that it went to the House when no candidate could gain a majority of electoral votes.

And so it was that the House, with their archaic rules of a majority of states as opposed to a majority of actual Representatives, would determine the next President of the United States, whether the American people liked it or not.

And they started with eliminating Clay, who, despite his legislative brilliance (He's considered today as one of the most important non-Presidents in history), finished fourth and the House could only consider the top three candidates, Jackson, Adams, and Crawford.

Even that would prove to be controversial as the Clay supporters switched their votes to Adams, thus robbing Jackson of what he clearly thought was his Presidency. But we can get into that later when we review his Presidency.

In the meantime, there were cries of corrupt bargain as Adams would ultimately appoint Clay as his Secretary of State. Yes, Adams won the Presidency.

But he didn't win much else.

First term:  The election was behind him, but the support of the Congress was not. It didn't help that Adams's diplomatic skills were, shall we say blunt. It didn't help that he was also opposed by his own Vice-President, John Calhoun. It wasn't all bad though. The Erie Canal was completed during President Adams' term, and it was during this term that his father, John Adams died, and he died knowing that his son was now the President of the United States. He had to have been proud.

Because of a hostile Congress, Adams wasn't able to do a lot from a domestic standpoint. He had to settle for higher tariffs for example. He fared a little better with foreign relations, forging trade agreements with several European countries, but even that was a mixed bag. In the end, sad to say, John Quincy Adams would go down as one our least effective Presidents.



Election of 1828: By now the Democratic- Republican party had fractured into two factions and Martin Van Buren would soon establish what is known now as the Democratic party. Andrew Jackson, nominated by the Tennessee Legislature as early as 1825, would represent this faction while Adams represented the old Federalist platform (though, officially he was a Republican)

The issues were also pretty clear. States rights was the banner for the new Democrats (Or, really, an excuse to continue slavery) while the National Republicans, as they were called, took on  a more Nationalistic approach.

It was an ugly election as things got quite personal. Though neither nominee campaigned personally, as was the norm, their supporters were out loaded for bear. Jackson was attacked by the Adams- backed press of having lived in sin with his wife and of multiple murders (Jackson was, in fact, a notorious duelist) while Adams, via the Jacksonian press, had the audacity to marry a foreigner (hey, at least she was white).

In the end, Jackson proved more popular, and he would win election easily, thus, Adams would face the same fate as the father as the then only Presidents to lose a re-election bid.

Post Presidency: Adams was somewhat bitter after the 1828 election and he refused to attend Jackson's inauguration. This was probably the lowest point of John Quincy Adams' life.

But he would bounce back. In 1830, there was a draft for him to run for Congress, and, despite family objections, he agreed. He won election, and he served with distinction from 1831 until his death in 1848. Though he usually voted with the minority (the nation was dominated by, let's face it, some right wingers), he nonetheless proved to be on the right side of history, particularly as an anti-slavery advocate. He argued for the freedom of slave mutineers on the slave ship Amistad- and won.

Even his death was a bit spectacular as he was stricken on the House floor after vehemently speaking against decorating certain Army Officers involved in the Mexican-American war. He may have been a failed President but he wasn't a failed man by any length of the imagination.

Odd notes:  Adams was an avid skinny dipper

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502637/9-fascinating-facts-about-john-quincy-adams (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/502637/9-fascinating-facts-about-john-quincy-adams%5C")

He had a Niece that seduced all three of his sons

https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/7-fun-facts-john-quincy-adams/ (http://\"https//www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/7-fun-facts-john-quincy-adams/%5C")

Anthony Hopkins played John Quincy Adams in the Steven Spielberg movie, Amistad.



Final Summary: Let's face it, the poor guy never had a chance. The Congress refused to work with him, and he was not really forgiven for what many thought was a stolen election. He would fare better as a Congressman later but, alas, I can only rate him as a President, not as a legislator which I would give him a solid B for. Even as a diplomat, I'd rate him as better than average.

But as President, not so much.


Overall rating: D+

https://millercenter.org/president/jqadams (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/jqadams%5C") return

7.ANDREW JACKSON (I'm head of the class: I'm popular)

(https://www.history.com/.image/ar_16:9%2Cc_fill%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cg_faces:center%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_768/MTY2MDU3Nzk1NjE4MDg4NTkw/andrew-jackson-gettyimages-514902556.jpg)

Born: March 15, 1767, Waxhaw, South Carolina
Died: June 8, 1845, near Nashville, Tennessee

Term: March 4, 1829- March 4, 1837
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): John Calhoun, Martin Van Buren

First Lady: Emily Donelson (niece, wife Rachel Donelson died right after election)

Before the Presidency: Andrew Jackson was born with modest means on the North and South Carolina border. His father having died before he was born, he and his three brothers were raised by his widowed mother. He found himself in the middle of the Revolutionary War as young as eleven, joining up officially at the age of thirteen. While fighting the British, he endured a severe face wound, and he would have a scar the rest of his life. He also was a prisoner of war with his brother for a time.

By the time Jackson was fifteen, the war was over, but he was now orphaned as his mother had died. He also lost his brothers during the way. So, Jackson taught himself the rest of the way, moving to Charleston where he would sow some of his wild oats as well as teaching for a time.

In 1784, young Jackson decided to become an attorney. He studied law in North Carolina, got his license, and began to work as a back country lawyer.

A mentor of Jackson's, John McNairy, was elected Superior Court Judge for North Carolina's Western District (now Tennessee). Jackson went with him and was appointed as district attorney at the tender age of 21. He then moved to Nashville where he met the woman of his dreams, the soon to be divorced Rachel Donelson. They lived together for a time until Rachel got divorced and she and Jackson could marry. It wasn't something that was considered kosher in those days, and it would have repercussions on Jackson's political career.

Oh, yes, did I mention he had a political career? He had a military one as well. Anyway, Jackson was certainly something of a charismatic sort and he would have a meteoric rise in politics starting as a delegate to the Tennessee State Constitutional Convention in 1795. He shortly thereafter became a congressman, then a Justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court.

In 1802, he challenged Governor John Sevier for Command of the State Militia. Jackson won, but it caused some bad feelings with Jackson and it nearly led to a duel in Knoxville. Indeed, Jackson would be involved in more than a few duels, suffering two bullet wounds in the process as well as killing at least one man, Charles Dickinson (but not before he gave Jackson one of his bullet wounds.). This was another issue that would hound Jackson throughout his political career.

His reputation as a violent man all but ended his judicial career in 1804, so he went for a military career. He somehow got involved with Mr. Waffles Burr who, by 1805, seemed to want to be the new Julius Caesar or something to that effect. Jackson managed to disassociate from Burr before the treason charges exploded, and watched, from his plantation called the Hermitage, as Jefferson and Madison kept fumbling over the French and British issues.

And it was the War of 1812 where Jackson first gained national fame. Tennessee formed a regiment to defend New Orleans and Jackson was called the lead the squadron. He only got as far as Natchez when he was told his troops wouldn't be paid, so he led his troops back home, earning the moniker, Old Hickory, in the process. Afterwards, he would lead the regiment against the Creek Indians with much success. Jackson was not a General you wanted to mess with.

Then came the famous Battle of New Orleans (Johnny Horton turned it into a pop hit by the way). It was well known that the British were going to try and take New Orleans, so Jackson put together a ragtag outfit that ranged from veterans, volunteers, free blacks, and even pirates. The British did indeed advance on the city, but Jackson had a line of soldiers waiting for them. It was a bloodbath- for the British. They lost two thousand men while Jackson's forces lost only thirteen.

Of course, it was a battle that had needn't be fought as the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed (neither side knew this of course), but it made Jackson something of a National hero. And the worst was yet to come.

For, in 1817, he was ordered to subdue a rebellious group of Seminole Indians who were raiding Georgia from Spanish Florida. Well, Old Hickory subdued them alright. He not only chased them back into Florida, he invaded the territory, taking two towns along the way as well as trying two British Nationals for aiding and abetting the Indians. This all created something of an international incident, and he would ultimately be reprimanded for his actions. Still, it had two effects, one, it nudged Spain into giving up Florida entirely, and, two, Jackson more or less became something of a superstar by the standard of the late 1810s.

In 1821, Jackson resigned his military commission and became Governor of Florida in 1821. He then would become Senator from Tennessee in 1823 and prepared for a run for President the next year.

Summary of offices held:

1796-1797: US House of Representatives

1798-1804: Justice, Tennessee Supreme Court

1805-1813: Major General, Tennessee Militia

1813-1821: Major General, United States Army, won the Battle of New Orleans, 1814-15

1821: Governor of Florida

1823-1825: United States Senate





What was going on: The Indian Removal act, Black Hawk War, Trail of Tears, Bank of America shutdown, The Alamo

Scandals within the administration: The Petticoat affair

Why he was a good President: It's safe to say that Jackson exuded confidence for the most part. He certainly was a popular President, even for a long time after his death. He was an advocate for States rights and yet could put his foot down when a state, notably South Carolina, wanted to shirk federal law. It was a taxation issue really but maybe the stance would backfire on Jackson as his Nullification Act could also be enforced when it came to civil rights more than a century later. His support for Texas also had to have helped his legacy.

Why he was a bad President: Where do I start? He certainly didn't have the right temperament to be President. He never really had what you could call a stable cabinet, especially after the Eaton affair. And he certainly had no financial acumen as he didn't have a back up plan for the Second Bank of America once he had it dissolved.

But the most egregious act had to have been the Indian Removal Act. While you can argue FDR's order of Japanese Internment Camps as something of a lack of judgment, there was no doubt of Jackson's intentions as they were very much patronizing (he most certainly was a white supremacist), and even cruel. He likely didn't care about the fate of the Native Americans, heck, he was even accused of committing genocide. And don't get me started with slavery. While not the pressing issue in his administration, there was no doubt he would have been quite happy if slavery came back in the North. He, himself, was known to be quite cruel to his own slaves, once giving an award of ten dollars for every hundred lashes given to one of his runaway slaves.


What could have saved his Presidency: If he had taken a gentler hand towards the Bank of America, maybe approving the charter renewal, and possibly saving the nation from a financial meltdown (which all but ruined Van Buren's Presidency). Also, maybe his legacy wouldn't have been so tarnished had he recognized the various Indian treaties instead of banishing them into the wilderness.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, at least he didn't kill anybody, not personally anyway. I guess letting South Carolina secede would have looked good on his resume.

Election of 1824: We covered much of this abortion of an election in John Quincy Adams' post, but I withheld what was going on within the Jackson side of things.

For, technically, Jackson won this election. He had enormous popularity stemming from his days as a General (everyone loves a military figure). Even so, he wasn't all that popular in the North and Adams still had some clout as the incumbent, unpopular as he was, and fellow Southerner Crawford wasn't exactly chopped liver either.

So, Jackson garnered about 40% of the popular vote and around the same in the electoral count.

Now we come to one of America's more peculiar rules. You need to have a majority of Electoral votes, or you have to go to plan B. Doesn't matter with the actual popular vote is mind you, Jackson would have been fine there.

Now plan B in just about any country would require the top two candidates to compete in a runoff, but, hey, we're Americans and we have a better way. We just let the House decide on the top three candidates. The heck with the voters.

And so, with some arm twisting by Speaker Clay, who just happened to be promised the Secretary of State position (in those days that was the easiest way to become President, just ask Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and our boy Quincy). The House decided to anoint Adams as a result and Jackson and his forces were hopping mad. It was Jackson who decried that it was a corrupt bargain, and his forces, who already more or less dominated the Congress, would pass virtually none of Adams' initiatives, politics obviously being much more important than the progress of their country. Jackson himself, frustrated with politics, left the Senate, and began his 1828 Presidential campaign from home.


Election of 1828: Of course, Adams' administration was nothing short of a disaster and Jackson, ever the Populist, seized on the opportunity. Calhoun switched sides and went on the Jackson ticket while the incumbent Adams went with Richard Rush. Jackson, despite his relative inexperience in politics, proved to be a savvy politician, often staying mum when it came to the issues.

And, of course, as typical of Jackson, it became personal (at least he didn't challenge anybody to a duel). His faction tried to throw as much dirt on Adams as possible. Adams' camp responded in kind, bringing up Jackson's notorious temper and especially his controversial marriage to Rachel, something that would gnaw at him throughout his Presidency.

Considering his unpopularity, Adams hung tough, but in the end, the charismatic Jackson still won the election fairly easily with 56% of the popular vote and a 2-1 margin in the electoral count.

First term: The administration had a bit of a sad start as Jackson lost his beloved wife just after the election. Still, he enjoyed one of the most spectacular inaugurations in history as he walked down Pennsylvania Avenue with his contingent of fans. They had their guy in the White House.

It was a very open White House too as citizens were welcome to always drop in. It was, after all, the peoples' house.

But then it got down to politics, and though many of his policies would be popular, they might not have been what you would call the most moral.

I'll give Jackson points for the first crisis, though. For his friendly neighborhood Vice President, John Calhoun, threatened to secede South Carolina because of a tax issue. The last person you wanted to ever threaten was Andrew Jackson. Now, you would think that Jackson, given his temper, would do what he always did best, challenge his VP to a duel.

But, instead, he sent the military to South Carolina and Calhoun backed off, but they certainly would not become the best of friends.

Now for the things that probably put Jackson in Hell. Let's start with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This was a bill designed to remove the Indians from their native lands in the East and force them to live on reservations in the Western territories. Of course, he did this "for their own good." Instead, of course, it led to what became known as the Trail of Tears as thousands upon thousands of Native Americans were driven from their land like common refugees and put on reservations

The scandal of his administration also happened during this term in what would be known as the Peggy Eaton affair. Peggy Eaton was married to Jackson's Secretary of War. Eaton was also divorced, much like Jackson's now deceased wife was, and the other secretaries' wives refused to have anything to do with her. This infuriated Jackson, who sympathized with Mrs. Eaton, and he ended up firing his entire cabinet over the incident.

The issue that would most define Jackson's Presidency would concern the Second Bank of America. Jackson wanted to kill the bank, but Henry Clay supported it. Wanting to use that as an election campaign issue, he pushed for an early renewal of its charter more or less daring President Jackson to veto it. Well, Jackson did veto it, and he would let the charter expire in 1836. It was considered, by many, the first truly political veto in American History.

Election of 1832: The American Charter veto would indeed prove to be a big issue in 1832 as the National Republicans, as expected, nominated Henry Clay. Jackson, meanwhile, was done with his Vice President, John Calhoun, and the feeling was mutual, so the Democrats went with Martin Van Buren as the running mate. This made Jackson very happy as Van Buren was a personal friend and ally and indeed, would be endorsed to succeed him four years later. It was also the year that National Conventions would be held, most notably the Democratic Convention in Baltimore.

It was more of an issue driven campaign than the previous two, but it didn't matter. Jackson was hugely popular, and he won re-election easily with 219 electoral votes to Clay's 49.

Second Term: After the election, President Jackson issued the Nullification Proclamation, with the intention of preventing states (specifically South Carolina) from nullifying Federal laws. He also threatened military force, but Henry Clay came to the rescue again with one of his compromises and the crisis was averted.

President Jackson continued his war against the Second Bank of America, as he ordered the Secretary of the Treasury to withdraw federal funds and deposit them in State banks. The Treasury Secretary refused, and Jackson fired him. This angered many in Congress and he became the first President to be censured (later expunged). Later, he would let the charter run out, thus precipitating what would be known as the Panic of 1837.

Other than the feud with the Bank of America, the last two years of Jackson's administration were relatively quiet, save for a botched assassination attempt against him (check the odd notes) and support for the then Republic of Texas, which President Jackson would recognize as he left office.



Post Presidency: Jackson all but hand picked his Vice President, Martin Van Buren, to succeed him and, once his term ran out, he retired to his plantation at the Hermitage. He supported and advised President Van Buren though to no avail and was devastated when Van Buren lost his re-election bid in 1840. As it turned out though, he would find himself supporting the accidental President, John Tyler, especially when it came to banking matters. He also was a fervent supporter of the annexation of Texas.

He was already an old man when his stint as President ended and his health would be iffy in the last years of his life, finally dying in 1845 at the Hermitage.

And he left something of a legacy, for good or bad. He remains quite popular among conservative whites in particular while he is reviled by African Americans in particular. There remains a movement to have him removed from the twenty dollar bill and some of his monuments have been removed in wake of the Black Lives matter movement.

Odd notes: Jackson, though obviously a bigot, adopted two American Indians

Jackson was involved in at least a dozen duels and was shot on one occasion.

President Jackson, the first victim of an assassination attempt, beat his would be assassin with a cane.

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-birthday-facts-about-president-andrew-jackson-2 (https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-birthday-facts-about-president-andrew-jackson-2)


Final Summary:  While it's safe to say no President to date, with the possible exception of the two Adams', was of the most tolerant variety, I have to think that Andrew Jackson was the first truly racist President. Even for his time, his treatment of nonwhites is nothing short of deplorable, especially when it came to public policy (I keep coming back to the Trail of Tears). Also, as mentioned before, he was an absolute disaster when it came to issues involving the treasury. I mean, when it came to that, he made Herbert Hoover look like FDR. On the plus side, he was truly a Unionist (though whether that would have held by Lincoln's time, well, we'll never really know). He did believe that the Nation should hold together at whatever cost.

But, in the end analysis, I'm not a fan of Populists. Being popular doesn't give you the right to steal lands away ( I know, the Indians were supposedly paid, but come on, who really believes they got a fair price?) or to act like a Dictator when it comes to your own cabinet.

And the hatred towards nonwhites, and the violent temper, need I go on?



Overall rating: D

https://thehermitage.com/learn/andrew-jackson/
 (https://thehermitage.com/learn/andrew-jackson/)
https://millercenter.org/president/jackson (https://millercenter.org/president/jackson) return

8.MARTIN VAN BUREN (Machines, Machines, they keep right on going)

(https://edsitement.neh.gov/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/resource/martin-vanburen-large.jpg?itok=G2Y1-f56)

Born: December 5, 1782, Kinderhook, New York
Died: July 24, 1862, Kinderhook, New York

Term: March 4, 1837- March 4, 1841
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Richard Johnson

First Lady: Angelica Singleton Van Buren (daughter in law 1838-1841)

Before the Presidency: Van Buren grew up in what I guess would be considered a middle class family by today's standards. One of six children, the Van Buren's were not rich, but they were affluent enough to own six slaves, still legal in New York in the late eighteenth century. The son of Dutch immigrants, he would be the first President not to have had British lineage. His father owned a tavern, and it would be frequented by various Government figures, giving the young Van Buren his first taste in politics.

Van Buren didn't attend college but, as it turned out, he had connections. His father arranged to have him hired as a law clerk. He worked, more or less, as a gopher for seven years before gaining admission to the state bar in 1803. He, with his brother, opened a successful law practice and it wasn't much longer after that when his political career began, joining the Democratic- Republicans in a Federalist dominated region. Van Buren, like his father, was a devoted Jeffersonian, and truly believed in a limited Government.

Van Buren was known for his political savvy as he latched on to the George Clinton bandwagon, sensing that Mr. Waffles Burr's star was fading (this was about the time of the Hamilton-Burr duel). He was rewarded with his first political post in 1808.

His first elected office was in 1812 when he was elected to the New York State Senate. In New York, the Democratic-Republicans were divided into factions, something that distressed Van Buren. Nevertheless, he formed his own faction known as the Bucktails. They embraced Jeffersonian values while vehemently opposing the then most powerful Democrat- Republican in New York, Dewitt Clinton. It was his battles with this Clinton that sealed Van Buren's reputation as an unscrupulous opportunist.

Van Buren, was, though most of the 1810's, New York's Attorney General, and his battles with Governor Clinton were somewhat legendary, at least in New York circles anyway.

Tragedy hit in 1819 when his wife passed away, but he nonetheless forged on and solidified his standing, probably not for the better, in New York politics. For he would head up one of the first party machines, derisively known as the Albany regency.

Now one of the most powerful politicians in New York, Van Buren was appointed to the US Senate in 1821 and very quickly became something of a Washington insider.

Van Buren was quite the powerful Senator as he was influential on the financial committee as well as chairing the Judicial Committee. He was frustrated with the factions within his own party, however, as truly believed in party unity, even though he was still something of a machine boss in his own home state.

In the bizarre election of 1824, Van Buren backed Crawford, feeling that he shared Van Buren's Jeffersonian beliefs. He didn't win the Presidency, obviously, and Van Buren was infuriated when the House voted in John Quincy Adams by way of the "corrupt bargain." As such he led the opposition to Adams' policies in the Senate and became an ardent supporter of Andrew Jackson (talk about a corrupt bargain).

And Jackson and Van Buren seemed to go hand in hand from 1828 on. Van Buren had been elected Governor of New York but Jackson asked him to be his Secretary of State, which Van Buren took gratefully.

The Jacksonians were now more or less simply called the Democratic Party but there were factions even within the White House. Van Buren was at odds with Vice President Calhoun. It all came to a head in the Peggy Eaton affair as it was especially Calhoun's wife who found her beneath her standards for allegedly living in sin and such. Van Buren, on the other hand, was gracious towards the Eatons, having no issue with inviting them to his functions. Jackson appreciated this, and became one of his insiders as a result becoming part of Jackson's kitchen cabinet along with John Eaton.

President Jackson, angry with his cabinet overall wanted to fire the whole lot. He reluctantly accepted the resignations of Van Buren and Eaton as they both thought it would make it easier for him to fire the rest of the cabinet. Van Buren subsequently would be appointed as Minister to England. That lasted six months as the Senate rejected his nomination. No matter, when election time came around in 1832, Jackson picked Van Buren as his running mate.

As Vice President, he supported Jackson's war against the Bank of America though he did have some reservations about it. More importantly, he became something of a unifier within the Democratic Party itself and he was all but handpicked to be Jackson's successor in 1836.

Summary of offices held:

1808-1813: Surrogate of Columbia County, New York

1813-1820: New York Senate

1815-1819:  New York Attorney General

1821-1828: United States Senate

1829: Governor, New York

1829-1831: Secretary of State

1831-1832: Minister to United Kingdom

1833-1837: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Panic of 1837, the telegraph, Amistad

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: For the record, he wasn't, but he did a decent job of keeping America out of war at least, even helping to end the Aroostook War in 1839.

Why he was a bad President: He did virtually nothing to alleviate the aftermath of the 1837 panic. And was perhaps the first President to learn the hard way that it was the economy, stupid. He was also way too busy trying to gauge the political wind, and even with that, he was pretty lousy.

What could have saved his Presidency: Being less concerned about his political ambitions and caring more about people would have helped. He could have done more to alleviate the hardships many Americans were feeling in the late 1830s. Not being an advocate of slavery despite once having owned slaves himself, maybe he could have stood up to the likes of Calhoun. I don't think Van Buren was a true abolitionist but again, his political ambitions always got in the way of doing anything noble, or even brave.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: What didn't? Jackson left him with a disastrous economy from which he couldn't get from under. Then Jackson would later turn against him after Van Buren initially opposed the annexation of Texas, and for noble reasons actually. Anyway, there wasn't much that could have destroyed the Presidency because it was already destroyed to begin with.

Election of 1836: The Democratic nomination was for Van Buren to lose and there was virtually no opposition to his nomination in 1836. Van Buren promised to continue the Jacksonian policies and there was no reason to doubt his sincerity, at least on that note.

Meanwhile, there was a new party on the horizon. They called themselves the Whigs. This relatively conservative group was led by figures such as Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams. The Whigs were very anti- Jackson, seeing him as a wannabe monarch. Van Buren himself was being portrayed as nothing but a political hack. The Whigs were only forming and could not decide on one candidate, so they went with three, William Henry Harrison, Daniel Webster, and Hugh White.

As it was, Van Buren would have won even with one opponent, no doubt, thanks to the popularity of Jackson. 1836 was especially important, however, for setting the two party system standard that the US has to this day.

First term: Jackson's shenanigans with the bank war came to its fruition just two months after Van Buren took office as the markets collapsed, setting of the panic of 1837. This was the biggest financial crisis to date and Americans wouldn't suffer economically to this extent until the Great Depression nearly a century later. This, needless to say, made President van Buren not the most popular of Presidents almost from the start. It didn't help that Van Buren believed in laissez-faire policies, which basically meant that the average American was on his own.

President van Buren came out against the annexation of Texas (can't imagine that making Andrew Jackson's day), mainly because he didn't want to go to war with Mexico. He also didn't want to go to war with Britain again either and he tolerated some of their actions such as the Caroline incident. The US Caroline had been transporting Canadian rebels (Canada was in its own revolution against the British it seems albeit on a lower level). The British seized the ship, killing one American in the process. Van Buren pledged neutrality nonetheless and even passed a Neutrality Act. It didn't deter American sympathizers, however.

And, thanks to Steven Spielberg, many of us are aware of the Amistad incident. This was the Spanish slave ship that suffered a rebellion by the would be slaves. They ended up in the US and a legal battle was underway for their freedom. I don't know how many of you saw the movie, but Van Buren is not seen in the finest light. Feeling the political wind (he was already thinking about his re-election) and pressured by the great beacon of human rights (yes, I'm being sarcastic, Batty), John Calhoun, Van Buren tried to rig it so the Africans could be sent to Cuba instead of being allowed to go home. Ultimately, the Supreme Court agreed with John Quincy Adams and the Africans went home.

And Van Buren lost his re-election bid anyway.


Election of 1840:  And boy did he lose. This time the Whigs were united, and they nominated the popular general William Henry Harrison. Van Buren really didn't stand much of a chance as the country was in the middle of a depression.

So, he lost in a landslide, but he didn't give up the ghost.

Post Presidency: For he again tried for the Presidency in 1844 with the race wide open. The Democrats, however, said thanks but no thanks and went with James Polk instead. Originally opposed to the annexation of Texas (which most surely would have been a slave state), he waffled on the issue in hopes of gaining some support. It didn't work. He then supported Polk, originally hoping to take advantage of the spoils system. That didn't work either and he ended up on the outs with President Polk.

So, Van Buren would head a splinter group known as the Free- Soil party which was a combination of disgruntled Democrats as well as some unhappy Whigs. This was essentially an abolition party, and they never really got much traction.

He finally got out of politics after the 1848 election, traveling and writing mostly. He did write of political party organizing and would support President Lincoln's decision to keep the Union together with force when Van Buren died in 1862.

Odd notes: He spoke English as a second language (He actually spoke Dutch as his first language)

The phrase OK became popular based on Van Buren's nickname, Old Kinderhook

https://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/martinvanburen.php
 (http://\"https//www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/martinvanburen.php%5C")

Final Summary: With one eye always on the political front, Van Buren comes off as a bit of a pushover despite the fact that he was a pioneer in the dirty world of machine Politics, which New York would all but perfect as the century dragged on. He put his own ambitions in front of the welfare of people from the financial crisis to the subject of slavery, where he was, at best, ambivalent (he took a more anti-slavery stance after the Presidency). Indeed, the only noble thing he did that I could find was his kindness towards the Eatons during the Petticoat Affair ( I honestly think that's the only thing he did that wasn't politically motivated). It's true that he was handed a pretty bad deck, but he didn't seem to try to play it. I mean even Hoover at least tried to do something when the Great Depression hit, half hearted as those efforts may have been.

Needless to say, I don't think Van Buren is one of our better Presidents. On the plus side and, from a personal standpoint at least, he didn't share the same kind of blatant racism his predecessor had.

But, oh those minuses.

Overall rating:  D

https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/vanburen%5C") return

Wow, so well researched. I'm still lurking and reading these. It's amazing how we haven't made a single George Clinton funk joke yet.

Kinda fun that you describe Van Buren's childhood home as middle class, yet they had 6 slaves.

9. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON (You give me fever)

(https://cdn.britannica.com/04/172704-138-A6E26D68/overview-William-Henry-Harrison.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)


Born: February 9, 1773, Charles City County, Virginia
Died: April 4, 1841, Washington DC (died in office, pneumonia)

Term: March 4, 1841- April 4, 1841
Political Party: Whig

Vice President: John Tyler

First Lady: Jane Irwin Harrison (daughter-in-law)

Before the Presidency: William Henry Harrison grew up in an elite Virginia family and was old enough to remember at least some of the events of the Revolutionary War, particularly since he was raised just 30 miles from Yorktown where the British surrendered in 1781. The youngest of seven children, his father, Benjamin Harrison, wanted William Henry to pursue a medical career, but the elder Harrison died in 1791, and William Henry had other plans.

So, he went into the military. Harrison used his family connections with the Lee's and Washington's and procured an officer's rank in the infantry. He started out as an Ensign, but he rose through the ranks rather quickly, becoming the aide to General Mad Anthony Wayne at Fort Washington. He fought bravely against Indian raids on this fort in Western Ohio and won praise from his General. Harrison, by this time in 1794, was now a Lieutenant.

In 1796, he took command of Fort Washington but after marrying into a well-to-do family despite his now father-in-law's objections, he resigned his commission as a captain. His father-in-law was not pleased, but as a judge with connections of his own, he was able to get President John Adams to make Harrison secretary to the Northwest Territory. He also would become a delegate representing that territory.

In 1800, Harrison was named as the Governor of Indiana. Harrison, as Governor, was known as something of a land grabber. But he also had a reputation for being honest and was credited in improving the infrastructure and roads in his territory.

But he was primarily charged with acquiring as much land as he could from the Native Americans and exploited them into signing seven treaties from 1802 to 1805. He took advantage of the weaknesses and naivety of the Sac tribe and was able to wrestle much of Indiana and one third of Illinois as well as parts of Wisconsin and Missouri for use by settlers.

But not all of the natives were so easily duped. There was a chief known as Tecumseh, who was angered at the rush of white settlers. So, he formed an alliance with the British, still holding hope of getting the colonies back. Harrison, meanwhile, was trying to purchase more land, three million acres in fact, in hopes of establishing Indiana as a state. Tecumseh wasn't invited to the negotiations and when the treaty of Fort Wayne was signed, Harrison found himself with a formidable nemesis.

The territory of Indiana found itself at war with Tecumseh and his warriors and it all led to what would become known as the battle of Tippecanoe. Harrison was taking charge of a group of 950 men when they were surprised by Tecumseh. It looked like all was lost.

But Harrison was not a man who liked retreat. He rallied with his surviving soldiers. The Indians couldn't break though and Harrison ordered a counter attack and would rout the Indians by the next day. Unfortunately, they celebrated by also desecrating some Indian graves.

News of the battle reached the press and Harrison was touted as something of a national hero. And, while it made Tecumseh a legend among Native Americans (and still a force to be reckoned with), it also propelled Harrison into greater military glory as the War of 1812 broke out. Harrison, proved to be  a crafty General, holding out on an invasion of Detroit until he knew that the supply lines to the British had been cut off. Once that happened, all systems were go, and Harrison's forces retook Detroit in 1813.

After taking Detroit, General Harrison again pursued Tecumseh along with the British forces. They engaged and, after routing the outnumbered British, they killed Tecumseh, and thus, ended the Indian threat, at least for the time being.

So, like Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison would be seen as a great military hero. Unlike Jackson, however, who seemed hungry for more war, Harrison basked in his celebrity status, touring the East until he resigned from the Army in 1814.

His political career proved to be a mixed bag losing as many elections as he won. He did serve in the House of Representative for two terms and won a State senate seat in Ohio but lost a bid for Governor the next year. He lost three more political contests before finally winning a Senate seat in 1824. He still had connections and, through Henry Clay, won an ambassadorship to Colombia.

The Ambassadorship wasn't Harrison's finest moment. He sided with the opposition against the Government led by Simon Bolivar. Jackson was now President and had Harrison recalled and he settled to a private life in Ohio.

For a while anyway. For, in 1836, he found himself as one of the leaders of an anti-Jacksonian faction known as the Whigs. This was a conservative party to be sure and Harrison would be one of the candidates to run against Van Buren, representing the West in his case. Like the other two, he couldn't defeat the Jackson backed Van Buren, but he made a strong showing, and he was more or less anointed to be the Whig's candidate in 1840.

Summary of offices held:

1791-1798: United States Army

1798-1799: Secretary of the Northwest Territory

1799-1800: US Delegate, Northwest Territories

1801-1812: Governor, Indiana Territory

1811: Major General, Indiana Militia

1812-1814: Major General, US Army

1816-1819: House of Representatives

1819-1821: Ohio Senate

1825-1828: US Senator

1829: Minister to Grand Colombia

1836: Whig candidate for US President




What was going on: Not a lot, March 1841 was quiet.

Scandals within the administration: he didn't have any time for a scandal

Why he was a good President: Maybe because he died before he could do any damage. Judging from his early life, he was just as bad as Van Buren, putting his own interests ahead of the American people.

Why he was a bad President: Because he again put his ego first which led to his cold and, consequently, his death

What could have saved his Presidency: The dummy could have at least worn a coat.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Had he lived, I fear he might have been another Van Buren, albeit with a more Populist edge.

Election of 1840: President Van Buren, it's safe to say, was not a popular man in 1840 and the Whigs seized the opportunity to put their man in the White House. The obvious candidates were the legislative stalwarts Henry Clay and  Daniel Webster, but neither could garner widespread support.

But Harrison, even with all his foibles, proved to be immensely popular. I mean, everybody loves a military hero, right? He wouldn't be the first to be elected President and he certainly wouldn't be the last.

So, the Whigs nominated the war hero to run against Van Buren. Van Buren was counting on the varying factions within the Whig party and there were quite a few.

But he didn't count on the one thing that unified all the Whigs, their hatred of Andrew Jackson. They weren't too crazy about Van Buren either as they painted him as being uncaring, which may have been true. Meanwhile, they advertised the ticket of Harrison and John Tyler as Tippecanoe and Tyler too, taking advantage of Harrison's glory as a war hero. They even used the Democrats' attack of Harrison as a log cabin and hard cider candidate, the Dems not realizing that proved to be appealing to the Populist mood of the country. Indeed, this election was something of an entertainment spectacle, as the gregarious Harrison toured the country entertaining the masses with native American war whoops among other things.

And with that, Harrison won in pretty much of a cakewalk, winning 234 electoral votes to Van Buren's 60. The next four years were about to become quite interesting.



First term: But not for the reasons you would expect, for the fun began as early as inauguration day. For now President Harrison, sixty -eight years old, but still wanting the attention like a rambunctious puppy, refused to wear a coat in the chilly  Washington weather (It was early March for Caesar's sake). He didn't go inside very quickly either as he orated his nearly two hour inauguration speech.

So, the dummy caught a cold and, three weeks later, that cold developed into pneumonia.

And, after 33 days in office, President Harrison was dead, and the first true Constitutional Crisis in American History was upon us.

Post Presidency: As noted, the death of President Harrison left us with a Constitutional crisis. The Constitution has stated that the Vice President, in this situation, would more of less act as acting President, but it didn't stipulate whether he would in fact be the President or even if a special election would be held to determine the next President.

But more on that later as we cover the administration of John Tyler.

Odd notes: His father in law refused to give Harrison his daughters hand in marriage.

https://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/williamhenryharrison.php (http://\"https//www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/williamhenryharrison.php%5C")

Final Summary: As noted, I wasn't too impressed with his early history as he relied on important connections as he stepped up the ladder. He certainly had a bit of military acumen, but he was too easily swayed by the accolades his military conquests afforded him.

As far as his Presidency goes, we really don't know what direction he would have taken the nation. I imagine he would have at least tried to address the financial depression that was still gripping the nation as he deeply had the need to be popular, but I saw no real indications of anything he stood for during his campaign, which was very much personality driven.

But, I'll be fair and let him go down as the only President not to get a grade.

Overall rating: I (Incomplete)

https://millercenter.org/president/harrison (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/harrison%5C") return

Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 24, 2023, 11:57 AMWow, so well researched. I'm still lurking and reading these. It's amazing how we haven't made a single George Clinton funk joke yet.

Kinda fun that you describe Van Buren's childhood home as middle class, yet they had 6 slaves.

Maybe Van Buren was in the middle of the upper class.

10.JOHN TYLER  (Accidents will happen)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/John_Tyler_%28cropped_3x4%29.png/640px-John_Tyler_%28cropped_3x4%29.png)


Born: March 29, 1790, Charles City County, Virginia
Died: January 18, 1862, Richmond, Virginia

Term: April 4, 1841- March 4, 1845
Political Party: Whig/Independent

Vice President: none

First Lady: Letitia Christian Tyler (died 1842), Julia Gardner Tyler (married 1844)

Before the Presidency: John Tyler was born into an aristocratic family in Virginia. His father was involved in politics as he served as a US District Court judge in Richmond. His father was an avid states' rights advocate. He also opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it gave voting rights to commoners.

Yes, Virginia, John Tyler Sr. was an elitist, and the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. The junior Tyler also had an air of superiority about him and began his political career quite early, following his now Governor father to Richmond in 1809. Tyler worked with Edmund Randolph, Virginia's first Attorney General, but really wanted a political career.

So, Randolph arranged for Tyler to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He quickly went after legislators who supported the Bank of the United States. Tyler did not believe in a centralized bank, or a centralized national government for that matter.

In the War of 1812, Tyler supported the conflict and headed a small militia company, but they wouldn't see any action. It didn't hurt him politically, however, as he would be elected to the House of Representatives in 1816.

While in the House, Tyler fit in quite well with his elitist background, and was a fixture at Dolley Madison's parties. Politically, he was vehemently opposed not only to the centralized Bank of America, but the idea of Western settlement as well as a shift to an industrial economy, which he felt would be at the expense of the agrarian South. He especially didn't like Andrew Jackson who, by now, had his star on the rise.

The final straw for Tyler was the Missouri Compromise of 1820. With dozens of slaves of his own, Tyler felt that slavery should be allowed in any state that wanted it. He was frustrated with the limits the Government was putting on future states and he left the House in 1821. He returned to law and the Virginia State Legislature. While there, he fought against the popular vote as he thought only the state legislatures should be allowed to choose the electors.

The State legislature elected Tyler as Virginia Governor in 1825 but he had no real power as the state was controlled mainly by cotton and tobacco interests, so he convinced the legislature to elect him to the US Senate.

And it was here where Tyler would flourish. He was one of the leaders of the loyal opposition to Jackson's policies, even to the point of supporting John Quincy Adams for President. He would reluctantly switch to Jackson in 1828 as Tyler couldn't deal with Adams' political philosophy. He nonetheless still despised Jackson and he joined the new Whig party that Clay and Webster would form. Tyler hated the spoils system seeing it (rightfully) as rather corrupt. 

The second half of Jackson's administration was an interesting period for Tyler. He didn't like South Carolina's take on the tariff issue but he was horrified as what he saw as saber rattling by President Jackson as he more or less threatened war on South Carolina. Tyler would be the lone nay vote against a compromise known as the Force Act that did lower the tariff on South Carolina but didn't address the issue of South Carolina's rights as a state.

The Bank of America was yet another schizophrenic issue of sorts. Tyler certainly would have supported the dissolution of the bank but he despised the method by which President Jackson was doing it. He voted for Jackson's censure but would later leave the Senate after the Virginia Legislature (now a Jacksonian body) ordered him to vote to expunge said censure.

So, now all that was left was the quest for Presidential politics. Tyler didn't necessarily have any Presidential desires but he was popular enough with the Whigs that he was named on two of the three Presidential tickets as Vice President.

Then came 1840.

Summary of offices held:

1811-1816 Virginia House of Delegates

1813: Military Captain, War of 1812.

1816-1821: House of Representatives

1825-1827: Governor of Virginia

1827-1836: US Senate

1836: Vice Presidential Candidate, Whig Party

1841: Vice President of the United States







What was going on: The Oregon trail, second Seminole War

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: The one thing Tyler really accomplished was the assurance that the Vice President would automatically be the President in the event of a Presidential vacancy (i.e., death). It ensured that there would always be stability in the Executive branch, at least initially.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he was pro slavery. He was an elitist to the end, and he didn't necessarily work well with others.

What could have saved his Presidency: A better relationship with Congress for starters, but maybe that was a bit impossible with the Machiavellian Clay running the House. Maybe a compromise with the Texas annexation on the slavery issue may have helped also but he and his second Secretary of State, John (the humanitarian) Calhoun, were way too pro slavery to even consider a more reasonable path.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If the economy hadn't started to improve, which it did at least a bit during Tyler's term.

How he became Vice President:  The 1840 Campaign proved to be an interesting one for John Tyler. On the Whig side, he supported Henry Clay's candidacy for President. Clay wasn't to be the nominee however as Northern Whigs opposed Clay's pro slavery stance; thus, the nomination would go to the popular William Henry Harrison. Tyler, if anything, was even more pro-slavery than Clay but he nonetheless proved to be the popular choice as Harrison's running mate. In many ways, Tyler was the exact opposite of Harrison. Harrison was an extrovert, Tyler wasn't. Harrison appealed to the North, Tyler to the South, anyway, you get the picture.

And, combined with the unpopularity of President Van Buren, Harrison and Tyler would win in a landslide.

First term: When President Harrison died in April 1841, Tyler was home in Virginia. He was told of the news by Daniel Webster's son, and he rushed back to Washington. The city was in disarray. No one seemed to know what to do in case of a Presidential vacancy.

So, Tyler settled the matter in the only way he could, he took the oath of office and declared himself President.

But this wasn't a power grab by any means. Whatever Tyler's flaws, and he had many, he was at least wise enough to know that someone had to be in charge and since he was the Vice President, it seemed logical it should be him. Of course, not everyone agreed, and his term was not to be a pleasant one.

Indeed, he would lose his entire cabinet with the exception of Secretary of State Daniel Webster when he refused to sign a bill creating a new Bank of the United States.

It wasn't all bad. During his term, the Webster- Ashburton treaty was enacted which settled some border disputes between British Canada and the US. He also pushed for the annexation of Texas though the treaty itself would fail, but, with the election of expansionist crazy James Polk, the annexation would be a foregone conclusion and President Tyler signed the annexation bill in one of his last acts.

But overall, things would not be pleasant for President Tyler. The Whigs, frustrated that he was opposing many of their policies, expelled him from the party. As the Democrats didn't want him either (nor did he want them), he spent most of his tenure as an independent, the only President to have such a designation

Still, considering he had just about no support in the Congress, he still managed to accomplish more than Presidents like John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren.


Election of 1844: Amazingly, Tyler was up to the idea of a second term, and he had enough support to place him as a third party candidate, but it was a quixotic campaign, and he wouldn't be much of a factor in the election. With the urging of former President Jackson, Tyler formally withdrew in August and endorsed James Polk.

Post Presidency: After leaving office, he mostly lived a quiet life with his second wife, Leticia.

That all changed around 1860, however as the South threatened secession. Tyler supported secession and would even be elected to the first Confederate legislature. Sadly, however, he died before he could serve and would be labeled as a traitor upon his death in 1862.

Odd notes: Tyler still has a living grandson as of 2021.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/25610/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-john-tyler (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/25610/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-john-tyler%5C")

Tyler was considered a traitor when he died in 1862.



Final Summary: This is a tough one. Personally, I pretty much dislike the man. He obviously thought he was better than most people given his upbringing. He not only looked down on nonwhites, particularly blacks, but he also looked down on basically average people. And, like many Southerners circa 1860, he all but betrayed the country.

But at least as President, he tried to do what he felt was the right thing. He refused to follow the party line and he paid the price for it. If nothing else, he was a man of principle. And he did save us from possibly Alexander Haig had things not gone so well in 1981 though he couldn't have possibly known that at the time.

Still with those Confederate tendencies...

Overall rating: C-


https://millercenter.org/president/tyler (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/tyler%5C")return

11. JAMES POLK (California, here I take)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Polk_crop.jpg/640px-Polk_crop.jpg)


Born: November 2, 1795, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Died: June 15, 1849, Nashville, Tennessee

Term: March 4, 1845- March 4, 1849
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: George Dallas

First Lady: Sarah Childress Polk

Before the Presidency:  James Polk was born in the wilderness of North Carolina, but the family followed his Grandfather to Tennessee when he was ten. His father would prosper there with a thousand acres of land and more then fifty slaves. Samuel Polk also got involved in politics and was an ardent supporter of Andrew Jackson.
James was a sickly child. That and his strict religious upbringing, via his mother, gave the young Polk something of a hard work ethic. He was bright and articulate though he was mostly home taught. He did finally get a formal education when he entered the University of North Carolina in 1816, graduating in 1818.

Polk studied law under the tutelage of future Senator Felix Grundy in Nashville. Grundy would also become Martin Van Buren's Attorney General. In 1820, he passed the bar and secured a job in the Tennessee State Senate. This was the beginning of his political career, and he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1823. Two years later, he would be elected to the US House of Representatives and became one of Andrew Jackson's biggest supporters. This paid off for him as, with Jackson's influence, he would become the Speaker of the House in 1835.

As a Representative, and then Speaker, he proved to be President Jackson's biggest supporter. He supported Jackson's war against the National Bank and supported his stance during the South Carolina nullification crisis. In 1839, he left the House to become Governor of Tennessee. There, he lobbied for bank reform, but the Whigs, buoyed from a political standpoint over the financial crisis Jackson precipitated, were able to link Polk with the Jacksonian policies and he would lose re-election, losing again in 1843.

So, he went back to his plantation with his supportive wife while the Whigs weren't exactly doing themselves any favors either. The political atmosphere in 1844 made it ripe for a James Polk comeback.

Summary of offices held:

1823-1825: Tennessee House of Representatives

1825-1839: US House of Representatives

1835-1839: Speaker of the US House of Representatives

1839-1841: Governor of Tennessee


What was going on: Mexican- American war, Annexation of Texas, slavery issue, Irish potato famine

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of unless you count invading a sovereign country

Why he was a good President: The Continental United States that we know of today is due mainly to Polk's Manifest Destiny policy. His expansionist policies would add most of the Southwest, including California, to the United States. Yes, it came at a moral price (we'll get into that later), but, like it or not, there might not have been a Hollywood were it not for James K. Polk.

Why he was a bad President: While obsessed with gaining new territories, he tended to ignore more domestic matters. Yes, he did arrange for an independent treasury and honored his pledge for lower tariffs.

But he totally ignored the elephant in the room, the slavery issue. Polk himself was a slave owner, but it likely wasn't a factor in his expansionist activities. As such , he was oblivious to the raucous divide between North and South even at this early stage. It would be something that would become a front burner issue in the Taylor- Fillmore years.

What could have saved his Presidency: More attention to the slavery issue. Polk did own slaves, but he had it in his will that his slaves would be freed upon the death of his wife, so he clearly wasn't unsympathetic to their plight. Maybe a stand against slavery would have made him less of a forgotten President.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: This is an easy one. If we had lost the Mexican- American war (and don't think the Mexicans weren't a formidable foe), Polk almost certainly would have gone down as one of the worst Presidents in history. This very easily could have been Polk's Vietnam and history would not have been kind to him.

Election of 1844: When the Democratic Party met in Baltimore, no one had Polk on their radar. Indeed, the early betting was that former President Van Buren had the inside track.

But Van Buren didn't enjoy the same support he had in 1836 or even 1840 within his own party. Some Democrats thought he didn't have a chance in the general election, others felt he was part of the old dynasty if you will. In a sense, Jacksonian politics was becoming a bit, well, passe in some minds.

But the clincher was probably  Van Buren's curious stand against the annexation of Texas. He did it for political reasons as he didn't want to lose the North (plus President Tyler was supporting it). But, of course, he lost the South as a result and that was pretty much the Democratic base.

So, the delegation spent five ballots deciding between Van Buren and Lewis Cass, who was very strong in the North. Obviously, there were some other candidates as well as neither were able to muster a majority. Finally, angry that Cass had ruined his chances of regaining the Presidency, Van Buren shocked everybody and threw his support behind Polk. Polk, to this point, was nothing more than a dark horse candidate. Now he was a compromise candidate and he ended up getting the nomination on the sixth ballot.

The Whigs, down but not out, nominated Henry Clay, who finally got the chance he had wanted for years. They wanted to distance themselves from Tyler.

The platforms for the two parties could not have been more different. The Democrats campaigned on a stricter interpretation of the Constitution, lower tariffs, more federal funds for infrastructure and roads, the annexation of Texas and the reoccupation of Oregon, and, most importantly, states' rights, or to be blunt, the right to slavery.

The Whigs, on the other hand, opposed Texas annexation, supported a national bank, restrictions on the Presidential veto, and a one term Presidency. On top of that, they nominated Theodore Frelinghuysen for Vice President, an evangelical who vehemently opposed slavery. On this issue especially the lines were drawn between the Whig north and the Democrat south.

This would be a close election as the Whigs not only had to contend with the relatively unknown Polk, but also had a third party threat, the anti-slavery Liberty party. Now, they didn't have much of a chance to win the election, but the Whigs feared they could siphon just enough votes to put Polk into the White House. Thus, Clay found himself waffling on the Texas issue going from opposing annexation of Texas to supporting it, much like Polk had been all along.

And it was likely Andrew Jackson's endorsement of Polk that put him over the top. Jackson remained a popular ex- President and his distaste of Clay was enough to convince President Tyler to withdraw from the race as an independent and endorse Polk.

So, Polk won the popular vote with a 49.5% plurality but won the electoral vote a little more handily in an election that was closer than the electoral vote indicated.

And James Birney also got his pound of flesh. He likely cost Clay New York which would have been enough for Clay to win the election.

And maybe keep California in Mexico.

First term: It's safe to say Polk was something of an activist President. He was certainly pro-slavery, but more importantly, he was hungry for more land. He adopted the term coined by Democrat James O'Sullivan known as Manifest Destiny. The idea of Manifest Destiny being that all of North America should belong to the United States.

He started slow at first, going after Britain in a border dispute with Western Canada. The term, 54'40 or fight, was coined and there was no doubt Polk would have sent in the artillery to get just that. Meanwhile, Texas became a state at the end of 1845, a slave state, which would also cause some tensions in the Government.

The Oregon dispute was peacefully settled with the 49th parallel compromise. This enabled the US to gain what is now Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state while the British retained British Columbia and all points east north of said parallel.

Polk engineered the compromise because he had even bigger fish to fry. For after annexing Texas, he had his eyes set on all points west and even south. Thus, the seeds for the Mexican American War was underway.

It started with a fairly flimsy excuse. General Zachary Taylor was engaged at the Rio Grande River, and it was enough for President Polk to ask for a declaration of war. He even had a strategy. Taylor would fight the Mexicans in the Northern regions, another general, Stephen Kearny, would take what is now New Mexico and California, and a third force under Winfield Scott would drive the Mexicans all the way to Mexico City.

As it turned out, Kearny would have the easiest road as he found New Mexico all but abandoned. He subsequently would take both the New Mexico territory and California by early 1847. Taylor, despite a depleted force, was able to take northern Mexican towns, including the important city of Monterrey. He then was sent to bolster Scott's forces at Vera Cruz, probably the most famous battle of the war and the battle that gave both Taylor and Scott national fame.

By late 1847, after Scott took Mexico City, it was clear that Mexico was losing the war and Polk seized on the opportunity to expand the nation's borders. In 1848, through envoy Nicholas Trist, he negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Basically, under the agreement, the US would buy New Mexico and California for $15 million and assume the outstanding debts incurred from the war. Probably not the best deal for Mexico, but it could have been worse. Polk could have just taken the territory and not paid a dime.

Of course, popular as the war was at home (everybody likes a war as long as they don't have to fight in it), there was some vociferous opposition from the Whigs including one relatively unknown congressman from Illinois.

His name happened to be Abraham Lincoln.

As for his domestic policy, Polk kept his promise and lowered tariffs and also signed a bill to create an independent treasury.

There were a couple things going on independent of Polk, or even Congress. First, there was the Gold Rush in California that would garner the attention of some politicians during the Taylor administration.

Then there was the Seneca Falls convention led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, It was here where the long campaign for women's suffrage in the US would begin.

But, for President Polk, his work was pretty much done. He would fulfill another promise by not running for a second term. He was likely satisfied as he was responsible for pretty much the Western third of the Continental US and he was ready to retire to his home in Tennessee.


Post Presidency: The post retirement period started off well enough as Polk embarked on a tour of the South. Not surprisingly, the popular Polk was received warmly, and he seemed genuinely touched. Unfortunately, it would be short lived as Polk became sick in New Orleans, likely with cholera, and he died just three months after leaving office.

Odd notes: Polk had surgery to remove bladder stones at age 16

Polk was said to be remarkably boring

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/550281/james-k-polk-facts
 (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/550281/james-k-polk-facts%5C")

Final Summary: From a domestic standpoint, Polk isn't remembered for doing very much as he was much more interested in foreign affairs. He carried a big stick when it came to the Northwest United States, and it paid off with a peaceful treaty thet established the US on the Pacific Ocean once and for all.

But it wasn't so peaceful on the Southwest side, as we waged a Napoleonic two year war with Mexico. It certainly paid off as we now have New Mexico, most of Arizona (there would be the Gadsden Purchase a few years later) and, of course, California. Yes, we paid Mexico for it and it's hard to imagine Los Angeles or San Francisco not as part of the United States.

But I wonder if it was worth losing our souls.

Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/polk (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/polk%5C") return

12. ZACHARY TAYLOR (Life is a bowl of cherries)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Zachary_Taylor_restored_and_cropped.jpg/640px-Zachary_Taylor_restored_and_cropped.jpg)


Born: November 24, 1784, Barboursville, Virginia
Died: July 9, 1850, Washington DC (died in office)

Term: March 4, 1849- July 9, 1850
Political Party: Whig

Vice President: Millard Fillmore

First Lady: Margaret Smith Taylor

Before the Presidency: Taylor was born into an agricultural family in 1784. He wasn't the brightest of students and decided early on for a military career, something that began in earnest as he was assigned to command the garrison at Fort Pickering, where modern day Memphis is today. He went from military outpost to military outpost for much of his career until 1840. Even so, General Taylor earned a reputation as a formidable fighter as he battled various Indian tribes such as the Sacs in 1832 and the Seminoles in Florida later in the decade.

This wasn't another Andrew Jackson hell bent on genocide, however. He was just as willing to protect Indian lands from would be white settlers. He actually admired their military tactics and felt sympathy for what was happening to them. He felt the best solution was to be a buffer between the Native Americans and the white settlers hoping that both sides could live in peace.

His real fame, of course, would come in the Mexican-American War. After Texas became a state late in 1845, President Polk ordered Taylor into disputed lands on the US- Mexico border. This incited Santa Ana to attack Taylor, giving Polk his excuse to declare war.

It didn't end there, of course. Taylor, outnumbered but with superior artillery, won battle after battle, peaking at the battle of Monterrey. Meanwhile, General Scott, in his quest to take (successfully) Mexico City, had half of Taylors troops sent to him to battle at Vera Cruz. Santa Ana thought he had Taylor right where he wanted him and threw his forces against the depleted Taylor at Buena Vista. Needless to say, Santa Ana failed. Taylor's men were victorious and the Mexican Napoleon, as Santa Ana liked to call himself, exited with his proverbial tail between his legs.

Taylor became the talk of mythical legend not unlike George Washington in many ways. Stories of how he took the enemy in hand to hand combat were floated around and by 1848, everyone knew all about Ol' Rough and Ready.


Summary of offices held:

1808-1849: Major General, United States Army.

Fought in War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War.


What was going on: Slavery, Post Mexican- American war, Compromise of 1850

Scandals within the administration: The Galphin Affair

Why he was a good President: He was perhaps the first President to take a stand against slavery, albeit a baby step. He was also the first President to assert that the Union must hold together (It could be argued that Jackson asserted that first, but I suspect that was more to do with the conflict with John Calhoun).

Why he was a bad President: Quite simply, he wasn't the most forceful of Presidents. He opposed the Compromise of 1850 and even helped to impede its passage, but he didn't offer any solutions to the impasse.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more forceful approach to the slavery question. Maybe he could have made a gesture by freeing his own slaves. Judging from his early history, Taylor seemed to be a fairly compassionate man, and it would have been nice to see him take a stand, even if it was unpopular, as it most certainly would have been in 1850.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: The same thing that probably destroyed Fillmore's. The indecision over the slavery issue wasn't going to make matters better and, as we will discover, Fillmore's decisions would be nothing short of disastrous.

Election of 1848: General Taylor, much like Eisenhower a century later, didn't wear his politics on his sleeve. In fact, he had never even voted in an election. Various political parties were in demand for his services.

In the end, he chose the Whig party. As it turned out, Taylor was anything but Jacksonian, especially on the money issue. He didn't like the concept of the spoils system (maybe he was born thirty years too early) and even wasn't too keen on expanding slavery, even though he was a slave owner himself. He also agreed with the Whig philosophy of a stronger Congress as well as a strong cabinet (future Presidents would agree with him on the latter). He also was a Nationalist. He was not a fan of secession, much like Abraham Lincoln more than a decade later. And to top things off, he didn't really like President Polk.

So, in a sense, Taylor was running against the lame duck President Polk, who did what he could to torpedo Taylor's campaign. Taylor may not have done himself any favors politically either as he suggested he might not veto legislation prohibiting slavery in the Western lands. He firmly believed a President should only veto a bill if he thought it was unconstitutional. Needless to say, that didn't endear him to the South. Abolitionists in the North weren't all that crazy about him either as he was a well-known slave owner.

Still, most people didn't really know Taylor's positions and that was how the Whigs ran him. In the end, like Polk before him, he won with just a plurality of the popular vote with that crazy Martin Van Buren siphoning 10% of the vote. The real race, of course, was against Democrat Lewis Cass of Michigan but he ended up winning a relatively close victory in the electoral vote.

First term: As soon as Taylor took office, the issue of slavery would be front and center. He urged Congress to admit California and New Mexico as states without addressing the issue of slavery. Taylor had assumed that neither proposed state would support slavery nor would the other western territories. Utah was being occupied by a sect known as the Mormons. They believed in polygamy and were probably considered more of a cult in those days, but they were also vehemently opposed to slavery. President Taylor clearly had no taste to expand slavery any more than it already had so he had hoped a free west would end the spread of slavery for good.

Of course, it only angered Southern Whigs not to mention most of the Democrats. The Southern Democrats in fact were threatening to secede, the last thing Taylor wanted. So, Henry Clay came up with something called the Compromise of 1850 which would allow California as a free state and leave the rest as territories that would still technically allow slavery. Some more moderate Southerners supported the compromise feeling it would still ensure slavery in the South where it really mattered to them anyway. But there was strong opposition from Webster, Calhoun, and a new face, one Stephen A Douglas who was soon to make his own political mark on American politics. Another opponent would prove to be quite notorious; his name was Jefferson Davis.

Taylor himself seemed ambivalent on the compromise but he was leaning against it for different reasons than the Southern Democrats and Whigs. He wasn't for expanding slavery, but he was willing to let the states decide (which he rightfully expected would vote to oppose slavery). I suspect he just wanted the states.

On the foreign front, there wasn't much in terms of accomplishments, but the Clayton- Bulwer treaty was signed on his watch. There was a dispute with British Honduras with the American interest to build a canal in Nicaragua. In the end, they signed a treaty renouncing any control or dominion on any canal that might be built. It effectively ended Polk's dream of Manifest Destiny, but it did strengthen American interests and influence in Central America.

Death: It was the Fourth of July 1850. It was a day of celebration as it was Independence Day. It was a hot summery day as the President relaxed under the blazing sun as he listened to various speakers. Later he took a walk along the Potomac and by late afternoon retired to the White House. There he ate a chilled bowl of cherries along with some milk. He became ill later that day but I'm sure it was assumed it was a touch of food poisoning, certainly common in the unsanitized 1850s.

But the President's condition worsened within two days, and it was obvious that something serious was going on. A doctor was called in and he was diagnosed with having something called cholera morbus. This didn't mean he necessarily had cholera, just a serious gastrointestinal condition. Taylor took ice chips for as long as he could, but the body would eventually reject it.

Zachary Taylor died on July 9 leaving a very incomplete Presidency.

Odd notes: Taylor could read but barely write

Doctors thought Taylor was killed by cherries and milk

https://facts.net/zachary-taylor-facts/ (http://\"https//facts.net/zachary-taylor-facts/%5C")

Final Summary: Taylor's short reign was certainly incomplete, and he didn't really have a lot of vision. He obviously was troubled by the slavery issue and maybe even felt guilty of having slaves of his own. I also wonder if maybe the Civil War could have started a decade earlier and maybe it would have been Taylor who could have gotten the accolades Lincoln would receive in historical retrospect.

But he clearly had compassion for people not as fortunate as himself. He may very well have been a friend to the Native Americans. And he did score at least one diplomatic victory with the Ashburton- Bulwer treaty.

But, alas, a contaminated bowl of cherries and milk pretty much screwed it all up for him- and maybe the country.

For, compared to his Vice- President and successor, Taylor looked like Teddy Roosevelt.

Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/taylor (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/taylor%5C")
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13. MILLARD FILLMORE (I know nothing)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Fillmore.jpg/640px-Fillmore.jpg)


Born: January 7, 1800, Cayuga County, New York
Died: March 8, 1874, Buffalo, New York

Term: July 9, 1850- March 4, 1853
Political Party: Whig

Vice President: none

First Lady: Abagail Powers Fillmore

Before the Presidency: Millard Fillmore grew up in poverty in upstate New York. His family owned a farm, but it wasn't very successful, and the family often went hungry. Millard had little formal schooling but was known to have quite a bit of curiosity.

As a young man, Fillmore worked in the cloth trade. It was hard, grueling work, and Fillmore wanted a way out. As Fillmore was an apprentice, this amounted to what was slavery and Fillmore had to buy his way out of the apprenticeship.

While an apprentice, Fillmore taught himself how to read. He then learned his studies with the help of his future wife, Abagail Powers. Meanwhile, Fillmore's father was impressed enough that he arranged for his son to work for a local judge. There he could continue his law studies.

Fillmore moved with his family to a town near Buffalo, where he taught school, and was admitted to the bar in 1823. With his now fiancée, then wife,  young Fillmore prospered, and seemed quite happy with his lot in life.

Fillmore's entry into politics was under strange circumstances to say the least. Many of the politicians of the day were Freemasons, a rather controversial fraternity that exists to this day. In some ways it could be compared to Scientology as they were something of a secretive organization. One disaffected Mason, William Morgan, mysteriously disappeared and it was big news around Buffalo at the time.

So, Fillmore found himself as a member of the Anti-Masonic party. Soon, he was drafted to run for the New York State legislature, and he would be elected in 1829. Fillmore proved to be an able politician, pushing through legislation to end the practice of putting debtors in jail. As someone raised in poverty, debtors' prisons was something that our Millard was not comfortable with.

Fillmore's compassion for the less fortunate proved popular with constituents and he found himself elected to the House of Representatives in 1832.

By 1834, the Anti- Masonic party was fading, and they merged with the anti-Jacksonian Whigs. It wasn't necessarily an easy transition for Fillmore as he found himself at odds with New York Whig party boss Thurlow Weed. Weed was decidedly anti-slavery. So was Fillmore, but Fillmore preferred the route of compromise.

In the meantime, Fillmore's star rose in the House as he would become chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee which controlled the tax and financial issues of the day. Fillmore left the House in 1843 in hopes of landing a Vice-Presidential candidacy. Boss Weed ordered him to run for Governor of New York instead, which he did, and lost. Fillmore was bitter as he not only blamed Weed, but the abolitionists as well as the Catholics. The ugly side of Millard Fillmore was beginning to come through.

Afterwards, he broke with Weed, Fillmore was able to win election as New York State Comptroller in 1847. Because he won in a landslide, the National Whig party was looking at Fillmore as a viable Presidential candidate.


Summary of offices held:

1829-1833: Member, New York State Assembly

1837-1843: US House of Representatives

1841-1843: Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee

1848-1849: New York State Comptroller

1849-1850: Vice President of the United States





What was going on: Missouri Compromise repeal, slavery issue, immigration

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: The one smart thing Fillmore did was tagging the legendary Daniel Webster as his Secretary of State. Through him, he was able to open trade with Japan (though technically started in the Pierce Administration, it was through the work of the Fillmore Administration).

Why he was a bad President: Just about everything else, but especially his clumsiness with the slavery issue. Like Taylor, he should have simply chucked it and dealt with the Civil War, if it was inevitable anyway.

What could have saved his Presidency: Perhaps had he rejected Stephen Douglass' ridiculous compromises and simply stopped slavery in the bud, even if it meant war. Also maybe had the trade talks with Japan been a little more publicized at the time.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: It already was the moment he signed the Fugitive Slave Act, then tried to enforce it.

How he became Vice President: In 1848, Fillmore supported Clay's candidacy for the Presidency but Clay wasn't trusted by the pro-slavery Whigs, so this was not to be his year.

Instead, the Whigs actively pursued the two Mexican war heroes, Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott. Meanwhile enter Boss Thurlow Weed. While Scott was obviously much more refined than Rough and Ready Taylor, Weed threw his weight behind Taylor and Taylor won nomination on the fourth ballot.

Even though Taylor was the nominee, it didn't necessarily go well with the anti-slavery North so it was decided to find a Vice Presidential candidate that could balance the ticket.

And that was how Millard Fillmore was chosen. After all, he was from the North, and though he, like Taylor, believed in compromise, there was no doubt in their minds he was in the anti-slavery camp. So, Fillmore was on the ticket.

It was a bitter campaign as both the Whigs and the Democrats desperately tried to avoid the slavery issue. The election really could have gone either way and, but for Martin Van Buren's Free Soil party (He ran out of distaste for Democratic candidate Lewis Cass). Van Buren's third candidacy is credited (blamed?) for getting Zachary Taylor into the White House.

As far as the Vice Presidency goes, Fillmore was pretty typical. Like most VP's he had little to do with the Taylor administration. In fact, President Taylor didn't really like the more gentlemanly man. And he, along with Boss Weed and William Seward, all but kept him shut out of the White House. Probably a fatal mistake as he was at least well respected by the Senate he presided over.

The big issue in 1850 was Henry Clay's latest compromise to slavery. Known as the 1850 compromise, it was the subject of heated and bitter debate. President Taylor all but opposed it. The Vice President supported the compromise, but he was in a position where he really couldn't do anything about it.

Then President Taylor died.

First term: As it was, there would be no pledge to continue the policies of the late President, which would become a common practice from Garfield on. Indeed, the first thing now President Fillmore did was clean out Taylor's cabinet and backing the Compromise of 1850, which would be quickly passed. He signed the Fugitive Slave Act which criminalized the assistance of runaway slaves. He signed it mainly to appease the South but in so doing he angered the North. The Fugitive Slave Act would also inspire Harriet Beecher Stowe to write Uncle Tom's Cabin which also inflamed the tensions between North and South.

So, nobody was really happy with the various compromises, and in particular, the North with the Fugitive Slave Act, a law that Fillmore clumsily tried to enforce, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

He fared a little better on the foreign front as Japan opened its doors to trade on Fillmore's watch through the efforts of Secretary Daniel Webster and Commodore Matthew Perry. He also kept Hawaii protected from would be French and British colonists which might have seen silly at the time, but maybe if he didn't, Hawaii might have been a French territory or, with a little luck, an independent nation of its own. In any event, it seemed to work out.

But the subject of slavery would all but ruin any chances for the Fillmore administration. He already had alienated the North and he likely wasn't all that popular in the South either.

But, if you think he was bad then, just wait until the next Presidency.

Post Presidency: Fillmore decided not to even try to run in 1852. He very quickly had two tragedies befall him during 1853. His beloved wife died of pneumonia, having gotten sick at the Pierce inauguration, then he lost his daughter to cholera. Fillmore needed something to preoccupy him.

So, he reentered the world of politics. The Whigs, mainly because of Fillmore, had quickly began to disintegrate and some of the Whigs joined up with a new party, known as the Know-Nothings. This was not the most tolerant of parties. People who were once vehemently opposed to slavery were now even more opposed to immigrants and Catholics. Fillmore joined this party despite not sharing those intolerant views. It didn't matter; he was propped up as their candidate in 1856 as did the surviving Whigs. He proved to be a strong third party candidate and he likely prevented John Fremont, now of the new Republican Party, to win election, thus condemning the nation to four years of James Buchanan.

After the 1856 election, he retired and remarried. He managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat during the Civil War. He was a staunch Unionist, organizing enlistments and fund raising drives. He died in 1874 as one of the most respected people in Buffalo.

Odd notes: Fillmore married his teacher

Fillmore refused an honorary degree from Oxford

https://constitutioncenter.org/media/files/pres_funfacts.pdf (http://\"https//constitutioncenter.org/media/files/pres_funfacts.pdf%5C")


Final Summary: Fillmore's biggest fault was that he seemed desperate to please everybody and ended up pleasing no-one. He had his own strong views, but he wouldn't emphasize them. Perhaps he was too fearful of any consequences, often a fatal flaw in our Presidents. I mean there is a reason that Presidents like Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, Kennedy, even Reagan, have been considered great or near great Presidents by historians. They never cowered down from their own convictions. Unfortunately, Fillmore did, and it cost his standing in history dearly. At least I was able to learn (and be relieved) that while the Know Nothings may have been a bunch of hatemongers overall, Fillmore himself wasn't.

In any event, as in the immortal words of William Dozier of Batman TV fame: The worst was yet to come.

Overall rating: D+

https://millercenter.org/president/fillmore (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/fillmore%5C")
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14. FRANKLIN PIERCE (Hey, good lookin)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Mathew_Brady_-_Franklin_Pierce_-_alternate_crop.jpg/640px-Mathew_Brady_-_Franklin_Pierce_-_alternate_crop.jpg)


Born: November 23, 1804, Hillsboro, New Hampshire
Died: October 8, 1869, Concord, New Hampshire

Term: March 4, 1853- March 4, 1857
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Rufus King

First Lady: Jane Appleton Pierce

Before the Presidency: Franklin Pierce was the son of a Revolutionary War hero, or at least where his home base of Hillsboro, New Hampshire was concerned. This gave young Franklin some advantages. He enjoyed a formal education and was even befriended by famous author Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was something of a social animal in college and was last in his class for a time. Finally, he graduated from Bowdoin College in 1824.

He became quite adept at public speaking and quickly found a home in the world of politics. He was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 1829. Pierce, along with his father, were admirers of Andrew Jackson and supported him throughout his Presidency. He went to the US House of Representatives and strictly voted along with the Democrats. It was while in the House that Pierce, unhappy with the general atmosphere in Washington, began to have a drinking problem, something that would plague him the rest of his life.

He married the daughter of the President of his Alma Mater. It was a family of Whigs, and, by all accounts, it was something of an unhappy marriage.

Pierce entered the Senate in 1837 and, as in the House, served with an undistinguished record, again simply voting with the Democratic line. The one thing he was passionate about was his opposition to the abolitionist movement. It was an odd position for someone in the North, even a Democrat. It didn't help that he was friendlier with the Southern Democrats, including the fiery Jefferson Davis, who became his closest political ally. In the end, though, Pierce resigned from the Senate and returned to New Hampshire.

Back in New Hampshire, Pierce stopped drinking and joined the temperance movement. He was able to outlaw liquor in Concord, where he was now living. Pierce became popular as a trial lawyer, even gaining something of a celebrity status. He became a popular figure in New Hampshire and was active in james Polk's campaign in 1844. Polk was grateful enough to offer Pierce several patronage positions but he refused them all.

Still politically savvy, Pierce entered the Mexican American War as a Private, enlisting men in the New England Volunteers. He then asked President Polk for a commission, which he received, becoming a Brigadier General and was active in the battle of Vera Cruz. He was also in the drive to Mexico City, but the inexperienced Pierce broke his leg after being thrown from his horse. It led to the unflattering nickname of Fainting Frank. It seemed that the politically minded Pierce was not very popular with his troops.

Still, Pierce had a new notch on his political record and became head of the New Hampshire Democrats upon his return.

1852 would prove to be a monumental year for Pierce and the Democrats were looking for someone who could not only appeal to the proslavery South, but also be able to garner some votes in the North.

And being good looking couldn't be a bad thing either.


Summary of offices held:

1829-1833: New Hampshire House of Representatives (Speaker 1831-1833)

1833-1837: US House of Representatives

1837-1841: US Senate

1847-1848: Brigadier General, US Army, Mexican-American War


What was going on: The Kansas- Nebraska act, slavery, Bleeding Kansas

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: I'm not even going to try and come up with something here. Okay, I got one, he didn't start a war with Mexico, or Spain for that matter.

Why he was a bad President: Gee, where do I start? Yes, he approved the Gadsden Purchase, but supporting slavery, especially when you were from the North, wasn't a cool move. And he sure wasn't exactly active in trying to quell the violence in Kansas either

What could have saved his Presidency: I don't know, maybe done a 180 and taken an anti-slavery stance could have helped in history? It would not have saved his Presidency though.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Do I really have to go there? I guess he had to be James Buchanan, yikes!

Election of 1852: With the Whigs in disarray, you would have thought the Democrats would have an easy path to the Presidency, but there were so many factions within the party and a majority could not get behind the leading candidates that included Lewis Cass, James Buchanan, and Stephen Douglas. There was no way a Southerner was going to attract any Northern votes and a Northern Democrat was not going to appeal to the proslavery South.

They went through 34 ballots as no one could garner a two thirds majority as were the party rules at the time. There was a feeling they needed another dark horse as James Polk had been for them eight years earlier. After all, Polk had been a fairly successful President so why not roll the dice again.

The Democrats needed someone pleasant enough to be attractive to all the factions. There was also the thought that a proslavery Northerner could very well be that man.

So, Franklin Pierce's name was put in on the 35th ballot and Virginia jumped on it, giving him all of its delegates. It took a while, but finally, on the 48th ballot, Pierce found himself the Democratic nominee and he was paired with Alabama Senator Rufus King.

The Whigs, meanwhile, had one last gasp, and went to well with another war hero, this time the victim was Winfield Scott, who had commanded Pierce during the Mexican war.

As it was, the Whigs would be disappointed with Scott, who proved to be his own man. Scott, to the dismay of the Whigs, voiced his support for the Compromise, very unpopular in the South. Pierce, on the other hand, said nothing, on anything really. In fact, he didn't even campaign.

It was just as well as the campaign got personal. The Fainting Frank accusations came up as well as well as tales of his drunkenness. Scott was accused of having the audacity of refusing to duel Andrew Jackson (those were weird days indeed) and accusations of becoming a military dictator.

It didn't matter. Scott's anti-slavery stance all but repelled the South and Pierce would win in a landslide.

First term: Pierce's Presidency got off to a bad start even before he took office. The Pierce's were involved in a train wreck and their only son was killed. His wife blamed Pierce as she saw it as an omen for his running to begin with and became a recluse. Pierce himself entered the White House full of grief and never really recovered.

In his inauguration, President Pierce called for more expansion, something that angered the Northerners who feared it would expand slavery. He named Jefferson Davis as his Secretary of State, and through Minister to Mexico James Gadsden, they purchased what is now Southern Arizona for $15 million, thus completing what we know now as the Continental United States. This should have been Pierce's big accomplishment, especially since he didn't have to wage a war for it.

But the slavery issue had both sides boiling and ratification was in doubt. Nevertheless, it went through.

The stickier issue would be the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854. Introduced by Stephen Douglas, it would repeal the Missouri Compromise and give each territory its own discretion on whether to allow slavery or not. By this time, there was great violence between the pro and anti-slavery forces and Kansas had an unwanted nickname as the territory was known as Bleeding Kansas. Pierce signed the bill, but it would have devastating consequences and it brought the nation closer to Civil War. The act all but split the Democrats , Pierce being the lone Northerner to support slavery.

The slavery issue also reared its ugly head when President Pierce wanted to annex Cuba, but their minister to Spain, Pierre Soule, all but sabotaged those plans when he suggested a US invasion by way of the Ostend Manifesto, one of the signers who happened to be James Buchanan. The State Department reacted by firing Soule.

Meanwhile, the Kansas- Nebraska act continued to stir the pot in Kansas, which now had two Governments, one supporting slavery and one that didn't. The violence continued in Kansas as well as in Nebraska. And, the lowest point in Pierce's administration had to have taken place in Congress when things got physical. In May 1856, things got so heated that Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with his cane.

And, with radical abolitionist John Brown all but at war in Bleeding Kansas (he figures to be very notorious in the Buchanan era), it was all but time for Franklin Pierce to go.

Election of 1856: Pierce had hoped to go for re-election but by now, the Democrats had more than enough of him and refused to nominate him.

Post Presidency: Pierce retired to New Hampshire after his term. As it were, he would end up supporting the Union during the Civil War. That didn't make him a Lincoln supporter however as Pierce remained a loyal Democrat and blamed Lincoln for the war.

After Lincoln's assassination, a mob assembled at Pierce's house and he had to use his orator skills to disperse the crowd.

But ultimately, Pierce was a broken man. He returned to drinking and was all but forgotten in the annals of Presidential history.

Odd notes: Pierce, still distraught over the death of his son, didn't swear an oath at his inauguration


https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/652126/franklin-pierce-president-facts (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/652126/franklin-pierce-president-facts%5C")

He was lifelong friends with writer Nathaniel Hawthorne

https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-franklin-pierce/38331574# (http://\"https//www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-franklin-pierce/38331574#%5C")




Final Summary: I think it's safe to say that Pierce was in way over his head. Yes, he was handsome, and he could charm the fleas off a lion.

But like with just about everything he did, he didn't know what the hell he was doing. Pierce was a man of all glitz and glamour but absolutely no substance. If he wasn't such a tragic figure, he would have fit in quite well as the bumbling President in a political sitcom.

So, amazingly enough, he goes down as being even worse than Millard Fillmore.

And it even gets worse from here.

Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/pierce (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/pierce%5C")
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15. JAMES BUCHANAN (I feel pretty, so pretty, and gay)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/James_Buchanan_-_post_presidency.jpg/640px-James_Buchanan_-_post_presidency.jpg)


Born: April 23, 1791, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania
Died: June 1, 1868, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Term: March 4, 1857- March 4, 1861
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: John Breckinridge

First Lady: Harriet Lane (niece)

Before the Presidency: James Buchanan grew up in rural Pennsylvania. Th son of a merchant, he was pushed by his mother who was an advocate of education. As such, he entered Dickinson College where he was something of a troublemaker, nearly being expelled on two occasions. Nevertheless, he graduated with honors in 1813 and went on to study law. He also served in the War of 1812 but saw no action.

At the age of 23, Buchanan's political career began in earnest with an election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the Federalist Party.

Meanwhile, he fell in love with a local socialite. It wasn't meant to be, however, as her family did not like Buchanan who they saw as a money grabber. After accusations of having an affair with another woman, his engagement was broken off and his fiancée died a few days later. As a result, Buchanan swore he would remain a bachelor and, in fact, would be the only bachelor President in American History.

Back to politics, Buchanan ran for a US House seat and won in 1820. He would serve in the House for ten years where he excelled on Constitutional matters, serving on the House Judiciary Committee. It was during this period when he switched to the Democrat Party. The Federalists were all but dead and Buchanan came to be an admirer of Andrew Jackson. Buchanan subsequently became the head of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania. It wasn't all roses, however. Jackson thought that Buchanan was part of the corrupt bargain that cost him the 1824 election. Despite this, Buchanan continued to support Jackson and worked for his election in 1828. In the end, he was awarded with an Ambassadorship to Russia in 1832.

As Minister to Russia, Buchanan proved to be a much capable diplomat as he was able to negotiate a trade treaty that seemed impossible before Buchanan's arrival.

On his return to the US, Buchanan was elected to the Senate. By now the slavery issue was on the front burner. As a northerner, he basically opposed slavery, but he seemed to oppose the abolitionists more as he saw them as a bigger threat to the Union than slavery itself. He thought that the Constitution gave Southerners the right to own slaves and felt it was America's duty to protect slavery in the South.

In time, Buchanan was one of the most powerful Senators in Congress and he began to have Presidential aspirations by the 1840s. He made a bid for the Democratic nomination in 1844 but the party instead went with Polk. Polk subsequently named Buchanan as his Secretary of State. He opposed Polk's stand on the Oregon territory, nevertheless he prepared the brief backing Polk's claim and engineered a compromise that was palatable to both sides. Buchanan also waffled a bit on the Mexican-American war, but in the end, he would support the inevitable land grab. The Mexican-American War also created two national heroes and that pretty much nixed a Presidential bid for Buchanan in 1848.

After the 1848 election, Buchanan returned to Pennsylvania in hopes of gaining the 1852 nomination. This time, he would be a frontrunner along with Stephen Douglas. It was a bitter battle, and no one could decide on either candidate. Ultimately, the nomination went to Franklin Pierce.

It wasn't all bad however as Pierce wanted Buchanan in his administration somehow and he ended up as the Minister to England. It proved to be a lucky break for Buchanan as he was able to distance himself from what would prove to be a disastrous Pierce administration as well as the conflict that rose from the Kansas- Nebraska Act.

He did err on one score however when he signed on to the Ostend Manifesto which called for an invasion of Cuba so the US could use slaves. This, of course, angered the North. It, however, endeared him to the South and the die was cast for the 1856 nomination.

Summary of offices held:

1814-1819; Pennsylvania House of Representatives

1821-1831: US House of Representatives

1829-1831: House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee

1832-1833: US Minister to Russia

1834-1845: US Senator

1845-1849: Secretary of State

1853-1856: US Minister to the United Kingdom


What was going on: Slavery revolts, Panic of 1857, Dred Scott case, Bleeding Kansas

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: I'm sorry but he just wasn't. I guess the best thing I can say is that he at least tried to be.

Why he was a bad President: He meddled in affairs siding with slavery. He influenced the Supreme Court to go against Dred Scott. He also meddled in the affairs of the Kansas Constitution ignoring that the vast majority opposed slavery. And, of course, he made the cardinal mistake of trying to please everybody and ended up pleasing no one, in fact angering most of them. Then, to add on, he all but ignored an ongoing recession and some hostilities along the Mexican border, well, I think you get the picture


What could have saved his Presidency: A stronger hand on the slavery issue. Maybe if he was less busy with trying to be a pleaser and been more Presidential. Perhaps he could have been more aggressive in trying to stop secession, even if it meant using force. Maybe if he had fortified Fort Sumter like Lincoln would do, perhaps the South Carolina militia would have had second thoughts. When Lincoln did just that, it was tragically too late.

And, of course, he could have just said slavery is wrong, suck on it.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Read why he was a bad President.

Election of 1856:  The consequences of the Kansas- Nebraska act all but poisoned the well for the Democrats and especially for President Pierce who somehow thought he'd be entitled to a re-nomination. Of course, others had something to say about that including one Stephen Douglas, possibly the favorite but still very unpopular in the North (can't imagine why).

But Buchanan, able to stay away from the rancor that surrounded the slavery issue, came in as the true favorite. Like Pierce before him, he seemed reasonably unoffensive, he was a Northerner.

And he was a doughboy, which was slang for a Northerner who supported slavery. So, what could possibly go wrong?

The Whigs, meanwhile, we're on their death throes and they divided into two new parties, Millard Fillmore's Know Nothings, and a new Republican party who would nominate a relatively unknown Senator from California named John Fremont.

Buchanan became the nominee for the Democrats after making a deal with the Douglas forces promising he would be the man in 1860 (and, true to their word, he was)

And so, it was. You had Fremont, the Republican, now a party of former Whigs and disaffected Northern Democrats, The Know Nothings, known for their anti-Catholic and immigrant leanings (It's safe to guess who got the bigot vote).

And, then there was the Democrat Buchanan. And it could get nasty at time. While Buchanan and Fremont more or less sat on the sidelines, the mudslinging from both of their supporters was pretty much par for the course. Fremont was called a "Black Republican" as well as having to take flak for allegedly being born out of wedlock. Perhaps his biggest sin, however, were courtesy of the Know Nothings, who labeled Fremont as a (gasp) Catholic. That hurt Fremont's chances more than anything else. Ever wonder why the United States can be such an ugly country?

Buchanan wasn't immune from personal attacks either. He was a confirmed bachelor, so it was to no surprise that they went after that. There were even rumors that he was a bit of a dandy (read: gay). More on that later. He also made an amazingly stupid gaffe when he said that a ten cents a day wage for manual laborers was fair. As a result, he now had to carry on with the moniker, Ten Cent Jimmy.

In the end, Buchanan would win with just 45% of the popular vote in a three way race. Even in the electoral college he won just four of the fourteen Northern States as he clearly dominated the South.

And it was obvious that in a nation all but torn apart by slavery, Buchanan would come in with no mandate.

First term: President Buchanan got off to a roaring start to say the least as the Supreme Court would rule on the infamous Dred Scott case just two days into his Presidency. Dred Scott was a slave who lived in a free state. He was returned to Missouri by his owner and Scott, along with his wife, filed suit for their freedom on the basis that they had lived in a free state. In the end, a pro-slavery court led by Roger Taney (another Marylander I'm embarrassed by- they named a town after him too), not only declared slaves non-citizens, it enabled slavery in any territory, and it called the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, on what logic they used to do that, I have no idea.

Kansas remained in the news, meanwhile, as it voted to be a free state. Needless to say, the pro slavery forces in the state couldn't accept that (sound familiar?) and engineered a referendum that proclaimed Kansas as a slave state. Buchanan supported the ploy but Stephen Douglas, incredibly enough, saw the fraud that was involved and joined with the Northern Democrats and Republicans to refuse Kansas' admittance as a slave state.

The slavery issue, and now the threat of Southern succession, hit a high point in 1859. This was the year of John Brown's famous raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). President Buchanan sent Colonel Robert E. Lee to quell the violence that the Brown raid, which didn't go as planned, had generated. In the end, sixteen people were dead, and Brown was captured and sent to Virginia to face treason charges.

In the North, Brown was hailed as a hero while in the South, it was seen as an evil intent by Northerners to abolish slavery and, thus, their way of life.

By 1860, talk of secession became more than just a casual thought, it was becoming real. Buchanan, of course, opposed secession and did what he could to persuade cooler heads to prevail but, as we pretty much know, that didn't happen.

Instead, Buchanan would go into history as arguably the worst President in history.


Post Presidency: Buchanan, who never wanted a second term and didn't even try for one, retired to Pennsylvania. He was more or less blamed for the Civil War, a war that would greatly affect his state. Despite his pro slavery stance, he remained loyal to the Union cause but he was still seen as an appeaser (probably true) and a lover of slavery. He wrote a book in 1866 to try to explain his side of things, then was never really heard of again. He died in his Pennsylvania home in 1868.

Odd notes: Buchanan was rumored to have a relationship with politician Rufus King, but it was never made public

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69500/6-presidential-facts-about-james-buchanan (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/69500/6-presidential-facts-about-james-buchanan%5C")

Buchanan was the first President to wear blue jeans in the Oval Office

https://funfactsaboutjamesbuchanan.webs.com/
 (http://\"https//funfactsaboutjamesbuchanan.webs.com/%5C")

Final Summary: So, I guess the real question here is, is James Buchanan the worst President of all time? Well, historians seem to think so for the most part (Andrew Johnson and Harding though certainly give him a run for his money). I, like I suspect some of you here, would disagree simply because of recent events if you know what I mean. I mean, come on, the historians don't rate Trump last? What, are they afraid the MAGA army is going to descend upon them?

Speaking of the MAGA crowd, I suspect they would have loved Buchanan. Though he wasn't as racist on the surface as maybe Jackson and that other Andrew, who we'll cover later, he certainly was incredibly insensitive. And he ignored the issues that had little to do with slavery like, for example, the economy, stupid?

Yes, I do think he wanted to be a good President, but let's face it, he had no idea what the hell he was doing. Even as he was smart enough to see the writing on the wall on the subject of secession, he didn't do an awful lot to prevent the inevitable except trying to please the South. Maybe if he had promised to allow public beatings in the town square that would have worked.

No, I don't think very highly of Southern plantation owners.

Overall rating: D-

https://millercenter.org/president/buchanan (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/buchanan%5C")
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16. ABRAHAM LINCOLN (My Mama Told Me I Was Great)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg/640px-Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg)


Born: February 12, 1809, Hodgenville, Kentucky
Died: April 15, 1865, Washington, DC (assassinated)

Term: March 4, 1861- April 15, 1865
Political Party: Republican

Vice President(s):  Hannibal Hamlin, Andrew Johnson

First Lady: Mary Todd Lincoln

Before the Presidency: As the stories say, Abraham Lincoln was indeed born in a log cabin and, unlike most of the previous Presidents, he really did come from humble means. His struggling family moved from Kentucky to Indiana when Lincoln was young, his beloved mother died when he was nine, but he lucked out when his father remarried a woman who took to young Abe, encouraging him on matters such as his education.

Lincoln was a self-educated man. He also learned the values of hard work while growing up on the farm. And, while, he argued constantly with his father, there was no doubt the love was there.

So, while poor, but with the love of family, young Lincoln was ready for the world at age seventeen, he worked on a ferryboat. This enabled Lincoln to build his own flatboat and transported produce to New Orleans.

Meanwhile, his family, and Abe, moved near Decatur, Illinois. Later, Abe would run his independent flatboat business, then move to New Salem, Illinois. This is where his political career would begin.

Many of the stories, perhaps even myths, originated from New Salem. Lincoln started modestly enough as a general store clerk, took on the town bully, and amazed the town with not only his ability at splitting rails, but with his intelligence and wit. People admired the young Lincoln for his reading and writing abilities not to mention his easygoing personality.

It led Lincoln to embark on a political career and he ran for the State Legislature. The Black Hawk war interceded, however, and he joined in the fight against the Indians. He was named as a temporary Captain which he later felt was a bigger honor than the Presidency itself. Still, even as he served three short stints, the last one as a Private where he attempted to spy on Chief Black Hawk himself, he ended up having seen no action, and his political career was put on hold.

So, Lincoln happily accepted his lot in life and embarked on a law career. He passed the bar in 1836 and was quite successful at arguing cases on behalf of the less fortunate. He became active in the Whig Party, serving as secretary at local meetings.

Even though Lincoln was a Whig, he attracted the attention of some National figures including Democratic President Andrew Jackson. Jackson appointed Lincoln as Postmaster of New Salem. No Democrat wanted the job and Lincoln was a noted non-partisan, so he was perfect for the job.

The non-partisan ship didn't last for long, though I'm sure he tried. In 1834, he did get elected to the Illinois State Legislature where he was one of the many who took a stand on a bill that condemned abolitionists. Lincoln was one of the legislators to oppose the bill and, for the first time, that would make him some enemies.

But it made him even more friends. He spoke against violence when a mob killed an abolitionist trying to defend his printing press.

Still, Lincoln hadn't quite evolved. Sensing the racist attitudes of his state overall, Lincoln, as a supporter of William Henry Harrison, blasted President Van Buren of having supported the vote of free blacks in his home state of New York. Though an opponent of slavery himself, Lincoln did not support citizenship for blacks in general.

Lincoln served four terms as a State Legislator and then took some time off, but in 1846, ran for the US House of Representatives and won. Abe Lincoln was going to Washington.

And his tenure in the House started with a bang. He spoke against the Mexican-American War. In the end, he only served one term, knowing that as a Whig, he had no chance at being either a Senator or Governor.

But Lincoln kept coming back like a bad penny (or was it a bad five dollar bill?). Anyway, he campaigned for Zachary Taylor in 1848. After a few more years as a lawyer, he returned to the state legislature in 1854 but lost his bid for the US Senate soon after.

With the Whig party now crumbling. Lincoln joined the fledgling Republican Party, and he instantly became a major player. He agreed with the party's stands against slavery, support of the repeal of the Kansas-Nebraska act, supported the admission of Kansas as a free state, and condemning the Ostend Manifesto.

Lincoln was nominated as a favorite son candidate for Vice- President in 1856. Of course, he didn't win, but he would stump for the Republican candidate, John Fremont.

Lincoln would also lose his bid to become Senator in 1858, but he was about to hit the national stage like never before.

For this was the year of the famous Lincoln- Douglas debate and it became something of a national sensation. Here was little giant Douglas, touting the pro-slavery line and a major player of the Compromise of 1850. Then you had the tall, lanky, but underdog Lincoln, while, not a true abolitionist, vehemently opposing slavery, going as far as to call it immoral. Lincoln also advocated for the preservation of the Union, and it was here where he gave his house divided cannot stand speech.

But it was on the slavery issue where Lincoln really shined. While other anti-slavery advocates had shown eloquence on the matter, no one had dared to call slavery out and out immoral. And while Lincoln accepted that slavery would have to exist where it was legal, he wouldn't accept any expansion of it in the Western territories. To Lincoln, and while he didn't see blacks as actual equals (very few whites, even Republicans, did), he did see slavery itself as a matter of right and wrong. In other words, even if he didn't quite agree with black voting rights and such, he did believe in their right to exist as free people.

Lincoln's moral stand against slavery was provocative to say the least, and while it may have cost him a chance at the Senate, it most likely improved his chances at the biggest prize of all.

Summary of offices held:

1832-1834: Postmaster, New Salem, Illinois

1834-1842: Illinois House of Representatives

1847-1849: US House of Representatives


What was going on: the Civil war in a nutshell,

Scandals within the administration: Cameron corruption scandal

Why he was a good President: Well, he freed the slaves, didn't he?

Why he was a bad President: In his determination to restore the Union, he pushed through a controversial conscription act and, worse, suspended the writ of habeas corpus making it easier to arrest war critics, and more than 600,000 people died on his watch.

What could have saved his Presidency: Well, let's see, he freed the slaves, he kept the Union together at great cost to his own mental health, and he strengthened the economy, one of the perks of having a war, I guess. Gee, I don't know what could have possibly saved his Presidency. Oh, yeah, how about a better Secret Service?

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Losing the Civil War obviously. Also, if he had stuck to his original intent of simply not expanding slavery, he certainly would not have become the folk hero we know of today. Fortunately, though, this was a man of great conscience and I'm pretty sure his intent on freeing all the slaves was genuine.

Election of 1860:  After losing out to Douglas for the Senate seat, Lincoln actively campaigned for numerous Republican candidates and would find himself a major face in party politics. It would be to no one's surprise that he would be a viable candidate for President.

Not that he was the favorite for the nomination, for that belonged to one William Seward. Like Lincoln, he was an unabashed foe of slavery and, also like Lincoln, took a moral stand against the practice.

But Seward also had his baggage, mainly in the form of his friendship of Boss Thurlow Weed (remember him?). Weed, no doubt, had a lot to do with Seward's success as he was a former Governor and still a sitting Senator. Some Republicans weren't exactly very crazy about this chummy relationship. The midwestern Republicans feared the stain of political corruption, and that would indeed become an issue in the post-Civil War years. Seward's support for Irish Immigrants didn't help him with the anti-immigrant wing of his party either (though I'll peg him up a notch in my book).

Seward entered as the favorite at the Chicago convention, but he almost instantly had to contend with a stop Seward movement. Lincoln supplied the opposition and Seward led after the first ballot, but, oh, that pesky two thirds rule. Lincoln's campaign managers were told that he would "authorize no bargains nor would he be bound by one." The delegates rounded support anyway, and Lincoln would end up nominated on the third ballot, Hannibal Hamlin being picked as Lincoln's running mate.

On the Democratic side, they would ultimately decide on Stephen Douglas, he of the now famous Lincoln-Douglas debate. He had alienated Southern Democrats when he went against the Kansas slavery overthrow tactic (No wiggle room with these guys). If you think there was a divide between North and South, just look at the Democrats of 1860. With their own two thirds rule, the South had hoped to vote in a bloc and deny Douglas the nomination. But Douglas knew if he acquiesced and endorsed a federal slave code for the territories, he would lose the Northern delegates. So, the plank failed, and fifty Southern delegates walked out. The convention was postponed until June, and they would convene again in Baltimore.

In Baltimore, the convention was again divided, Douglas won on two counts, he won over which delegation from Charleston would be recognized and he again was able to defeat the radical slavery code plank. This time, he would be nominated on the second ballot over Vice President Breckenridge. Herschel Johnson would be nominated as Vice President as he supported both states' rights and unionism (he would later become a Confederate Senator, so much for being a Unionist).

The split seemed irreversible as Southern Democrats formed their own party and nominated John Breckenridge for President. The former Whigs, not to be outdone, nominated their own candidate, one John Bell of Tennessee, a former Speaker of the House.

The general campaign started out quietly enough. Three of the candidates went with tradition and let their delegates speak for them. Douglas, on the other  hand, actively campaigned, but he may have regretted it. For, the burning question for his audiences was what would happen should Lincoln get elected.

And indeed, that was the burning issue, because many of the Southern states were threatening to secede and, if Lincoln were elected, secession would be likely a foregone conclusion. But Lincoln and the Republicans stuck to their moral values, and even though no Southern State had Lincoln even on the ballot, he would take all but one of the Northern states. Douglas, though second in the popular vote, would take only one state, Missouri, John Breckenridge turning out to be Lincoln's biggest competitor.

So, Lincoln won but the die was cast, and Southern states began to secede one by one.

First term: South Carolina was the first to secede. They were quickly followed by Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. Eventually, eleven states in all left the Union and, a month before Lincoln took office, formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln responded by promising not to end slavery where it existed but would respond to violence with force.

But the Confederates responded with a Constitution of their own with an edit that outlawed the outlawing of slavery. Oh, these guys were good.

And, a month later, as Lincoln ordered the resupply of Fort Sumter, a post off the coast of South Carolina, the Confederate Army launched an attack, thus, starting the American Civil War.

President Lincoln was now a wartime President, and he immediately took the controls as Commander-in- Chief. His main goal was initially just to preserve the Union, but as time went on, he realized that he had to accomplish more than just that. In essence, he would have to free the slaves.

Of course, they knew this in the South, and it resulted in the bloodiest war in American history. When it was finally over in 1865, six hundred thousand soldiers on both sides would lay dead.

The final states would secede to form the Confederate states. Thanks to some political maneuvering, five border states that had been also slave states stayed in the Union and two of the states, Maryland and Delaware, would ultimately align with the more liberal North as time went on. Virginia, meanwhile, would break in two, as Unionists formed the state of West Virginia.

As the war dragged on, Lincoln would name George McClellan as Commander of the Union Army. He would be known for his indecisiveness and frustrate the President to no end. The Confederates, in the meantime, named Robert E Lee as their commander. He had sworn to side with the Confederates out of loyalty to his state of Virginia. It was certainly the Union's loss as he proved to be quite the tactical General and he successfully led the Confederate Army all the way into Pennsylvania.

The battle of Antietam proved to be the bloodiest battle of the war. McClellan was successful at preventing Lee's goal of isolating Washington, but Lincoln was angry that McClellan wouldn't pursue Lee's men in retreat. As such, Lincoln would replace McClellan with George Meade.

In the meantime, President Lincoln gave the Confederacy an ultimatum, stop the rebellion or he'd free the slaves.

And, since the rebellion didn't stop, Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation which, well, technically anyway, freed all slaves in the rebellious territories but not in the border slave states that stayed in the Union or in Union occupied Louisiana or Tennessee. Not quite the benevolent charter it is alleged to be, but certainly a first step in the eradication of the sin of slavery.

But Lincoln was still growing and, during his campaign in 1864, he would pledge to push an amendment to eradicate slavery by way of the Constitution- everywhere.

There would be one more interesting moment in Lincoln's first term. There was the bloody battle of Gettysburg. Here, Lee would be repelled for good but again, he wouldn't be pursued. Lincoln replaced Meade with General Ulysses S. Grant.

Gettysburg is especially important, not just for the bloody battle, but as the backdrop for Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address.

So, up until now, Lincoln was quite adept as his role as Commander-in- Chief, even if he was a bit impatient.

But he wasn't perfect. He signed a conscription act which caused quite a bit of rioting in the North. It was also quite controversial as it allowed someone (i.e., someone with money) to pay some poor sucker to fight in the war in his place.

There was also the controversial suspension of Habeas Corpus, which basically meant anyone could be arrested for just about anything without due process or, more to the point, rabble rousing against the war. This wasn't quite the same as John Adams' Alien and Sedition Acts, journalists were still allowed to criticize. But protests on the streets in a time of war was a big no-no.

So, with the war going on and with way too many dying, Lincoln's chances at re-election seemed dim, especially since, by the end of 1863, it seemed as if the Union was losing the war.


Election of 1864: As it turned out, Lincoln did one smart thing in 1863. He dumped George Meade and appointed Ulysses S. Grant as his field general. It would change the face of the war though it wasn't that evident as 1864 began.

And it was something of a marvel that there could be an election at all. Lincoln no doubt could have easily called it off or at least postponed it, but he believed in the continuance of the work of the nation no matter what. He let the election happen even when it seemed obvious he was going to lose.

And Lincoln wasn't guaranteed a free ride by even his Republicans. The radical wing distrusted his intents when it came to the slavery issue even as Lincoln was known to have opposed it from a moral standpoint. Still, he won nomination on the first ballot. They would switch back to Lincoln when their own attempt at a political party failed.

As for the Democrats, they declared the Civil War a failure (and, in the summer of 1864, it did appear headed for a stalemate). They called for negotiations with the Confederacy in hopes of restoring the Union (naïve little buggers, weren't they?). And they responded to Lincoln the best way they knew how, by nominating the fired General, George McClellan.

The campaign from the Democrat side criticized Lincoln not only for his censoring of the wartime press (arguable), the arrest of war critics (true), and the permission to enlist black slaves into the army (oh, for shame). Needless to say, they were in for a big surprise when they found out the North had no problem with the third accusation.

Anyway, even Lincoln didn't expect to win the election. People were of course weary of the war. But what he didn't realize was that the campaign slogan of not changing horses at midstream was actually a winner. And, indeed, the Americans knew their monster. What would happen if McClellan became President? A majority of Americans decided they didn't want to know that answer.

And General Grant proved to be a stroke of genius for President Lincoln. By the time Election Day came around, the tide had turned in favor of the Union. Grant and his Generals, notably General William Sherman, he of the famous Sherman's March to the Sea, were now doing what McClellan and Meade wouldn't do, pursue the retreating Confederates.

And, armed with a vow to end slavery forever, Lincoln won in a landslide.

Second Term: As it turned out, in the 1864 campaign, the Republicans pulled one major, devastating mistake though they couldn't have known it at the time. In an attempt to balance the ticket, and looking ahead to Southern Reconstruction, they nominated a Democrat, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, not ever dreaming that he would become President.

In the meantime, Ulysses Grant laid one final blow to General Lee and the latter surrendered at Appomattox. The Civil War was over. Now President Lincoln could concentrate on healing the nation. As promised, the 13th amendment was introduced which abolished slavery entirely. As for reconstruction, he wanted to give newly freed blacks a chance of a life that whites took for granted while being merciful with the Southerners who likely still opposed him. We'll never really known what would have happened in a second Lincoln term, but there was absolutely no reason to believe that the future looked bleak, especially if you happened to have been a black slave in the South.

Some actor's idiot brother had something to say about that though.

Assassination: On April 3, 1865, President Lincoln arrived in Richmond Virginia, as the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, fled. He arrived to a throng of newly freed blacks shouting that he was the messiah. Indeed, to this day, blacks look at Lincoln as their national hero.

Six days later, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox and the war was over. It was a time for both celebration and reflection.

And, on April 14, President Lincoln decided on a night out with his wife at Ford's Theatre in Washington. He had also invited General Grant with whom he now had a personal friendship with, but Grant's wife didn't like the high strung Mary Todd Lincoln and Grant didn't really feel like going anyway.

As it turned out, that decision might not only have saved Grant's life, it also saved what could have been an even worse period than what was about to befall the nation. For, there was a plot not only to kill the President, but also the Vice-President, the Secretary of State, and General Grant. As it was, Seward was stabbed was in bed but would survive and purchase Alaska. Johnson's would be assassin, meanwhile, chickened out.

John Wilkes Booth (another Marylander to be ashamed of, hey, at least we gave you Frank Zappa), the ringleader of this motley crew, would be charged with the assassination attempt of Grant and the assassination of the President himself. Well, as already mentioned, Grant wasn't at Ford Theatre, as Booth somehow knew that's where the President would be, but President Lincoln was.

And Booth, as an actor himself, knew what he was doing. He timed the assassination to take place after one of the funnier lines of the play. Indeed, there was laughter from the Presidential box when Booth fired his fatal shot at close range, hitting Lincoln in the head.

After a struggle with Henry Rathbone, the President's guard, Booth jumped from the balcony, breaking his leg in the process, and screamed Sic Semper Tyrannis which proved at least he knew some Latin.

Our friendly Confederate sympathizer got away, only to be killed twelve days later. His other conspirators would be captured, and some would be executed.

As for Lincoln, he was taken back to the White House where he would die a day later.

Odd notes: John Wilkes Booth attended Lincoln's second inauguration

Lincoln and Mary Todd held seances at the White House

https://constitutioncenter.org/media/files/lincoln_facts.pdf (http://\"https//constitutioncenter.org/media/files/lincoln_facts.pdf%5C")

https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-abraham-lincoln/ (http://\"https//www.historyhit.com/facts-about-abraham-lincoln/%5C")



Final Summary: To say that Abraham Lincoln paid a dear price for his convictions would be an understatement. The death toll of the Civil War would gnaw at him, and he suffered from major bouts of depression. And the freeing of the slaves most likely cost him his life.

Like George Washington, Lincoln seems to be held high on a pedestal. Like Washington, there are stories of mythical proportions surrounding the man.

But, of course, Lincoln, like anyone else, was merely a human being and as such, he was flawed. The imposition of Habeas Corpus in particular kind of bugs me. I get that you have to take certain precautions during wartime, especially one on your own land, but to lessen anyone's freedom simply for disagreeing seems to be counter to the ideals of Democracy.

On the other hand, Lincoln grew along with the Presidency. When he began, he was more than willing to sacrifice the blacks to slavery if it meant preserving the Union. But, as he saw the humanity in black people, and certainly after meeting black abolitionist Frederick Douglass (Finally, a Marylander I can be proud of), he changed his views on blacks. I don't know if he died seeing them as equals quite yet (the 1860s were pretty ugly times), but he was certainly heading to that conclusion.

And, of course, it is hard to find another President with the honesty and integrity this man had. And a majority of historians (I think) rate him as the greatest President in American History.

But do I think Abraham Lincoln is the greatest President in American History, well, not really.

But he comes pretty darn close.

Overall rating: A

https://millercenter.org/president/lincoln (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/lincoln%5C") return

17. ANDREW JOHNSON (Please Impeach Me)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Andrew_Johnson_photo_portrait_head_and_shoulders%2C_c1870-1880-Edit1.jpg/640px-Andrew_Johnson_photo_portrait_head_and_shoulders%2C_c1870-1880-Edit1.jpg)

Born: December 29, 1808, Raleigh, North Carolina
Died: July 31, 1875, Carter's Station, Tennessee

Term: April 15, 1865- March 4, 1869
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): none

First Lady: Eliza McArdle Johnson

Before the Presidency: Andrew Johnson as born in poverty in North Carolina. His father died when he was three, leaving his mother to work as a weaver/spinner to feed Andrew and his brother. She remarried, but the fortunes didn't improve. Andrew and his brother were sold as apprentices to a tailor. That didn't work out so well and the two boys ran away. After two years on the run, Andrew reunited with his mother and step-father before moving west to Greenville, Tennessee.

Now a tailor, Andrew tried to teach himself to read and write but had some difficulty until he met Eliza McArdle, who he would marry. Unlike Andrew, Eliza was well educated and had a yen for money. She taught Andrew to read and write and he was able to invest some money in real estate and farmlands.

His political career started early as he served as a local alderman as well as Mayor of Greenville by 1834. He considered himself a Jacksonian Democrat and his speeches that attracted the interests of the common man, Johnson found himself elected to the Tennessee State Legislature in 1834 and 1838. He then served in the State Senate in 1841.

Johnson served in the US House of Representatives from 1843 to 1853. He lost the seat as the result of gerrymandering, but Johnson would win the Governor's Seat where he served from 1853 to 1857.  He then served in the Senate again from 1857 to 1862. As the only Southern Senator not to abandon his seat, Johnson found himself appointed as Military Governor of Tennessee in 1862.

Johnson had Presidential admirations as he sought the 1860 Democratic nomination. At best, he was a longshot and his candidacy never really gained momentum. As a Southerner, he supported slavery, now having fourteen slaves himself. But he also opposed secession and won praise from the North when he was the only Southerner not to abandon his Senate seat when the Southern States seceded.

So, in 1864, Johnson seemed, on paper anyway, to be a viable candidate for the 1864 Democratic nomination.

But the Republicans had other ideas.


Summary of offices held:

1829-1834: Alderman, Greenville, Tennessee.

1834-1835: Mayor, Greenville, Tennessee

1835-1841: Tennessee State Legislature

1841-1843: State Senator, Tennessee

1843-1853: US House of Representatives

1853-1857: Governor of Tennessee

1857-1862: US Senator

1862-1865: Military Governor, Tennessee

1865: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Reconstruction, purchase of Alaska,

Scandals within the administration: The Johnson impeachment

Why he was a good President: He more or less stuck to his convictions, warped as they may have been, and he weathered his impeachment with dignity. Then there was Seward's Folly.

Why he was a bad President: Are you kidding me? He clearly had no desire to help the former slaves and had no problems with the state laws meant to guarantee that blacks would remain third class citizens. And he didn't really tolerate cabinet members that didn't always agree with him.

What could have saved his Presidency: If he had simply followed Lincoln's moderate path by not allowing the Black Code laws and ensuring blacks had equal rights while being reasonably lenient to the South, he would have been fine. He didn't have to be oppressive to the whites like the radicals wanted and, of course, he wasn't, but he shouldn't have enabled them to make life a living hell pretty much for the freed blacks either.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Um, the guy was impeached. Need I say more?

How he became Vice- President:  With the Civil War being drawn out, President Lincoln was nervous about his re-election chances. While his campaign slogan was Don't change horses in midstream, that's exactly what he did when he dumped Vice President Hannibal Hamlin and went with Democrat Andrew Johnson. It was felt that, as a war Democrat from the South, Johnson could balance the ticket as was known to be tough against the planter aristocracy. Of course, we know now that this was likely Lincoln's biggest mistake.

Anyway, Johnson was the running mate and advocates played up to his strengths. Johnson proved attractive to Irish Catholics in the North (Johnson may have been a racist, more on that later, but he evidently stood up for the Catholics as Governor of Tennessee). And, though he wasn't popular with the Radical Republicans, he scored well with moderates and, with the war turning in Lincoln's favor, would be elected Vice-President in a landslide.

First term: Andrew Johnson was Vice President for just a little over a month when President Lincoln was assassinated. It's safe to say he wasn't ready to fill in the great President's shoes and it became obvious rather quickly, that the new President did not share the same vision that Lincoln had, and he certainly didn't have the same agenda the Radical Republicans did.

For the Radical Republicans were in a punitive mood. They wanted to impose martial law on the former Confederacy, something Lincoln may have not necessarily agreed with. They likely would have agreed on the laws that would help blacks adapt into white society such as the Freedmen's Bureau and ensuring certain rights such as voting and even election to office.

The new President had different ideas. He offered amnesty called for new opportunities to help poor white people. Black Code laws were being enforced in some of the Southern states meant to limit the rights of these new free people.

1865 came and went without any incident, or at least following the assassination. President Johnson, as promised, offered amnesty to most Southerners who took a loyalty oath and appointed Provisional Governors throughout the South.

But things went sour in 1866.  President Johnson vetoed an extension of the Freedmen's Bureau which was meant to neutralize the Black Code laws that were popping up in the South. Johnson condemned the radicals as traitors, and a distasteful political war had begun.

A month later, Johnson would veto the Civil Rights Bill. This would be overridden. In fact, of Johnson's 29 vetoes total, 15 of them would be overridden. Meanwhile, Congress would pass the fourteenth Amendment establishing citizenship for all born on American soil. It would be ratified two years later

Johnson would get a rude awakening come November when radical Republicans he was campaigning against won seats in Congress. This set the tide for one of the more tense years in Congress.

The Congress, and the House in particular, was set on kicking President Johnson out on his butt, so they passed a bill known as the Tenure of Office Act. This was a bill that forbade a President to fire someone in his own cabinet. And, not surprisingly, Johnson took the bait when he fired Edwin Stanton, the War Secretary.

Thus, began the first Impeachment hearings of a US President in history. Both Houses of Congress were loaded with Republicans and the majority of them wanted to see Johnson go. So, they voted to impeach Johnson in 1868.

Now in the United States, this is how impeachment works. A simple majority of the House is all that is needed to impeach. This is sort of like a grand jury that decides  on whether to charge a person with something. If impeached, the Senate holds a trial presided over by the Chief Justice. A the end of the trial, the Senate votes on whether to remove the President but, unlike the House, a two thirds majority is needed for removal.

In Johnson's case, the vote to convict fell by just one vote. John Kennedy (or maybe his ghostwriter) would single out one of the seven Republican Senators who voted against impeachment, Edmund Ross, in his book, Profiles in Courage.

So, President Johnson's job was saved until the election anyway and not much happened for the rest of his term. He would leave with no real accomplishments save for Seward's Folly, something I'm sure the Russians kicked themselves for in later years, especially during the Cold War.

Post Presidency: Johnson wouldn't stay away from Politics. The former President would run for both the Senate and the House of Representatives, failing each time until 1874 when he finally won. Johnson felt vindicated after that particular election. Once in the Senate in 1875, he would speak out against corruption in the Grant Administration mainly.

His tenure in the Senate was short lived. In July 1875, Johnson suffered a stroke and died soon after.

Odd notes: As a tailor, Johnson made his own clothes.

He allegedly once suggested that God had Lincoln killed so he could become President

https://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/andrewjohnson.php#:~:text=Fun%20Facts%20About%20Andrew%20Johnson,of%20the%20U.S.%20Constitution%20memorized. (http:)


Final Summary: Well, in some ways, Andrew Johnson was his own worst enemy. He really wasn't prepared to be President, maybe he wasn't even prepared to be Vice-President. He obviously could care less about the welfare of black people, and while he may have opposed secession, he nevertheless was maybe not as stern as he should have been with the South, particularly when it came to equal rights. Again, no one said he had to bring in the stormtroopers like a bunch of Fascists. But he could have enforced the rights of black citizens much like Dwight Eisenhower would do in the Little Rock school crisis in 1957, in other a words a show of force was all he needed to do, but he couldn't even do that.

As for the impeachment, well, yeah, that was kind of politically motivated as Clinton's would be more than a century later. Some people might argue that Trump's first impeachment could have been politically motivated too but that's for later. Mind you, I'm not saying that Johnson shouldn't have been spanked, and in a sense, he was when it was obvious he had no chance at keeping the Presidency in the upcoming election.

I'd give the guy an F, but he did do one wise thing by keeping Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward. Yeah, I know, I was talking about Seward's Folly for a couple times during this bio.

But do you know what Seward's Folly was? Well, lets put it this way, he was being ridiculed by the Congress for purchasing a large piece of land owned by Russia that was, in the eyes of most people in 1867, fairly barren.

That barren land happened to be Alaska.

So that alone saves Johnson from being the worst President ever.

But everything else, ugh!


Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/johnson (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/johnson%5C")
return

18. ULYSSES S. GRANT (I am the very model of a modern major general)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Ulysses_S._Grant_1870-1880.jpg/640px-Ulysses_S._Grant_1870-1880.jpg)


Born: April 27, 1822, Point Pleasant, Ohio
Died: July 23, 1885, Mount McGregor, New York

Term: March 4, 1869- March 4, 1877
Political Party: Republican

Vice President(s): Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson

First Lady: Julia Dent Grant

Before the Presidency: The dominance of Ohio politicians would begin with this man. Grant grew up the son of a tanner in Ohio. They made a decent living, but it was hard work and Grant swore he wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps. He wasn't necessarily the best student though he wasn't a ruffian by any means. He did develop a great knack for horsemanship.

While Grant had no desire to become a tanner, his father encouraged the young Ulysses to try to improve his lot in life. There wasn't a lot of money for college, but West Point Military Academy was offering a free college education in return for military service. Grant was reluctant at first, but his father encouraged Ulysses to go for it. While, at West Point, Ulysses struggled at first, particularly with his studies, but his skill with horses was impressive and it was thought he would go into the cavalry. As it turned out, he would go into the infantry instead, having graduated in the middle of the pack.

As it was, Grant would become quite happy with a military career. He was a Lieutenant in the Mexican- American War and was twice cited for bravery. He was appointed a quartermaster and would learn a lot about logistics during that stint. He was also an admirer of General Zachary Taylor. Having said that, Grant really wasn't what you would call a warmonger. He mourned at the loss of life and hated the destruction that war created.

He went home to St. Louis to marry Julia Dent, then, as a career army man, was sent all over the country from Detroit and New York to Oregon and California. The traveling began to take a toll on the young officer, and it is rumored that he developed a drinking problem during this period. Finally, in 1854, he abruptly quit the Army.

For the next seven years, Grant lived as a private citizen, first on a farm in Missouri where he hired free blacks to tend to his piece of land. He also had a slave given to him by his father in law, but Grant freed the man, certainly proving the compassion that was in him.  Later, he moved to Illinois to work at his younger brother's shop. It was then when the Civil War broke out and the North was looking for experienced officers. Grant was back in the Army.

The Governor of Illinois appointed Grant to lead a regiment, a regiment that Grant had no problem disciplining into a solid unit. The men came to respect and even love Grant as he didn't make a fuss over minor details. This respect would give Grant more responsibilities as he was quickly promoted as high as Brigadier General.

For much of the Civil War, Grant led his troops with little or no fanfare. Meanwhile, the North, despite having the advantage of being able to make more munitions, wasn't exactly wiping the floor with the South when it came to the battlefield. The Union Generals seemed reluctant to aggressively pursue the Southern armies and it was something that frustrated President Lincoln to no end.

As for General Grant, he showed a willingness to fight the enemy early on. He knew that the Confederates feared the Union as much as the Union feared them. With that knowledge, and with the support of his troops, they captured two critical forts in Tennessee. Indeed, the Fort Donelson victory is seen as the Union's first real victory of the war.

The good fortunes, at least in the PR department, were not to last, however. Grant lost many casualties at the battle of Shiloh and the press had a field day blaming Grant even though he managed a tactical victory.

There was one person that didn't blame General Grant though, President Lincoln. Lincoln stuck by his tactical commander, and it was rewarded as Grant won the battle of Vicksburg in 1863. This was a huge pivotal victory in the Civil War and Lincoln was to say, "Grant is my man, and I am his." And within months, Grant was running the Western theatre of the war.

After more successes at Chattanooga and Knoxville, President Lincoln appointed Grant Lieutenant General and commander of all Union forces. Grant brought his most dependable generals along with him including William Sherman, Philip Sheridan, and James McPherson. Grant was transferred to Washington to oversee the war effort and, after more victories, notably the burning of Richmond and Atlanta and Sherman's march to the sea, Robert E Lee formally surrendered to Grant, now back in the military theatre himself, at Appomattox, Virginia, in April 1865.

In four short years, Grant went from an unknown leather-shop clerk, to probably the most popular person in the United States. In 1866, he was named General of all the armies and was no doubt as famous as Generals Jackson, Harrison, and Taylor before him.

Summary of offices held:

1839-1854: United States Army (Captain)

1861-1869: Union Army (Lieutenant General)

1864-1869: Commanding Genera of the US Army

1867-1868: Acting Secretary of War


What was going on: Reconstruction, the American Indian wars, Panic of 1873, Transcontinental railroad

Scandals within the administration: Credit Mobilier Scandal, Belknap bribery scandal, The Sanborn incident, the Salary Grab Act

Why he was a good President: He led the efforts at reconstruction with a steady hand. He was determined to give former slaves the same rights as any white American would take for granted, and, while not totally successful, was able to make some inroads to that goal. He was also a friend to Native Americans even though the Indian Wars more of less started on his watch.

Why he was a bad President: He could never really get out from under the various scandals. He laid too much trust in some of his aides, blind loyalty is never an admirable trait. He probably didn't do such a great job with the Panic of 1873 either.

What could have saved his Presidency: If he had known more of what was going on during the Indian Wars, especially with General George Custer and his disastrous Battle of Little Big Horn (I'm assuming Trolls will elaborate on that in his American History thread). I don't think he could have done more in the matter of reconstruction given the hostile resistance.

But of course, the real elephants in the room were the various political scandals. Maybe if he had taken the Trumanesque approach, said the buck stops here, and fired the little brats, well maybe he might have been regarded as a better than average President.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, the scandals pretty much made his administration a living hell, obviously, but had the Panic of 1873 been worse wouldn't have helped. Also, he could have easily done his best Sergeant Schultz impression and looked the other way at the terrorist activities against the blacks in the South. Very much to his credit, he didn't.

Election of 1868: The political aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's assassination was a bit depressing to say the least. Reconstruction was having its problems, the Radical Republicans had more or less turned the South into an occupied totalitarian state, and the Southern whites weren't doing themselves any favors with their own acts of oppression as lynchings were already becoming common. And going through an impeachment hearing didn't help matters much either.

So, it was with this backdrop that the parties convened to nominate their candidates. And the Republicans all but drafted the reluctant Grant to run on their ticket. Grant had served under Johnson in an acting capacity. Grant disagreed with Johnson's white supremacist policies and wouldn't support him in his battles with Congress. In fact, his (Grant's) views were tilting ever so slowly towards the radical Republicans' viewpoint.

So, Grant was nominated unanimously, and the Republicans ran him with true radical Schuyler Colfax.

On the Democratic side, Former VP nominee George Pendleton was the favorite and led on the first fifteen ballots, but others began to enter the fray including the unpopular President Johnson. In the end, the Democrats went with Former Governor Horatio Seymour of New York, who was even more reluctant than Grant to run.

The main issue of the general campaign was on how to handle reconstruction. Seymour, hoping to stem the tide of vicious attacks against Grant, calmly suggested that reconstruction should be left to the states. Grant didn't campaign at all, only going as far as to advocate peace, but his supporters certainly wanted the Federal Government's fingerprints all over reconstruction.

In the end, the popular vote was surprisingly close, but Grant scored an easy victory in the Electoral College.

First term:  President Grant's first year was something of a mixed bag. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed that year but this new railroad industry, led by a group on men derisively known as robber barons, inadvertently would cause the Panic of 1869. Jay Gould and James Fisk, Jr, speculated that if the Government refrained from buying gold, its value would increase and raise farm prices. Grant's own Brother-in-law was involved in the scheme. Grant would foil their plans by selling $4 million worth of gold and it would lead to a stock market crash.

The market would recover as Gould and Fisk got off scott free. Grant, meanwhile, had other fish to fry. He would veto a series of relief bills. On the other hand, he pushed through the Fifteenth Amendment which gave all citizens (well, male citizens anyway) the right to vote, regardless of race, color, creed, or whether having had been a slave. He took a hands on approach to reconstruction using the military to enforce black emancipation and, in fact, to also give them some political power. He also hoped to improve the prospects of Republicanism in the South from a political standpoint. He signed a series of enforcement acts, one of which was the Ku Klux Klan act. By now, a white supremacist terrorist group known as the Ku Klux Klan, was terrorizing and intimidating black citizens in order to prevent them to vote. This didn't go well with President Grant, obviously, and he would send troops to South Carolina in 1871 to enforce the act.

There were also some victories on the diplomatic front as well. The US signed a friendship treaty with Great Britain. As a result, the once former foes would enjoy a close diplomatic friendship to this day.

Other issues were also cropping up as there would be an investigation into corruption in New York City centered around one Boss William Tweed and his Tammany Hall. The Great Chicago fire (unrelated to the Grant Administration of course) also happened during this term.

Election of 1872: President Grant was hugely popular going into 1872. There were fractures within the Republican party over reconstruction as a group known as the Liberal Republicans, who were anything but liberal, opposed Grant's policies on civil rights for blacks as well as Federal Intervention in the South. Though they wouldn't say it outright, they were advocating a return to white rule in the South. In the end, though, it didn't matter; Grant was re-nominated unanimously yet again. They did switch Vice Presidents though when they decided to go with Senator Henry Wilson from Massachusetts.

The Liberal Republicans, also upset at the alleged corruption within the Grant Administration, formed their own party and nominated eccentric journalist Horace Greely. The Democrats, meanwhile, couldn't decide on a candidate so they decided to back the Liberal Party candidate, thus, Greely went from a third party gadfly to a major candidate.

The general election was a foregone conclusion. Greeley didn't even bother to campaign and Grant remained hugely popular. In the end, Grant won in a landslide

Second Term: Speaking of corruption and just two months after the election, the Credit Mobilier scandal exploded. It involved the Union Pacific Railroad. In this, railroad directors used a dummy corporation known as the Credit Mobilier Corporation to pay themselves. This fraud would involve bribes that would tarnish various congressmen as well as thirteen Senators. This also trickled into the Grant Administration and involved not only the present Vice President, Schuyler Colfax, but also the incoming Henry Wilson.

It wouldn't get better for President Grant. While more scandals were threatening Congress, the Panic of 1873 happened. This would be worse than the panic four years earlier and was the worst financial crisis since 1837. Grant's response was to veto the Greenbacks bill and switch the US back to a gold standard. As such, the US went with a hard currency course for the rest of the century and established the Republican Party as the party of fiscal conservatism.

The worst moment of Grant's administration occurred in 1875 when the Whiskey Ring scandal broke. Grant's Treasury Secretary wanted to investigate distillers accused of defrauding federal agents. Grant encouraged Secretary Bristow and would find himself in the hot seat when it was discovered that the scandal, known as the Whiskey Ring, led right to his own administration, starting with his personal secretary, Oliver Babcock. Grant himself was not implicated and Babcock would be found innocent, though he would lose his job.

And something good came out of it. President Grant made Civil Service reform a priority as he formed the Civil Service Commission as a way to thwart the decades old spoils system. Unfortunately, he didn't get much from Congress on that platform, however.

It seemed as if the various scandals that plagued the Grant Administration would all but destroy his Presidency and, indeed, it was the reason he had been ranked as one of the nation's worst Presidents.

But he also wanted to assimilate the Native Americans into the American way of life, hoping to give them US citizenship, encouraging them to become farmers, and giving them their own lands on reservations. Unfortunately, the bigoted white settlers (and the cavalries, anyone hear of General Custer?) had something to say about that and the infamous Indian wars would explode during this second term.



Post Presidency: In 1876 there was an attempt by Congress to limit the President to two terms out of fear that Grant may try for a third run.

But Grant said early on that he didn't plan to run (maybe he should have in retrospect, no fault of Hayes or Tilden). Instead, he helped to monitor the disputed election wanting to make sure the dispute was handled fairly with no favor to either party.

So, Grant left the office with the country in stable condition at least and he embarked on a two year trip around the world with his wife, Julia. He was greeted warmly by most of the world as he was seen as a hero who restored American Democracy. He would return to the United States with a renewed popularity as well and considered a run for the Presidency in 1880 as President Hayes refused to run for a second term. It wasn't to be, however as there was too much of a stop Grant movement within the party.

The last years of Grant's life were rather sad as he was hit with financial ruin. He had to rely on the kindness of friends to keep him afloat.

But he was far from a pathetic figure. He discovered he enjoyed writing and he wrote for Century Magazine about his Civil War experiences. This gave him some income. He also was befriended by a famous author that went by the name of Mark Twain.

And that would prove to be a boon for Grant's family, for Grant was tragically diagnosed with throat cancer. He spent his last months working on his autobiography, which Twain would publish. He had hopes that this book would help to provide for his family when he was gone. He finished the book just days before his death and the book indeed would provide for his family and for the rest of their lives. He hit a home run right at the end.

Grant's funeral was a spectacular one as the well loved hero would have one and a half million spectators to view the procession.

And, yes, Ulysses S. Grant is buried in Grant's Tomb.

Odd notes: Grant was given a slave. He freed the slave a year later.


https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-ulysses-s-grant/ (http://\"https//www.historyhit.com/facts-about-ulysses-s-grant/%5C")

Grant was invited to attend Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was shot but he politely declined the offer (Julia Grant couldn't stand Mary Todd Lincoln- not  a lot of people could)

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547771/ulysses-s-grant-facts (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/547771/ulysses-s-grant-facts%5C")




Final Summary: Let's face it. Like most of the Generals before him, Grant was way over his head when he entered the Presidency and, as noted before, he never could really get out from under the various scandals that plagued his administration.

But Grant himself was an honest man and he did grow with the Presidency (Taylor really didn't and Harrison never really had a chance). And there was no doubt this was a great man of decency. He did what he could to help blacks in the South. And people forget that it was he who forged the great friendship with England that we enjoy today.

And even if he wasn't a great President so to speak, he tried to be a good one, much like many not so successful Presidents past and future. And he was no doubt one of the best loved Americans in history.

I also can't forget he was the one who got the ball rolling with Civil Service reform. Hayes would also push for it and Garfield was ready to bring it home (And, after Garfield's assassination, Arthur, in fact, did)

But, oh those scandals.

Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/grant (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/grant%5C")

19.RUTHERFORD B. HAYES (Goodbye to Wendell Gee)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/President_Rutherford_Hayes_1870_-_1880_Restored.jpg/800px-President_Rutherford_Hayes_1870_-_1880_Restored.jpg)

Born: October 4, 1822, Delaware, Ohio
Died: January 17, 1893, Fremont, Ohio

Term: March 4, 1877- March 4, 1881
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: William Wheeler

First Lady: Lemonade Lucy Webb Hayes

Before the Presidency: Rutherford Hayes, or Rud for short, didn't have the greatest start in life. His father died ten weeks before he was even born. Sickly as an infant, he would also lose his older brother in a drowning accident.

Still, despite the obvious hardships of being raised by a single mother, Rud was raised in a loving environment. He had an Uncle that served as a surrogate father figure. His independent widowed mother as well as his sister were huge influences in his education. His mother taught Rud how to read and write and his sister introduced him to the classics, such as Shakespeare. After a stint in public schools, his uncle funded Rud's and his sister's private education. Rud, like his sister, was quite bright, and he graduated as Valedictorian at Kenton College in 1842.

Hayes decided on a law career and started studying at a law office in Columbus before getting a law degree at Harvard in 1845. He passed the Ohio bar and opened a law office in Lower Sandusky, near his Uncle.

After a bout with tuberculosis, Hayes made a name for himself in criminal law in Cincinnati. He had compassion for the downtrodden and was known for saving his clients from the gallows or from jail altogether. He was socially popular and especially had an interest in literary gatherings. But, in the end, he would marry a girl from his hometown of Delaware, Lucy Webb.

Lucy would be quite the strong willed woman with opinions of her own. She was strongly anti-slavery and just as strongly supported temperance, the latter becoming a major factor when Hayes became President.

Though he saw abolitionists as way too radical, Hayes, nonetheless was moderately anti-slavery. Still, he was heavily influenced by Lucy, whose views were probably a little more radical for the time and started to defend runaway slaves who came to Ohio from Kentucky. A celebrated case was of a slave who had been brought to Ohio en route to Virginia with her owner. She was detained by anti-slavery activists and the owner asked what she wanted to do. When the slave chose freedom, he had her arrested as a runaway slave. Hayes, along with Senator Salmon Chase and Judge Timothy Walker, took on the case. As with these cases though, it was a little drawn out, but in the end, Hayes' argument that the slave was not a runaway since her owner brought her to Ohio won out. The Commissioner hearing the case agreed and the slave was no longer a slave.

And as such, Hayes' political career had begun in earnest. The Whigs by now had folded and Hayes helped form the Ohio Republican Party. He was a little disappointed that some of the old Whig values had been abandoned but nonetheless, enthusiastically supported John Fremont's Presidential campaign in 1856.

In 1858, he was chosen to fill in for Cincinnati's City Attorney, a post he kept until 1861.

He may have held that post a while longer except 1861 was the year the Civil War broke out. Hayes entered a local volunteer company at the age of 39 and might have stayed there, but once he realized the war could be a long drawn out affair, he declared his willingness to fight for the Union and was appointed as a Major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteers. He was well liked and respected by enlisted men and his superiors alike. He served in the regiment with another future President, William McKinley, and they would become close friends.

Hayes would be injured in the Battle of South Mountain at Antietam and Lucy would nurse him, and other injured soldiers as they convalesced at Middletown, Maryland. Hayes efforts at Antietam were considered quite brave and he would be promoted to Colonel. He would distinguish himself under General Phillip Sheridan as the Union Army drove into the Shenandoah region. In 1864, Hayes would suffer a head wound but, luckily for him, the bullet had passed through another soldier, and he ended up surviving in one piece.

Hayes mustered out of the Army as a Brigadier General after the war having distinguished himself in battle. He didn't have the fame of a Ulysses Grant or William Sherman, but he certainly had a lot to be proud of by standing for his convictions.

He was a hero in Cincinnati though, and he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1864 despite his protests (he was still fighting a war). Still, he accepted election and took his seat after the war. He was a Radical Republican and supported their positions but wasn't one to make a lot of speeches. He resigned in 1867 to run for Governor of Ohio.

It wasn't an easy race. Though Hayes appealed to the anti- Catholic sentiments in the state, he also was pushing for voting rights for blacks and barely won the election. The Democrats won the State Legislature, and his hopes of black suffrage would be dashed. He did get the 14th and 15th Amendments ratified in Ohio however and he would be re-elected, serving as Governor until 1872. The political career seemed to end that year after Hayes lost a bid back to Congress while supporting President Grant's re-election. He retired from politics and moved to what was now Fremont to help his ailing Uncle Sardis.





Summary of offices held:

1858-1861: City's Attorney, Cincinnati, Ohio

1861-1865: US Union Army, Brigadier General

1865-1867: US House of Representatives

1868-1872: Governor of Ohio

1876-1877: Governor of Ohio


What was going on: End of reconstruction, The Railroad barons, The American Indian wars

Scandals within the administration: Ayers corruption scandal

Why he was a good President: He was a staunch advocate of Civil Service reform and while he couldn't go all the way with it, he certainly had it going in the right direction. And indeed, even if some of his decisions were controversial from a historic standpoint, no one ever doubted his great integrity.

Why he was a bad President: Well, some of decisions were controversial. I won't beat him up on ending Reconstruction because he was between a rock and a hard place there, but he could have been more empathetic to the Native American cause, at least politically (personally, I think he felt great guilt). And he definitely fouled up when he restricted Chinese Immigration.

What could have saved his Presidency: If he had been the one to pass the Civil Reform Act and not Chester Arthur, that certainly could have helped his legacy as a reformer. A stronger enforcement of black voting rights would have also secured his place in history.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A few things really. Going back to the gold standard could have been a disaster (luckily for him, it wasn't). If things had gone awry with the 1877 railroad strike (which he handled quite well), and if he had caved in to the South with their anti-voting legislation. Yes, that resistance would be short lived post Hayes, but at least he didn't succumb to the pressure.

Election of 1876: Hayes thought he was retired but economic hard times and an unpopular Democratic Governor led to a draft Hayes movement in Ohio. He won a close election and started a third term as Governor.

And it turned Hayes into a major Presidential Candidate. The Republicans we're in a disarray after the Grant scandals. Hayes was attractive as a favorite son candidate, and he was popular with both the regular and reform wings of his party. He supported Radical Republican legislation, and he was an advocate for African-American suffrage. His integrity was beyond reproach and, on top of that, he was from a swing state. He wasn't the favorite; James Blaine of Maine was.

But Blaine was tarnished by corruption while the other favorites, Oliver Morton, the Radical's choice, was ill, Benjamin Bristow, the reformer, was nixed by Grant, and Roscoe Conkling, well, he was Boss Roscoe Conkling, wasn't he?

So that left Hayes and he clinched the nomination on the seventh ballot.

The Democrats, meanwhile, though they had a real shot at gaining the Presidency this year. Their platform was dominated by political reforms in the wake of the Grant Administration scandals and Governor Samuel Tilden of New York won by a landslide on the second ballot.

Like Hayes, Tilden was a reformer, credited with helping to bust the Boss Tweed ring. And it was, at least until election day, a reasonably civil campaign.  Both candidates pushed for civil service reform, Hayes going even farther to pledge he'd only serve for one term. Tilden, meanwhile, was counting on the Southern vote, knowing full well that Republican voting blacks would be discouraged from the polls.

In the end, Samuel Tilden won the popular vote, nearly 51% in fact. But several states, particularly in the South, were ripe with voter fraud and the election was declared with no officially elected President.

So, the election would be decided by the House. Not surprisingly, there was a lot of accusations coming from both parties and they would decide on a bipartisan Elections Committee. Hayes initially opposed that as he felt it would give up on electoral certainty, but he came to realize it would enhance the legitimacy of the declared winner, whoever he may be.

But, while Tilden may have been honest, his nephew wasn't as he thought he could buy the one independent's vote for Tilden. Sensing a conflict, Judge Davis resigned as the only independent on the Committee. He was replaced by a Republican Senator and Hayes was declared the winner.

But wait, there's more. Tilden had technically won Louisiana, but 15,000 votes were thrown out as fraudulent, Hayes was awarded the state. This led the Democrats to pull a full court press and stall the certification all the way to inauguration day.

The Democrats knew that Hayes would ultimately be chosen in the end, but they were able to negotiate the removal of Federal troops from the remaining occupied states thus, ending Reconstruction. They also wanted subsidies for the Texas and Pacific railroad as well as guarantees of pre-war Whig appointments to the cabinet.

Whether Hayes was involved in the deal is questionable. The end of Reconstruction was happening anyway, and Hayes was a reformer, so he wasn't about to pay off some railroad baron. Nevertheless, The Democratic Speaker of the House called off the filibusters that were holding up the certification, and Hayes was inaugurated.


First term: This was going to be a rough term even if Tilden had won. As for Hayes, he not only had to deal with resistance from the Democrats, but he also had problems within his own party as Boss Conklin christened him with the moniker, His Fraudulency. He did in fact remove the Federal troops from the South and Reconstruction was over.

With Reconstruction now on the backburner, President Hayes worked on civil reform as he issued an executive order barring Federal employees from engaging in political activities. It also said that no one in office could be dismissed for political reasons. He also had to deal with a major railroad strike and sent Federal troops to quell the unrest and to protect the mail.

The war against the Patronage gods continued meanwhile as he took on Boss Conkling. President Hayes fired the Collector of the Port of New York, Chester A. Arthur. This infuriated Conkling who then blocked Arthur's would be replacement, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. (Yeah, Teddy's father).

On the economic front, Hayes put America back on the Gold Standard. There was also the situation with the continued displacement of Native Americans. President Hayes allowed that to continue thinking it was the best for all parties involved. Obviously, it wasn't. He also signed a bill restricting Chinese immigration to the United States.

But when it came to black suffrage, he was able to make a stand when Democrats tried to push through a law allowing troops to oversee voting booths (the intention was to discourage black suffrage in the South). Hayes vetoed the bill three times before settling on a bill he could live with. This ensured that blacks could at least go to the voting booth without intimidation in 1880 anyway.

And he left office with a pretty good reputation as a reformer. So, yeah, a mixed bag.

But at least he wasn't James Buchanan.

Post Presidency: As pledged, Hayes did not run for re-election. Instead, he and Lemonade Lucy called it a day. Not that he rested on his laurels. He still advocated for social causes, especially in regard to public education. He fought for the poor, black and white. He opposed the death penalty and believed in prison reform.

And, near the end of his life, he favored the regulation of industry seeing the gap between rich and poor (something that probably would get him thrown out of the Republican Party today). Indeed, Hayes would be something of an activist and enjoyed a very productive Post-Presidency that is comparable to the likes of Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter. Failed Presidents, yes.

But much better people.

Odd notes: Hayes banned booze at the White House
 
                    The Hayes' were given the first Siamese Cat in America

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69848/7-presidential-facts-about-rutherford-b-hayes (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/69848/7-presidential-facts-about-rutherford-b-hayes)[/URL]


Final Summary: So, yes, as President, Rutherford Hayes is something of a mixed bag. Though no one ever doubted his integrity, he did seem to cave in on issues such as Chinese immigration, and even African-American suffrage to a point. He probably wasn't what you would call an economic expert either, though he certainly did the best he could there.

On the other hand, he didn't do anything to hurt black voting rights and prevented what would have been a worst situation when 1880 rolled around. More importantly, he championed the march towards civil service reform and never wavered in his attempts to eliminate patronage from government. It was why he pledged for only one term to begin with.

Now, a lot of historians think that Samuel Tilden would have made a better President. Maybe he would have. But how would he have handled the railroad strike? Yes, he likely would have been for Civil Service reform, but could he have stood up to the likes of Roscoe Conkling, as Hayes did? Don't forget, if anything, the Democrats were even more corrupt.

So, even though Hayes got in by rather controversial means, I can't say he would have been any better or worse than Tilden. One thing is for certain though, Rud Hayes was a very good man who had strong convictions.

I just wish (outside of civil service reform) he could have asserted his convictions a bit more as President.

Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/hayes (http://"[url)"]https://millercenter.org/president/hayes (https://millercenter.org/president/hayes)[/URL]

20. JAMES GARFIELD (Life is very short...)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/James_Abram_Garfield%2C_photo_portrait_seated.jpg/640px-James_Abram_Garfield%2C_photo_portrait_seated.jpg)


Born: November 19, 1831, Orange, Ohio
Died: September 19, 1881, Elberon, New Jersey (assassinated- shot in Washington DC July 2, 1881)

Term: March 4, 1881- September 19, 1881
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Chester Arthur

First Lady: Lucretia Rudolph Garfield

Before the Presidency: James Garfield never knew his father as he died when he was an infant. The youngest of three children, he spent most of his childhood helping out his widowed mother work her farm outside of Cleveland. He didn't like farming, however, and dreamed of a life at sea.

So, Garfield tried his hand working on canal boats between Cleveland to Pittsburgh but that didn't work out very well.

So, Garfield went into teaching while attending school. He later paid his way through college by working as a janitor, finally entering Williams College in Massachusetts at the age of twenty-three. While at college, he was excited at the prospect of hearing Ralph Waldo Emerson. He also developed his anti-slavery views during this period.

After collage, he returned to teaching at the Eclectic Institute, becoming its President in 1857. Also studying law, he passed the Ohio bar in 1861.

In 1856, the Radical Republican campaigned for John Fremont and, three years later, he was in the Ohio legislature. He was a true abolitionist, opposing the spread of slavery anywhere. He didn't agree with the John Brown raid but had hopes for a better day as a result. He campaigned for Lincoln in 1860 even though he didn't like him very much (Lincoln's views were seen as too moderate for him).

When the South seceded, he strongly favored military intervention. As such, he organized the 42nd Ohio Infantry. He rose to the rank of Colonel and distinguished himself in at least two battles. He defeated the Confederates at Middle Creek in early 1862 and took control of Eastern Kentucky. The next year, and now a Major General, he made a daring ride under enemy fire at the battle of Chickamauga. Later, he was appointed Chief of Staff to Major General Rosecrans although it's likely the two didn't get along.

It didn't matter for Garfield was, unbeknownst to him, elected to the US House of Representatives as a war hero and he resigned his commission to take his seat in December 1863.

In the House, he distinguished himself as one of the most radical of Republicans. He supported the seizure of rebel assets in the North and advocated the execution and exile of Confederate leaders. He grew in his office though and would become quite the seasoned politician. He moderated during reconstruction taking a less severe approach than his radical counterparts. He did support the impeachment of President Johnson, however.

Garfield supported the nominations of Grant in 1868 and 1872 though he did have questions about his judgment. He backed Hayes in 1876 even before the nomination as he was a favorite son (both hailed from Ohio). Meanwhile, he became an expert on banking matters as chair of the Banking and Currency committee. In that capacity, he was an advocate of the gold standard. He also opposed the Granger laws which advocated collective farming (He called it Communism in disguise, interesting comment as this was four decades before the Russian Revolution though after Marx' manifesto). He also opposed labor unions and the eight hour work day.

Garfield was also caught up in the Credit Mobilier scandal. Garfield admitted taking $329 from the company. He also voted for a retroactive salary increase and it nearly cost him re-election.

Hayes was elected in 1876 as the Republicans lost the House. Garfield was named as House Minority Leader. As such he worked behind the scenes in the Compromise of 1877 which more or less ended Reconstruction in the South. Indeed, as Minority Leader, Garfield was known as a master of compromise within the factions of his party. The major factions were known as the Stalwarts, led by Roscoe Conkling, who really wanted to still punish the South and wanted Grant back in the White House. The Half-Breeds, led by James Blaine, were known for supporting higher tariffs. Both factions were notoriously corrupt.

Such was the state of the Republican Party circa 1880.

Summary of offices held:

1857-1861: President, Eclectic Institute

1860-1861: Ohio State Senate

1861-1863: US Union Army, Major General, served in Civil War.

1863-1880: US House of Representatives

1871-1875: Chairman House Appropriations Committee

1877-1880: House Minority Leader


What was going on: Civil service reform, Post-reconstruction

Scandals within the administration: The Star Route scandal

Why he was a good President: At the onset, he seemed to be going after the patronage system like Hayes before him. And he stood up to Conkling.

Why he was a bad President: He didn't get to do anything else. Plus were his intentions really what they seemed?

What could have saved his Presidency: Better doctors for one.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he had turned out as corrupt as Conkling and his cronies.

Election of 1880: As the Republicans convened in Chicago, it was expected to be a battle between Former President Grant and the Stalwarts and James Blaine and his Half Breeds. Garfield ostensibly was a Half Breed being more on the economic side of things. But Garfield, as head of the Ohio delegation, backed Treasury Secretary John Sherman as a compromise candidate.

For thirty-four ballots, no one could come up with a nominee. Surprisingly, Garfield might get a vote or two, but no one really took his candidacy seriously nor did Garfield himself.

But on the thirty-fifth ballot, the Wisconsin delegation voted all in for Garfield and in the end, Garfield was nominated with 399 votes to Grant's 305. Garfield found himself as the reluctant Republican nominee. Conkling's protégé, and with Garfield's blessing, was chosen for the Vice- Presidency. He was the once fired Chester A. Arthur.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic Side, Tilden withdrew his candidacy, and the Dems went with their own Civil War hero in the form of Winfield S. Hancock.

As for the general election, the states were about as split as they are today. The Democrats had a lock on the South while the Republicans had most of the North with the Western states more or less up for grabs. The Democrats painted Garfield as corrupt from the Credit Mobilier scandal while Republicans stayed away from character issues, instead painting Hancock as uninformed.

It's possible that the Dems were guilty of incredible stupidity in the end though when a letter that Garfield allegedly wrote to businessmen pledging to continue Chinese immigration so wages could stay low was published in a Democratic newspaper (both Republicans and Democrats opposed Chinese immigration). Garfield vehemently denied writing it and it would be exposed to be a forgery.

And perhaps that was enough to tilt a very close election to Garfield for he only won by 2000 popular votes, the closest in US history. He fared a little better in the Electoral College though and, since there was no major fraud to report this time, no one had to go through the circus of 1876.

First term: James Garfield would go down as the great what-if of American History for reasons we'll see very soon. As it was though, he started out the gate going after the Stalwarts. He named Half Breed Blaine as Secretary of State and appointed others that especially angered Stalwart Conkling. The biggest issue concerned the appointment of the Collector of the New York Customhouse. Garfield blocked Conkling's man for W.H. Robertson. Conkling was infuriated and tried to hold up all the appointments. President Garfield got the last laugh, however, when after an agreement to end a filibuster, he withdrew all of his appointments- except for Robertson. Needless to say, Conkling was pissed and, along with fellow New York Senator, Tom Platt, resigned from the Senate.

There wasn't much time for anything else even as the Star Route Scandal was exposed. This scandal involving the Post Office would later implicate members of Garfield's cabinet.

Assassination: July 2,1881 was, more or less, an ordinary day. It was a bit past nine in the morning and President Garfield was about to board a train to Massachusetts to introduce his sons to his alma mater.

The President was approached by a reported office seeker. He was armed with a .44 caliber British Bulldog. He shot Garfield in the abdomen and announced that he was a Stalwart and Arthur was now President. He waited to be arrested and the deranged man obviously thought he was some sort of American hero of sorts. As for Garfield himself, he assured bystanders that he wasn't shot that badly and he would be fine.

Indeed, his wounds were not really that much worse than Reagan's when he was shot a century later. But this was 1881, not 1981, and the medical procedures and technology were a lot different, even primitive by 1981 standards.

And the doctors weren't doing Garfield any favors either. They spent two months looking for the bullet that lodged in the President's pancreas, often with their unsanitized hands.

So, imagine their surprise where, after two and a half agonizing months, President James A. Garfield succumbed to blood poisoning.

Odd notes: Alexander Graham Bell tried to save Garfield's life (needless to say, he failed)

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/556479/president-james-garfield-facts (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/556479/president-james-garfield-facts)

Garfield's favorite food was squirrel soup (yuck!)

https://facts.net/james-garfield-facts/ (http://\"https//facts.net/james-garfield-facts/%5C")

Final Summary: As mentioned, Garfield goes down as the great what-if in American Presidential history. Most historians like to give him the benefit of the doubt given his history of support for African American suffrage and what appeared to be his advocation of Civil Service reform.

I have no doubt he would have been a friend to the blacks but what about civil service reform? Was he really going to push for reform or was he just trying to stick it to the Stalwarts? After all, he admittedly took a bribe in the Credit Mobilier affair and he was aligned with the Half Breeds, who were just as corrupt as the Stalwarts, even going so far as having the head half Breed, James Blaine, as his Secretary of State.

He also supported the gold standard which, by the Great Depression, was proven not to work very well when people had a run on banks among other things.

So, as he only really accomplished one thing and skeptical of his motives in the four months before he was shot, I'm tempted to be kind and give him an incomplete. But after reading about his political history, I'll simply call him average and hope I might be wrong.

Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/garfield (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/garfield%5C")

21. CHESTER A. ARTHUR (For he's a dedicated follower of fashion)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Chester_Alan_Arthur.jpg/640px-Chester_Alan_Arthur.jpg)


Born: October 5, 1829, Fairfield, Vermont
Died: November 18, 1886, New York, New York

Term: September 19, 1881- March 4, 1885
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: none

First Lady: Mary Arthur McElroy (sister)

Before the Presidency: Chester Arthur was the son of a Baptist minister in Vermont. His father was a passionate abolitionist. He learned how to read and write at home before entering school as a child.

Arthur attended Union College in New York and, while not an A student, still graduated in the top third of his class.

He taught school for a while but had dreams of becoming a wealthy lawyer. Even at an early age, Arthur had fine tastes in clothing and was getting a reputation as a bit of a dandy. He passed the bar in 1854 and secured a clerkship in a New York legal firm. While at the firm, Arthur worked on an appeal to free seven slaves. He assisted in arguments before the New York Supreme Court, and they ultimately won the case in 1860. This case also got Arthur connections with other legal minds as well as some politicians.

Arthur, now a partner, also won another important case. A black woman had been forced out of a New York streetcar and told to catch the next one (shades of Rosa Parks a century later). Arthur argued the case and the woman won. After the case, all railroad companies in New York were told to seat black people without prejudice on their streetcars.

Arthur signed up for the Civil War as a way to further his political connections and maybe to make friends along the way. The Governor appointed Arthur Engineer-in Chief with the rank of Quartermaster General in the state militia. He would leave with the rank of Brigadier General as he became known for his administrative skills and efficiency.

Arthur, as a Unionist, wanted to go into battle, but his wife's family were from Virginia, so he never pushed his case.

So, he went back to his law practice in 1863. It was through this practice where he met Roscoe Conkling, a New York Republican Party boss. Conkling was also a Senator who used patronage and party discipline to gain more power. Think Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago for a comparison.

It wasn't long before Arthur became one of Conkling's top Lieutenants.  Through Conkling, he became Chief Counsel to the New York Tax Commission, and he would become fairly wealthy as a result.

And, thanks to Senator Conkling, no doubt, President Grant appointed Arthur as the Collector of the Port of New York, a very important position as they controlled the majority of the nation's import duties. It also had a bit of a reputation for corruption although Arthur, himself, was never implicated in any graft. He did, however, collect salary kickbacks from custom house employees to give to Conkling's machine.

In 1878, the gravy train all but ended. President Hayes was determined to end the practice of patronage, and Roscoe Conkling, and the New York Customs House, were in his crosshairs. Arthur was initially fired and offered a consulship in Paris, but he and Conkling fought the firing. Arthur instead was suspended and he and Conkling vowed to support Grant in 1880.

Summary of offices held:

1861-1863: Engineer-in- Chief, New York Militia

1871-1878: Collector of the Port of New York

1879-1881: Chairman, New York Republican Party

1881: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: the Gilded Age, Civil Service reform, Chinese immigration, Naval reform

Scandals within the administration: Ordway corruption scandal

Why he was a good President: He ended the spoils system once and for all and made improvements to the Navy.

Why he was a bad President: He never was truly able to shake the corrupt tag on him from his days as a Stalwart, and there really is no civil rights record one way or the other.

What could have saved his Presidency: He was able to kill the Stalwarts, but he needed to go after the more corrupt wings of the Half- Breeds.  Also, maybe a stand against the bigotry towards the Chinese could have glorified his presidency (though it certainly would not have helped him in the 1880s)

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he had continued to favor Conkling and the Stalwarts and vetoed the Civil Service Act, well, we would have been putting him in with Buchanan and Pierce.

How he became Vice President: The Republican convention was more of less a war between Conkling's Stalwarts by way of Grant, and James Blaine's Half- Breeds. Both sides were known for their patronage habits, and both truly despised each other. It was an ugly battle, and it took thirty-six ballots to nominate a compromise candidate, James Garfield, who aligned with the Half- Breeds.

Now why Arthur, with no real political experience, was even considered for the Vice-Presidency is a bit of a mystery. What we do know is that some of Conkling's lackeys were pushing Arthur for the ticket and a reluctant Garfield acquiesced as he knew he would need the New York machine if he wanted to win the election. Conkling, meanwhile, had nothing to do with his lieutenants' zeal and he tried to persuade Arthur to turn the Vice-Presidency down. Conkling hated the Half-Breeds so bad, he would apparently have rather had a Democrat in the White House.

But Arthur's ego was pretty much flattered, and he accepted the nomination saying that, " The office of the Vice-President is a great honor than I ever dreamed of attaining."

And Garfield won a fairly close election. Chester A. Arthur was the Vice-President of the United States.

First term: The Vice-Presidency was an interesting one to say the least. Already accused of being in Conkling's pocket, Arthur broke with the President over the Robertson appointment (pushed by now Secretary of State Blaine) to the New York Custom House. Conkling and the other New York Senator resigned in protest. It was obvious Garfield and Arthur didn't like each other and Arthur was more of less powerless, at first anyway.

For, on that fateful July day, President Garfield was shot. Two and half months later, he was dead, and Chester A. Arthur was now the President of the United States. Roscoe Conkling was dancing a jig.

But Garfield's assassination created a public outcry for civil service reform and President Arthur, to the shock of Conkling, voiced his support for it. It was one thing to dislike Garfield; it was another thing for him to die so unnecessarily.

Arthur, indeed, surprised everybody by being a fairly capable President. He vetoed the Chinese Exclusion act (though he would sign a watered down bill later). Then he went after the graft, first by vetoing the River and Harbor act (overridden) that he considered a pork barrel bill.

Then came the big blow. After losing big time in the midterms, the Republicans passed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in hopes to salvage some patronage at least. President Arthur signed the bill.

Then he appointed the members of the new Civil Service Commission to the astonishment of the Democrats at least and the ire of Boss Conkling who must have felt fairly betrayed. Chester Arthur did what his predecessors couldn't do (though Hayes came close), end the spoils system in government once and for all.

Well, sort of. Presidents still appoint friends and political allies to cabinet positions to this day. Even Arthur would be accused of appointing a Secretary of the Navy via the spoils system.

But mostly, people are now appointed on the basis of their merits and not on who they donated to, and Arthur gets the credit for that.

He also gets credit for refurbishing the Naval fleet as he appropriated funds for the Navy's first steel vessels.



Post Presidency: President Arthur was secretly diagnosed with a fatal kidney disease in 1882. He kept it quiet even as he half-heartedly sought re-election in 1884. But he didn't get much support as his Stalwart allies turned against him and the Half Breeds really wanted Blaine. Arthur would lose out on the fourth ballot.

And that was fine with Arthur as he was dying anyway. He tried to return to his law practice, but the disease had a devastating effect on his heart. He died in November 1886 surrounded by family and friends. He was buried with honors in Albany, President Grover Cleveland was in attendance.



Odd notes: In college, he helped to throw the school bell into the Erie Canal

Arthur owned at least 80 pairs of pants

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28917/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-21st-president (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/28917/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-21st-president%5C")

Final Summary: Chester A. Arthur is the perfect example of how the Presidency can change you into a better person. Once corrupt, Arthur became a reformer. And for someone who had no business being in the White House to begin with, Arthur proved to be quite adept and even if he wasn't considered a hard worker (Got that from an episode of the Presidents on the History Channel), he certainly took the office seriously. I would have liked to have seen him take a stand against discrimination in the South (The Republicans were still pro-civil rights in the 1880s) and maybe attempted to do something to end the genocide against the Native Americans that was going on.

But all in all, ending the political patronage for the most part and starting to beef up the Navy isn't a bad legacy to go on.

Overall rating: B-

https://millercenter.org/president/arthur (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/arthur%5C")

22 and 24. GROVER CLEVELAND (Ma, Ma, where's your PA?)


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Born: March 18, 1837, Caldwell, New Jersey
Died: June 24, 1908, Princeton, New Jersey

Terms: March 4, 1885- March 4, 1889, March 4, 1893- March 4, 1897
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): Thomas Hendricks, Adlai Stevenson

First Lady: Ann Cleveland (sister) Frances Folsom Cleveland (married 1886)

Before the Presidency: The son of a minister, Cleveland grew up in central New York State. He had dreams of college but had to put it aside to support the family after his father died. He worked with his older brother in New York City then studied law in Buffalo while working as a clerk. It was there where he was admitted to the bar in 1858.

During the Civil War, he worked as an assistant district attorney for Erie County. He also got out of the war by paying a substitute $300. It was legal though obviously controversial, and it would be a factor in his political career later. Still, he was a good attorney with a photographic memory, and he took advantage of that when giving arguments in court.

The political career of sorts started in 1870 when he was elected Sheriff of Erie County. He also gained a bit of weight and might have been, after William Taft, the second heaviest President in history. He was a gregarious guy, not extremely cultured. He also stayed active in the Democratic Party.

Though Cleveland had been a sheriff, he tried to stay away from partisan politics and yet, would become Mayor of Buffalo by way of the Democratic machine there. It was a surprising endorsement as the new Mayor would be known quickly as a reformer as he exposed graft and corruption in some of the city's services. He vetoed dozens of pork barrel bills and earned a reputation for honesty and efficiency. This got the attention of Democratic leaders in New York and the nominated him for Governor in 1882. He won the support of Tammany Hall (who would soon regret it) and he was elected  that November.

And, as Governor, Cleveland went after, guess who, Tammany Hall. He was a workaholic and vetoed many a spending bill, especially those that were blatantly of the pork barrel variety. He became nationally known being the Governor of a prominent state and  was already being talked about as a potential Presidential candidate in 1884.

Summary of offices held:

1871-1873: Sheriff or Erie County, New York

1882: Mayor, Buffalo, New York

1883-1885: Governor, New York


What was going on: 1885-1888: The Statue of Liberty, the Gilded Age, the Dawes Act, Great blizzard of 1888

                                      1893-1896: Lizzie Borden, Coxey's Army, Dreyfus Affair, Plessy vs Ferguson

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: He was an advocate against corruption and, was a pretty solid administrator if nothing else. Plus, while not the greatest policy maker, he was at least honest.

Why he was a bad President: He was, at best, insensitive to racial concerns and pretty much was the President to give Jim Crow laws a green light in the South. For someone with excellent administrative skills, he did virtually nothing to alleviate the economic impact from the Panic of 1893.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more active approach to the Panic of 1893 and maybe a better Foreign Policy. The fact that we could have gotten to war with England in 1895 seems rather scary.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A situation like Harrison would have with the Wounded Knee massacre. And, of course, there was the Panic of 1893 that nearly did.

Election of 1884: This would prove to be one of the ugliest campaigns in history. Cleveland came in early on as the favorite to take the Democratic nomination. He was lauded for his taking on of Tammany Hall plus, it was assumed New York, along with the South, would make Cleveland a shoo in for the White House.

Meanwhile, the Republicans were in disarray. The Stalwarts were staring to fade away, but Blaine remained the most powerful man in the Republican Party. But he now had a new faction to contend with, the Mugwumps, a group that really was reform minded and they were secretly supporting Cleveland.

In the end, Cleveland and Blaine were the opposing candidates and the mudslinging began in earnest. At first, the campaign was issue oriented as Blaine talked about Tariffs and Cleveland was emphasizing honesty in Government.

The Cleveland camp fired the first shot as they depicted Blaine in political cartoons as corrupt and even came up with a slogan: Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, the continental liar from the state of Maine.

Blaine's camp responded with something a little more personal. Cleveland, in his younger days, was having a bit of fun sowing his wild oats, the result being having a child born out of wedlock.

So, the Blaine camp came up with the infamous: Ma, Ma, where's your Pa?

Now the typical politician might have tried to cover the whole details up, but Cleveland fessed up to possibly having an illegitimate child, thus neutralizing the political damage.

As far as the accusations go. Both Cleveland and his law partner had slept with the woman in question which is why Cleveland had said his fatherhood was possible. The woman also suffered from mental health issues and was indeed committed, but that had nothing to do with Cleveland as the Republicans were suggesting. In any event, neither Cleveland nor his law partner would see the child, adopted by a couple later on, again.

In the end, Cleveland won just enough states to eke out a close victory.

And the Democrats crowed: Ma, Ma, where's your pa? Gone to the White House ha, ha, ha.

First term: President Cleveland quickly earned a reputation as something of a miser when it came to public funding. He vetoed hundreds of Veteran's Pension bills seeing them as fraudulent. He also denied drought relief to farmers in the West as he didn't think it was the responsibility of the Government, this was no FDR.

On the other hand, he continued the crusade to end government corruption. He expanded the list of classified positions under the merit system among other things and he fought against attempts to weaken reform laws already on the books.

President Cleveland wasn't known as an activist President and he only rarely advocated legislation to Congress, but he did approve of the streamlined Presidential Succession Act which established the order of Presidential succession after the Vice President. That would be law until 1947 when a new act to include the Speaker of the House and the President Pro-Tempore would be passed.

1886 was also something of an interesting year for President Cleveland as he became to first President to marry in the White House. It was also year he welcomed the Statue of Liberty from France.

But when it came to relations with minorities, Cleveland wasn't so hot. He signed the Dawes act which divided tribal lands with the intention of assimilating the Natives to the American way of life. It backfired. It made the railroad barons happy though as that took the land that was divided and made them even more money.

It wasn't a good time for African Americans either as Cleveland more or less let the South do its thing with the Jim Crow laws. The Chinese didn't fare much better. Cleveland, at first, was reluctant to bar them from the US seeing them as an important workforce, but pressure from Western whites resigned him to think that their culture was way too different from American (read: white) culture for them to ever really assimilate . So, he signed the Chinese Exclusion Act.

He did, however, repeal the 1867 Tenure of Office act, deeming it unconstitutional, which it likely was.

Election of 1888: As the election of 1888 approached, it was obvious that Cleveland wasn't setting the country afire. He wasn't unpopular by any means, but he wasn't exactly a rock star either and he seemed beatable in this election.

The Republicans nominated former Senator Benjamin Harrison, yet another Civil War hero. Meanwhile, the only drama on the Democratic side was on who to choose for Vice President since Vice President Hendricks had died three years earlier, thus sparking the Presidential Succession Act.  They would go with Allen Thurman of Ohio.

The general election was much more issue oriented than the previous one. The Republicans pushed for higher tariffs as usual and blasted Cleveland on his numerous vetoes (he holds the record for vetoes by any President to this day). Cleveland, meanwhile, campaigned on his civil service reform and the lowering of tariffs.

In the end, and this may be one of the arguments against an Electoral College, Cleveland won the popular vote by a close margin.

But Benjamin Harrison was going to be the new President because he won the Electoral College rather handily. Indiana (Harrison's home state) swung back to the Republicans and Cleveland lost his state of New York narrowly (New Yorkers liked high tariffs apparently).

President Cleveland left the White House with dignity, but his First Lady and wife, Frances Folsom informed the staff.  "I want you to take good care of all the furniture and ornaments in the house, for I want to find everything just as it is now when we come back again four years from today."

She proved to be prophetic.

Election of 1892: Grover Cleveland emerged as the favorite in 1892. People had had enough of four years of Benjamin Harrison,  and they missed the relatively good times of Cleveland's term.

So, after some competition from the likes of David B. Hill of New York who had hoped to get some support from the South and Midwest, who were a little skeptical of Cleveland's chances. As such, Cleveland would barely win on the first ballot.

The general election proved to be a bit easier as Harrison was quite unpopular with his high tariffs (and makes you wonder how McKinley ever got elected in 1896 considering it was his tariffs). Because of the economy, a new party called the Populists were created and they would have an effect on both candidates. Cleveland would win the popular vote again but this time with just a plurality, the Populists scoring eight percent of the vote.

The Electoral College though was  a clean victory for Cleveland as he swept the South and lost only most of New England as well as a handful of other states.

And Grover Cleveland would make history as the only person (so far) to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Second Term: The honeymoon for President Cleveland ended just two months into his term as the Panic of 1893 hit. And of course, as is typical of Americans (and I bet all people actually), whoever is holding the ball at the time gets the blame, even if it was the predecessor who actually fumbled the ball.

The real question now, though was, what was President Cleveland going to do about it? Well, as noted earlier, he wasn't any FDR, so if you expected economic help on a lower level, you wouldn't want to hold your breath.

The Panic of 1893 affected other areas as strikes were on the rise. Gold reserves were at such a low point that Cleveland had to borrow $65 million in gold from J.P. Morgan, thus making Americans beholden to the very rich. On top of that there was the infamous Pullman Railroad strike of 1894. To say the least, that was handled badly as Cleveland sent in federal troops to break the strike, giving the affluent another victory.

Things weren't going very well on the Foreign front either. The US threatened war with Britain over a border dispute with Venezuela citing the Monroe Doctrine. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed, and war was averted.

He also failed in Hawaii as he rejected annexation and tried to get Queen Liliuokalani reinstated. It was all well meaning as he was trying to save Hawaii from an overthrow by sugar interests. But neither side seemed exactly moral, and Cleveland simply washed his hands of the whole affair.

So, Cleveland was no more popular than Harrison had been by the mid-terms and the Republicans swept through to again take over Congress.  As a result, Cleveland's last two years were somewhat ineffective and even had opposition from a group known as Silverites, a group that would dominate the Democratic party very soon.

And, even as a pro-Gold faction tried to persuade Cleveland to run for a third term, he declined.

And left the White House an embittered man.

Post Presidency: While Cleveland's popularity upon leaving the White House would make even Donald Trump blush, he would end up about as popular an ex-President as he had been when he lost in 1884. He arrived to a hero's welcome in Princeton, New Jersey and the bitterness he felt after leaving the White House began to dissipate. He wrote a book about his most controversial Presidential decisions and became well-respected as an elder statesman. He often would comment on President Roosevelt's administration, usually with civility, and twice would turn down drafts to run in 1900 and 1904.

His health began to decline after the death of his daughter, Ruth, and he would die of a gastro-intestinal disease in 1908.

Odd notes: Cleveland was affectionately known by his family as Uncle Jumbo

https://twitter.com/mental_floss/status/1229438003107549186 (http://\"https//twitter.com/mental_floss/status/1229438003107549186%5C")

Grover Cleveland allegedly paid to avoid conscription in the Civil War

https://facts.net/grover-cleveland-facts/
 (http://\"https//facts.net/grover-cleveland-facts/%5C")
While President, he secretly had an operation to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth.

Final Summary: History has been kind to Grover Cleveland and most historians tend to rate him as an above average President.

But I don't see it. I mean the man all but opened the door for Jim Crow. He basically was no better than Herbert Hoover when it came to financial hardships. His foreign policy was pretty questionable as well as he nearly went to war with Britain over a dispute with Venezuela.

On the plus side, especially in his first term, he was a stanch advocate for civil service reform and, whatever you thought of the guy politically speaking, you couldn't question the man's integrity and honesty.

But he wasn't a friend of minorities and, as a social liberal, I guess I have a hard time with that.

At least they named a candy bar after his daughter (for those who thought it was named after Babe Ruth).

Overall rating: First term: C
                          Second Term: D

https://millercenter.org/president/cleveland (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/cleveland%5C")

23. BENJAMIN HARRISON (It's all about the Benjamins)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Benjamin_Harrison%2C_head_and_shoulders_bw_photo%2C_1896.jpg/640px-Benjamin_Harrison%2C_head_and_shoulders_bw_photo%2C_1896.jpg)


Born: August 20, 1833, North Bend, Ohio
Died: March 13, 1901, Indianapolis, Indiana

Term: March 4, 1889- March 4, 1893
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Levi Morton

First Lady: Caroline Scott Harrison

Before the Presidency: Benjamin Harrison came from a political family. His grandfather was the ill-fated William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States and his father, John Scott Harrison, was a congressman. On top of that, his Great-Grandfather was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

As for Benjamin, he was raised in rural Ohio where he enjoyed hunting and fishing among other things. He was schooled by private tutors. He grew up with a certain self-assurance that some people took as arrogance and later was given the derisive nickname, the Human Iceberg.

Benjamin was a good student, and he was near the top of his class at Miami of Ohio University in 1852. He passed the bar in 1854 and he and his wife moved to Indianapolis where he set up a law practice.

Harrison joined the new Republican Party in 1856 and backed John Fremont for President. He became Indianapolis City Attorney in 1857. He later served with the Indiana Republican State Central Committee as secretary and supported Abraham Lincoln for President. Harrison was an ambitious sort and he also took on the job as state reporter for the Indiana Supreme Court.

Harrison's career was interrupted by the Civil War. He joined the Union Army ending his stint as Brigadier General under William Sherman, who liked Harrison. Harrison, though, hated the war, finding it a filthy business.

After the war, Harrison returned to his law career and worked as a court reporter. He also continued on with his political career, running unsuccessfully for Governor in 1872. He ran again four years later as the Republican nominee but would lose in the General election. He was a supporter of Rutherford Hayes and Hayes would appoint Harrison to the Mississippi River Commission in 1879. He chaired the Indiana Delegation at the 1880 Republican National Convention. There, he threw his support behind the dark horse, James Garfield.

Harrison finally made the big time as he became a Senator from Indiana in 1881. It was here where we have an idea of where Harrison stood on the issues. He supported pensions for Civil War veterans, meaning he wasn't a fan of Grover Cleveland. He also supported statehood for Dakota, high tariffs, some civil service reform, a modernized Navy. He also broke with his party by opposing the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Summary of offices held:

1857- 1861: City Attorney, Indianapolis

1862-1865: US Union Army, Brigadier general, served under William Sherman

1881-1887: US Senator


What was going on: The Sherman Anti-trust act, Wounded Knee massacre,

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: He continued the drive towards civil reform and, while he had mixed success on the foreign affairs front, he did start the Pan American Conferences which was essentially the North and South American United Nations.

Why he was a bad President: His aloof and arrogant personality tended to turn people off, so he wasn't the greatest diplomat. His push for high tariffs would precipitate the Panic of 1893. And he obviously wasn't very sensitive in the arena of Indian affairs.

What could have saved his Presidency: Better attention towards the economic conditions might have lessened the severity of the Panic of 1893.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A disastrous foreign policy could have led to war with both Italy and Chile. I don't see how either could have defeated us and Chile in fact caved in to US demands. As for Italy, it was certainly our bad and we managed to smooth things over.

But, if we hadn't, well...

Election of 1888: Harrison's Senate career ended after the Democrats took over the State Legislature 1887 and he declared his candidacy for President calling himself a living and rejuvenated Republican, thus inventing a catchphrase of the times briefly. Meanwhile, Blaine was again seen as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, but unlike 1884, he was unable to get enough support to guarantee his nomination.

So, he threw his support behind Harrison in hopes of uniting the party. It became a hotly contested contest between Harrison and new favorite James Sherman of Ohio. Harrison would win out on the eighth ballot and be given Levi Morton as his running mate. The Democrats, meanwhile, had an easy selection and renominated President Cleveland.

The 1888 general campaign was much less hostile than the infamous Cleveland-Blaine battle. Harrison limited his campaign to front porch speeches while Cleveland would make only one public appearance. Their backers, of course, were a totally different story, but even they, for the most part, stayed civil.

It was an issue oriented campaign as Harrison talked about tariffs, sound currency (Harrison supported the Gold Standard), and Civil War pensions. One issue that did cause some tensions was over the Civil War itself. Cleveland wanted to return captured Confederate Flags to Southern States which caused  some consternation in the North. There was also some fraud in some of the states, notably in Harrison's hometown of Indianapolis which strangely went for Cleveland.

And it ended in a rather controversial election count. President Cleveland won the popular vote and with a majority, but Harrison won the electoral vote and he was to be the next President of the United States.

At least the Congress didn't have to decide the outcome this time.

First term: President Harrison started right of the gate as he condemned the practice of Senatorial courtesy and the spoils system. James Blaine, as under Garfield, was the Secretary of State and he was quite active, organizing the first Pan-American Conference among other things. The Sherman Anti-Trust act was also passed during Harrison's term though it wouldn't really be used until the Roosevelt Administration. Harrison also pushed for the Sherman Silver Purchase Act though that would have little effect on the economy.

President Harrison also signed the McKinley Tariff act increasing duties by nearly 50%. This proved to be one of the less popular bills in the Harrison Administration. Plus, he had to deal with an International Crisis when eleven Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans. Italy had considered going to war over it. There were also tensions with Chile and war was being threatened there as well.

But perhaps the lowest point of Harrison's Presidency was the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. In that incident, there was an uprising that resulted from the attempted arrest and murder of Sitting Bull (another thing for Trollheart to delve more deeply into). A group of Lakota Indians were met by the 7th Cavalry. There were escorted to camp at Wounded Knee and, after being told to disarm, there was confusion as  Chief Yellow Bird began what was called the Ghost Dance. After some confusion, shots rang out and, in the end, nearly 400 Lakota men, women, and children lay dead.

At the time, it probably did little to hurt Harrison's political chances and it is uncertain as to what he even knew (he basically was more pro than anti civil-rights at the time, even going so far as to appoint Frederick Douglass minister to Haiti).

But it pretty much destroyed his legacy.

Election of 1892: Harrison entered 1892 as not the most popular President going. He had differences with Secretary of State Blaine and Blaine resigned that summer, running against him for the nomination. Meanwhile, Grover Cleveland was back and was more popular than ever. And though there was some resistance from within the party, Cleveland eked out the nomination on the very first ballot.

Harrison, too, would be nominated on the first ballot but only because Blaine had turned down a draft (he would die in early 1893) and as for up and comer William McKinley, well, it just wasn't his time yet.

So, it was going to be a Harrison- Cleveland rematch. It was a quiet campaign as Cleveland, out of compassion for President Harrison's ailing wife (she would die just two weeks before the election), didn't campaign at all. Harrison, for his part, limited his campaign to just New York and New Jersey, considered swing states at the time.

There was also a third party to contend with known as the Populists. They nominated Civil war General James Weaver and advocated the free coinage of silver.

In the end, Cleveland again won the popular vote but this time, he also ran away with the electoral vote, thus making history.

Harrison, now widowed, was just going home.

Post Presidency: Harrison had a quiet retirement, speaking on Constitutional Law at Stanford University and working as Chief Counsel for Venezuela during a boundary dispute with British Guiana.

Benjamin Harrison passed away in 1901 at the age of 67.

Odd notes: Harrison owned a goat named Old Whiskers

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/12300/11-tips-benjamin-harrison-birthday-bash-youre-probably-planning (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/12300/11-tips-benjamin-harrison-birthday-bash-youre-probably-planning%5C")

Harrison had electricity installed in the White House

Final Summary:  Harrison wasn't the most eloquent of Presidents and he certainly lacked the ability to rally Americans around a cause like Theodore Roosevelt would do a decade later.

But he did have some accomplishments on the foreign front, notably the Pan-American Conference. He backed American sailors after an incident in Chile, and he supported the expansion of the Navy.

But, overall, he probably goes down as one of the littlest known Presidents in history. And I'm sure being sandwiched between Grover Cleveland's two terms didn't help.

He did try to do his best though.

Overall rating: C-

https://millercenter.org/president/bharrison (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/bharrison%5C")

25. WILLIAM MCKINLEY (Shufflin' off to Buffalo)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/McKinley_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-McKinley_%28cropped%29.jpg)


Born: January 29, 1843, Niles, Ohio
Died: September 14, 1901, Buffalo, New York (assassinated)

Term: March 4, 1897- September 14, 1901 (assassinated)
Political Party: Republican

Vice President(s): Garret Hobart, Theodore Roosevelt

First Lady: Ida Saxton McKinley

Before the Presidency: William McKinley grew up with a happy childhood. His mother was deeply religious and taught young William the vales of honesty and prayer among other things while his father taught young William to have a strong work ethic.

It was this work ethic that made William want to get a good education. Entering Allegheny Collage in 1860, he had to drop out after a year, because of illness and financial difficulties.

His illness must not have been too debilitating, however, as he joined the Twenty-Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the start of the Civil War. As a Private, he fought bravely at Antietam. Later, he was a Lieutenant under Colonel Rutherford B Hayes. He considered Hayes his mentor and they would enjoy a lifelong friendship. By the time the war ended, McKinley was a Brevet Major.

After the Civil War, McKinley entered Albany Law School, passing the bar in 1867. He opened a practice in Canton, Ohio and it was there where he met his wife, Ida Saxton.

He became involved in Republican politics in 1869 and won an election as County Prosecutor that year. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1876. He served three terms before losing in 1882 but he won his seat back two years later.

It was as Chairman of the House and Ways Committee where he became nationally known. He drafted and pushed through what was known as the very protectionist McKinley Tariff of 1890. It had an effect of raising consumer prices and McKinley ended up losing his second election that year.

He didn't try to return to the House. Instead, McKinley made a run for Governor of Ohio where he won by a razor thin margin.

McKinley had considerably better success as a Governor as he tried to lessen the rift between management and labor. McKinley was certainly pro- business but that didn't stop him from developing a system of arbitration designed to settle labor agreements. It wasn't all fun and games, however, as Governor McKinley called in the National Guard to quell strike related violence by the United Mine Workers in 1894.

McKinley was personally affected by the Panic of 1893, and he could sympathize with voters when he ran for re-election in 1894. Voters sympathized with him as well and he was re-elected Governor easily.

And it put him in position as a candidate for President in 1896.

Summary of offices held:

1861-1865: US Union Army, Brevet Major

1869-1871: Prosecuting Attorney, Stark County, Ohio

1877-1883: US House of Representatives, Ohio

1885-1981: US House of Representatives, Ohio

1889-1891: Chairman, House and Ways Committee

1892-1896: Governor of Ohio




What was going on: Spanish American War, The Philippine Insurrection, the Gold Standard, the Gay Nineties

Scandals within the administration: Oregon land fraud scandal

Why he was a good President: The United States more or less was recognized as a global power after the Spanish-American War. And, though his tariffs were controversial from a historical standpoint, the economy was improving.

Why he was a bad President: The concept of big money controlling elections more or less started with him. He wasn't corrupt by any means, but some of his followers, well... He was also something of an Imperialist President so that doesn't go well on his resume either.

What could have saved his Presidency: Historically speaking, I'd say maybe if he had shown more restraint when it came to wars, particularly the ill-advised Philippine one. I would have also liked to  have seen him take a stand on civil rights.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If people knew more about the Philippine resurrection. If they hadn't discovered more gold, which had a lot to do with the now booming economy.

Election of 1896: 1896 is something of a historic election, for a new political Machiavellian was taking over the Republican Party. He was an affluent businessman from Ohio named Mark Hanna. He especially pushed for McKinley, and he won on the first ballot.

The Democrats, burned from the Panic of 1893, were looking for some new blood. They found it in a young Populist, William Jennings Bryan. Bryan, of course, would be remembered mostly for being the prosecutor in the infamous Scopes trial of 1925. For anyone interested, I'll explain that trial later (assuming Trollheart doesn't beat me to it first). Anyway, basically Bryan was an Evangelical Christian, certainly not a handicap in 1896 and not even a factor in the campaign.

The Republican and Democratic platforms were quite different in 1896. The Republicans wanted to stay on the Gold Standard, pushed for protectionist policies, and supported the annexation of Hawaii.

The Democrats, through the charismatic Bryan, was primarily for the Silver standard. His passion for free silver was likely the dominant issue in both campaigns. It was in this campaign where Bryan made his famous Cross of Gold speech. The Democrats also opposed protectionism, pushed for cheap foreign labor through immigration, and the use of injunctions to end strikes. They also supported an income tax (that still goes so well with Americans even today- yes, I'm being sarcastic).

The third party Populists lost their platform to Bryan, so they nominated him as their candidate as well.

The campaigning styles were quite different as well. McKinley, as was the tradition, ran a front porch campaign. But, Bryan campaigned all over the country, 18,000 miles in all. He spoke to enthusiastic crowds and painted McKinley as a puppet to big business (and, in a sense he was, $4 million dollars was donated to his campaign by, um, big business).

Bryan's campaign seemed to be going fairly well, but there was a faction of Gold Democrats who bolted from the party. Bryan would go on to be, the Scopes trial notwithstanding, to be one of the most decent people ever to run for President (wait till we get to Woodrow Wilson, and I'll tell you why).

But he was not to be President. William McKinley would win by over 600,000 votes and pulled a solid win in the all-important Electoral College.

First term: The first thing President McKinley did upon entering office was to go after the tariffs. He would sign the Dingley Tariff act that raised the average tariff by nearly 50%

But it would be wars that would dominate McKinley's first term, notably, the Spanish-American war. Expansionists had been looking for an excuse to take Spain's territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, even if it meant war with Spain. In fact, some were hankering for a war with Spain, no longer the powerhouse they were during Colonial times. McKinley, to his credit, did everything he could to avoid going to war.

But the saber rattlers had their excuse when an explosion on the Battleship Maine was blamed on the Spanish off Cuba. Yellow journalists, led by William Randolph Hearst, convinced the public that Spain was essentially the epitome of evil (Actually, they weren't far off the mark; Spanish authorities were indeed guilty of some human rights abuses in Cuba).

So, President McKinley sent in the military to free Cuba from the Spanish. The Rough Riders were formed by Congress and McKinley's Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, resigned to lead one of the regiments in Cuba.

The war was more or less a rout as Spain surrendered within months. As a result, Hawaii was finally annexed, the US also gained Puerto Rico and Guam, Cuba was independent, and the Philippines was up in the air.

And that created an issue that isn't much talked about today, for a rebellion was brewing in the Philippines and the US was going to get caught right in the middle of it. Called the Philippine Insurrection, McKinley sent troops to the islands in order to stifle the rebels. It only made matters worse, and McKinley just avoided ending up with his own Vietnam. Thanks, strangely enough and inadvertently, of course, to Leon Czolgosz. (It would be Theodore Roosevelt that got us out of that quagmire).

President McKinley would also send troops to China as the Boxer Rebellion was underway in 1900. McKinley had adopted an Open Door policy regarding China. What he didn't know that there was a group, known as the Boxers, who wanted all foreigners out of the country and went on a rampage, massacring Western missionaries, diplomats, garbage collectors, you get the picture.

So, McKinley sent troops and gunboats along with Britain, Germany, Russia, and Japan to crush the rebellion. In the end, the Chinese had to shell out $300 million in indemnities to the five nations.

So, whatever the economic climate was in the US (and it was good for the most part), McKinley's successes in war (two out of three isn't bad I guess) put him in fairly good position for re-election.

Election of 1900: The election of 1900 was more or less a repeat of 1896 as the popular McKinley won re-nomination easily, the only drama being who would be his running mate. His Vice-President, Garret A. Hobart, had died in office, so they had to find someone to counter McKinley. They went with Theodore Roosevelt, the hero of San Juan Hill, and the Republicans left very happy with their ticket.

The Democrats decided to go with the popular Williams Jennings Bryan for a second time, going with former Vice President Adlai Stevenson as the running mate. An interesting rematch was brewing.

Some of the issues were old as Bryan continued to push for free silver. The Democrats also opposed the Philippine War and American Imperialism in general. The Republicans, of course, had the success of the Spanish-American war on their side and could point to the economic upturn as the result of gold discoveries in Alaska and South Africa (and, by the way, the Boer War involving Britain and Germany, was going on then too).

In the end, the silver issue was more or less dead and McKinley would win re-election rather easily.

Second Term: The second term got off to a good start as the leader of the Philippine rebels, Emilio Aguinaldo, surrendered, and the US gained the upper hand. Fighting still would continue for another year, however.

The next months would be rather quiet as President McKinley worked on trade and tariff issues. It was about tariff reciprocity that dominated a speech President McKinley made in Buffalo during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.

It was the last speech he would ever make.

Assassination:  The next day, September 6, 1901, would prove a fateful one for President McKinley. He was visiting the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. After making his speech, he stood last in a line of greeters shaking hands with admirers, well, mostly admirers.

Because, at 4:07 in the afternoon, McKinley offered his hand to a professed anarchist named Leon Czolgosz. Czolgosz happened to have a concealed weapon under his shirt and fired point blank into McKinley's chest. He fell backwards, telling his Secret Service men not to hurt the assailant. He also worried on how they would tell his wife, for the First lady was very emotionally dependent on her husband and he obviously loved her as well.

It was hoped that McKinley would survive the wound (and he might have under today's technology), but gangrene set in, and he would die eight days later. At least he didn't have to suffer the way Garfield had.

Odd notes:

McKinley had a pet parrot named Washington Post

https://www.visitcanton.com/blog/stark11-11-facts-about-president-mckinley-you-may-not-know/ (http://\"https//www.visitcanton.com/blog/stark11-11-facts-about-president-mckinley-you-may-not-know/%5C")


Wife Ida hated the color yellow

10 Interesting Facts About William McKinley (http://www.republicanpresidents.net/10-interesting-facts-about-william-mckinley/)

Final Summary: William McKinley, in some ways, is an example of being beholden to special interests. It wasn't all his fault of course; Mark Hanna deserves much of the blame. But it is true that more money poured into McKinley's two Presidential campaigns than any candidate previously. We became a world power during his administration and some of it can be attributed to McKinley's foreign policy and, of course, a rather formidable military, but, as in the Polk Administration, was it worth losing our souls?

Still, while I can't say I was a fan of McKinley's economic policies (I'm definitely not a protectionist), the economy did improve significantly during his one term plus. Yes, it had more to do with external factors such as the new gold discoveries than of McKinley's policies. I guess you can say, on that score, McKinley was quite lucky.

But of course, and tragically, he wasn't lucky at all.


Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/mckinley (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/mckinley%5C")

26. THEODORE ROOSEVELT (Won't you be my Teddy Bear)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/President_Roosevelt_-_Pach_Bros_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-President_Roosevelt_-_Pach_Bros_%28cropped%29.jpg)


Born: October 27, 1858, New York, New York
Died: January 6, 1919, Oyster Bay, New York

Term: September 14, 1901- March 4, 1909
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Charles Fairbanks

First Lady: Edith Carow Roosevelt

Before the Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt grew up in a fairly affluent family in New York City. He suffered from asthma as a young child but was surrounded by love from his parents and three siblings.

Young Theodore was a determined young man, and he took it upon himself to get out from under his bad health. He took up gymnastics and weight lifting and built up a fairly rugged physique. He became an advocate of exercise and the adventurous life as a result. It also instilled quite a bit of confidence in the young man. He also spent his childhood traveling extensively overseas with his family and no doubt gained a perspective on other nations, particularly in Europe.

In 1876, Roosevelt entered Harvard College where he studied a variety of subjects. It was there where he met his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, who he would marry in 1880. He dropped out of Columbia Law School a year later to begin a life of public service.

Roosevelt was elected to the New York Assembly in 1882 where he served for two years. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike in 1884 when both his mother and wife died on the same day. Distraught, Roosevelt left for the first of his many adventures, hanging out in the Dakota Badlands where he hunted Grizzly bears, herded cows, and chasing outlaws as a frontier sheriff. Roosevelt was quite happy living the rugged life.

But he would return to the East after a devastating winter all but wiped out his cattle. He had rekindled a love with his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow, and they would marry in England in 1886, settling at Oyster Bay, New York.

Back in New York, Roosevelt resumed his writing career, writing about the Naval War of 1812. Several more books followed, and it is possible Roosevelt could have been a successful non-fiction author.

But public service was his first calling, and he ran for Mayor of New York in 1886. He lost but, after campaigning for Benjamin Harrison in 1888, he was appointed to the US Civil Service Commission. And indeed, he was a reformer, being re-nominated by Grover Cleveland in 1893. As Commissioner, he enforced the Civil Service laws and clashed with both parties who wanted him to look the other way when it came to patronage.

In 1895, Roosevelt left the Commission to accept the job of Police Commissioner in New York City. There he developed a reputation for honesty as he cleaned up the corrupt Police Board and enforced the city's blue laws (no liquor to be sold on Sundays). Needless to say, Roosevelt wasn't popular with the party bosses.

Lucky for them, Roosevelt was off to accept a new job as President McKinley appointed him as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, an interesting position, since, up to then, he hadn't served in the military.

Of course, that would change a year later when the Spanish-American War broke out. Roosevelt left the Administration to join the Rough Riders as a Lieutenant Colonel. The Rough Riders were essentially a rag tag bunch of Ivy Leaguers like himself, Western cowboys, sheriffs, police officers, even Native Americans. Roosevelt was a popular leader and he led them up San Juan Hill. His contingent suffered heavy casualties, but they emerged victorious; Roosevelt becoming perhaps the biggest military hero since Ulysses Grant.

Roosevelt came home a war hero, and the Republicans tagged him for New York Governor against the Tammany Hall backed Democrat, Judge Augustus Van Wyck. Roosevelt too benefitted from party bosses, in his case Boss Thomas Platt. Roosevelt, though, was not a big fan of patronage and he let it be clear he would be his own man. He narrowly won the election.

And, indeed, he wouldn't be a favorite of party bosses as he refused to appoint party regulars to the most powerful positions in the state. He really went against Platt when he supported a bill for taxes on the public services, who had been in Platt's pocket before.

So, Platt had a pow wow with Senator Mark Hanna to devise a way to get rid of Roosevelt. Their solution was to kick him upstairs as the Vice Presidential candidate in 1900.

And, as they say, don't ask for something too hard- you might just get it.

Summary of offices held:

1882-1886: New York National Guard

1882-1884: New York State Assembly

1883: Minority Leader, New York State Assembly

1889-1895: Commissioner, United States Civil Service Commission

1895-1897: New York City Police Commissioner

1897-1898: Assistant Secretary of the Navy

1898: United States Army, Colonel (Spanish-American War)

1899-1900: Governor of New York

1901: Vice President of the United States



What was going on: Trust busting, the Panama Canal, the Great White Fleet, Russo- Japanese War

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Where should I start? He broke up the monopolies, or at least some of them anyway (it was the one Roosevelt legacy Taft would continue), he ensured the US would stay a World power, he broke tradition when he guested an African American, and he passed laws to make sure the Grand Canyon wouldn't become a landfill among other things. Did I miss anything? Probably.

Why he was a bad President: Well, as history shows, he wasn't, but I wish he could have been more forceful with his beliefs on civil rights.

What could have saved his Presidency: Not a thing. It wasn't perfect (what Presidency is?) and he made his mistakes, but you can't accuse this Presidency of needing any saving.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Roosevelt took a lot of chances, especially in his second term, and anything could have destroyed it at any given time. If the economy had tanked (and there was the Panic of 1907), could he have saved it? What if he had turned his back on labor to appease the Republican majority? It is to his great credit that he didn't.

How he became Vice President: Indeed, Mark Hanna pushed Roosevelt for the Vice-Presidency in 1900. Roosevelt was nominated by acclamation. Roosevelt proved to be the perfect pit bull for McKinley as he furiously campaigned for the President. He traveled 21,000 miles and seemed like an endless bundle of energy, putting opponents Bryan and Stevenson, also actively campaigning, to shame. In the end, McKinley won by a larger margin than he had in 1896. Mark Hanna got what he wished for.

But then he had to pay the piper, though not in the way anyone would wish for. For in September 1901, President McKinley was assassinated, and that damned cowboy, as Hanna put it, was now President.

And, to Hanna's consternation, the United States would never be the same again and, even more frustrating for Hanna, for the better.

First term: Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office in Buffalo moments after President McKinley died. At 43, he was the youngest President ever.

And the Republicans were none too happy, for Roosevelt absolutely represented the Liberal wing of the Republican Party. Yes, he was pro-business, but he was also pro-labor as well. And he wasn't in office much more than a month when he invited Booker T. Washington, a prominent black educator, to the White House. You can imagine the outrage in the South right now.

President Roosevelt would also go to war with the trusts. He began to enforce the Sherman-Anti Trust Act and won an important victory in the Supreme Court. While the court case was going on, Roosevelt also went after the railroads, signing the Elkins act in 1903. This prohibited railroads from granting rebates to larger companies, thus leaving the smaller companies out. Railroads unfortunately found a way around this, but TR would have a response to that in his second term.

The beginnings of what would be the Panama Canal began in Roosevelt's abbreviated term. He signed the amended Hay- Pauncefote treaty opening the way for a canal at the isthmus of Panama. Unfortunately, Colombia controlled Panama. Colombia did not want to give the US permission to build a canal.

So, there was a rebellion for Panamanian independence, backed by the US. Roosevelt sent the Navy to deter Colombia from crushing the revolt. They succeeded, Panama gained their independence, and the United States was getting their canal.

The other major event was the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902. Coal miners walked off the job in Pennsylvania in 1902. It went on all summer and Roosevelt thought executive action was needed to get the miners back to work.

But he didn't send the army to quell the strike. Instead, he called for the mine operators and Union leaders to the White House where he was able to arbitrate an agreement, an agreement that probably favored the coal miners. It was the precursor to what would be called the Square Deal later.

President Roosevelt, much to the consternation of the more conservative Republicans, I'm sure, would come into 1904 a very popular President indeed. And, with Mark Hanna dying, early in 1904, they would be hard pressed to find a candidate that could wrestle the party's nomination from him.


Election of 1904: Theodore Roosevelt had to walk a thin line if he wanted to win the nomination in his own right. At first, he used the White House as a "bully pulpit", to advocate how government should regulate big business but would tone down the rhetoric come election time. He also was able to place his people in key positions within the party and managed to win the endorsement of Mark Hanna, now the RNC Chairman. Roosevelt also appealed to the public at a time when there wasn't primary voting.

Things eased up a bit when Mark Hanna died suddenly. TR's nomination was more or less etched in stone after Hanna's death. As for the Vice-Presidency, he nabbed conservative Charles Fairbanks as his running mate. His ties to the railroad industry were no doubt attractive to the big business wing of the party.

The Democrats too went conservative, picking Judge Alton P. Parker from New York, and Henry Davis, at 81, the oldest man ever to run for the Vice-Presidency. They had wanted Bryan to run again but he agreed with much of Roosevelt's policies and, besides, if he couldn't beat McKinley, he sure wasn't going to defeat Roosevelt.

As for the campaign itself, the Democrats painted Parker as the sane and safe choice while the Republicans touted Roosevelt's foreign policy. Neither candidate campaigned actively.

In the end though, it was a matter of personalities as Parker's affable but staid personality couldn't match up with Roosevelt's extroverted optimism. As a result, Roosevelt won in a landslide for the most part, particularly in the North and, well, everywhere but the South. Guess they hadn't forgiven him for Booker T. Washington.

Second Term: After the election of 1904, President Roosevelt introduced the Roosevelt Corollary as a companion to the Monroe Doctrine, essentially giving the US police power in the Western Hemisphere or the Americas anyway. It was a controversial doctrine and would later cause resentment in South America.

But even as Roosevelt carried his big stick which ended with the Great White Fleet Tour at the end of his Presidency, Roosevelt was also a man of peace. He mediated negotiations between the warring factions in the Russo- Japanese War, winning the Nobel Peace Prize as a result. He also mediated an agreement with France and Germany over Morocco. Many historians believe it may have averted, or at least postponed a major European War (Alas, he couldn't save Europe in 1914). It certainly strengthened ties between the US and France.

There was a racial incident in Brownsville, Texas that tainted Roosevelt's record a bit. White civilians taunted a group of Black soldiers. Violence erupted and three whites were killed. The public (it was still a racist time in the United States) assumed that it was all the Blacks' fault and President Roosevelt would discharge 160 black soldiers as a result. Probably not a proud moment given his own more enlightened opinions on race.

But, as before, his biggest peeve was against the monopolies, and he signed the Hepburn Act which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission more power to regulate railroad rates. Roosevelt was in his second term, and he wasn't going to run for a third, so he had free reign whether the conservatives liked it or not.

And he used that knowledge to improve the environment. He started by establishing the National Forest Service in 1905 followed by the National Monuments Act a year later. His big act, however, would be the Antiquities Act which gave the President the power to create national monuments from Federal lands. The landscape of the Unites States would certainly have been different if not for this law in particular.

And Roosevelt wasn't done. After Upton Sinclair published the Jungle, an indictment against the meat packing industry, President Roosevelt pushed more laws to make food safer with the Meat Inspection Act and the Food and Drug Act in particular.

Things quieted down a bit by 1908 as Roosevelt was now a lame duck President but he launched the Great White Fleet which toured the world both as a sign of American strength and of goodwill. They were received with warm welcomes in most of the ports they visited.

He also engineered a compromise with Japan over immigration. Japan agreed not to issue any more visas with the understanding that the US would allow laborers to come to the States

President Roosevelt was indeed a very popular man, but he declined another run for the Presidency honoring the two-term tradition. Still, he didn't feel like he fulfilled everything he needed to (and as history would prove just six years later, he hadn't), and he would return to the political stage four years later.



Election of 1912: Roosevelt had handpicked President Taft to succeed him in 1908, but he would be disappointed, even angry, at Taft's more conservative policies overall.

So, equipped with an ego the size of Montana, Roosevelt decided to make another run. It would cause a split within the GOP. Roosevelt had won a series of preferential primaries and had the lead in delegates. Taft, as the sitting President, controlled the floor and his backers refused to accept the credentials of the Roosevelt delegates. Roosevelt was infuriated and withdrew, thus, giving Taft the nomination.

But it wasn't over yet, for TR formed the Progressive Party, otherwise known as the Bull Moose Party. He was drafted as their candidate. Roosevelt described the new party platform as a "New Nationalism", seeking social justice, an eight-hour workday, and a minimum wage for women. He also campaigned on a social security program (That his distant cousin, Franklin D, would push through two decades later), a National Health Service (TR was a Communist? Just kidding), and direct elections of US Senators (which was right around the corner, actually). It was very forward thinking to say the least.

It was an interesting campaign to be sure and it nearly cost TR his life. On October 12, 1912, while making a speech, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin. He was lucky, though. He had a book in his jacket where the bullet hit. It slowed down the bullet and, while it penetrated the former President's chest, the damage was minimal; so minimal, in fact, that Roosevelt continued on with his speech.

With Woodrow Wilson, a progressive (sort of, more on that later) within the Democratic Party, Roosevelt didn't expect to win, but he did overtake Taft to become Wilson's toughest opponent. Still, in the end, Wilson would win election easily and Roosevelt would finally retire for good... maybe.

Post Presidency: Of course, Theodore Roosevelt may have retired but he wasn't finished living. He explored the jungles of Brazil with his son, Kermit, and developed malaria in the process. Of course, as usual, he survived. After his return to the United States, he went back to writing again.

World War I broke out in 1914 and Roosevelt led the cause for military preparedness. He supported US involvement in the war effort and was disappointed in President Wilson's neutrality stance. When the US did enter the war, Roosevelt wanted to join and form his own volunteer division, but President Wilson turned him down. Roosevelt was 58 by then. He mellowed a little after his youngest son, Quentin, died in the war.

Down, but not out, Roosevelt was being touted as the frontrunner for the 1920 Republican nomination, but death took the gallant man by surprise on January 6, 1919. It was said that it was a good thing he died in his sleep, otherwise death would have had a fight on its hands.

Odd notes: TR kept a virtual zoo at the White House

He was blind in one eye as the result of a boxing mishap

He hated the nickname Teddy

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/545665/facts-about-president-theodore-teddy-roosevelt (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/545665/facts-about-president-theodore-teddy-roosevelt%5C")

Final Summary: I think I mentioned that I didn't quite think Abraham Lincoln was the greatest President (though he came close). Theodore Roosevelt is the reason why. No, he wasn't perfect. I could have done without his Cowboy interventions in Latin America for example and I do wish he had taken a stand on the Brownsville riots instead of firing 160 Black servicemen.

But look at all the accomplishments. No, he didn't make it okay to mix races in the White House but at least inviting Booker T. Washington was a start. More importantly, he broke several monopolies, he made sure that the most beautiful areas of the United States would be preserved, he was a friend of labor, and he negotiated peace between several countries and ended one major war in the process. Plus, he established the Presidency as a position of inspiration as future Presidents such as FDR, Kennedy, Reagan (yes, Batlord, Reagan too), and Obama would use the bully pulpit for their own agendas, mostly in the name of good, as Theodore Roosevelt had.

And he foresaw the need of the safety nets that his distant cousin, FDR, would implement as well as would Lyndon Johnson with Medicare.

So, is Theodore Roosevelt the greatest American President ever?

You're damned right he is!

Overall rating: A

https://millercenter.org/president/roosevelt (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/roosevelt%5C")

27. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (You can't judge a book by looking at its cover)

(https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/images/william-howard-taft-1.jpg)

Born: September 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: March 8, 1930, Washington, DC

Term: March 4, 1909- March 4, 1913
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: James Sherman

First Lady: Helen Herron Taft

Before the Presidency: William Taft grew up in Cincinnati. Despite being overweight, he was quite the athlete. He also was quite intelligent finishing second in his class at private Woodward High School.

Following his father's advice, Taft refrained from athletics at Yale and concentrated on academics. After graduation, he returned to Cincinnati to attend law school and passed the bar in 1880.

The Taft family was a very political family, and it didn't start with William. His father, Alphonso Taft, served as Secretary of War and then Attorney General in President Grant's cabinet. He would later serve as Minister to Austria-Hungary and Russia under President Arthur. Alphonso, though conservative overall, was quite liberal when it came to women's rights. That, no doubt, rubbed off on William.

William put a lot of pressure on himself to please his parents. But he never really wanted a political career, not in the classic sense anyway. His actual dream was to one day be Chief Justice of the United States.

Of course, he fouled up on the onset when he married Nellie Herron. Her father had been a law partner of Rutherford Hayes and she had dreams of one day becoming First Lady.

So, with that in mind, Taft, through his father's connections, became assistant prosecutor of Hamilton County in 1881. He worked as a lawyer for a while thereafter before he was appointed to the Cincinnati Superior Court in 1887. He must have gotten someone's attention because, in 1890, he was appointed as United States Solicitor General under President Harrison. While Solicitor General, he became friends with Theodore Roosevelt, and it was Taft who persuaded President McKinley to appoint Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary to the Navy.

Despite opposition from his wife, who still had White House dreams, Taft accepted a position to the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals. He stayed at the that position for eight years. He also would teach at the University of Cincinnati Law School.

Taft was happy on the Court of Appeals, but his wife wasn't. Wanting to please his wife, Taft answered the call from President McKinley to become Governor General of the Philippines; like it or not, Taft had entered politics.

And he presided over the Philippine Insurrection. Seventy Thousand US soldiers had been sent to the Philippines to quell the rebellion and things were not going very well. Things were quite brutal on the US side and Taft was often at odds with the military Governor, General Arthur MacArthur (yes, Douglas McArthur's father). Taft felt MacArthur's treatment as too brutal and unsympathetic to the Islanders. He was able to remove MacArthur after Aguinaldo's capture and set up a Constitution and Bill of Rights not unlike the US Constitution. He also established a civil service system, a judicial system, an English-speaking education system, a transportation network, and health care facilities. He even twice turned down the Supreme Court so he could finish his work. He would leave the Philippines in 1903 very much loved by the islanders.

Taft might have stayed in the Philippines longer if not for a request from President Roosevelt to come to Washington and the prodding of his wife. Taft was offered the position of Secretary of War and, since Nellie would be back in Washington, he accepted. He became Roosevelt's most important adviser, overseeing the work on the Panama Canal and traveled around the world on behalf of the President. He also functioned as the Provisional Governor of Cuba.

It would all set up the Presidential race of 1908, though it wasn't something Taft really wanted.

Summary of offices held:

1887-1890: Judge, Cincinnati Superior Court

1890-1892: Solicitor General of the United States

1892-1900: Judge, Sixth US Court of Appeals

1901-1903: Governor General of the Philippines

1904-1908: Secretary of War

1906: Provisional Governor of Cuba



What was going on: Progressive labor policies, Mexican revolution

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Basically, though not the progressive Roosevelt had hoped for, he at least didn't rock the boat and busted even more trusts than Roosevelt himself.

Why he was a bad President: He really didn't want the job. He appointed too many pro-businesspeople at the cost of the environment, and he sometimes went against the progressive principles of the time.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more progressive approach with his policies. He should have taken more chances like Roosevelt had.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he had actually reversed Roosevelt's environmental policies, he wouldn't have been remembered fondly. Had he not been a trust buster in his own right (which is what actually saved his legacy as President). Also, if he had followed the political wind and intervened in Mexico, something that could have ended in disaster.

Election of 1908: President Roosevelt decided not to run again in 1908 despite already having regrets about that decision. He did want someone that would continue his policies and he believed his good friend, William Taft, was the man. Taft really didn't want to run for President but Nellie, who had always dreamed of one day living in the White House, insisted, as had Roosevelt.

The nomination wasn't as simple as it sounded though. On the second day of the Convention, a spirted demonstration of Roosevelt supporters wanted to draft Roosevelt. Roosevelt, however, sent word that he wasn't available, and Taft was nominated on the first ballot.

The Democrats, for the third time in four elections, went with William Jennings Bryan. He remained quite popular with the liberal and populist wings of the party and his closest competitor, reformist Governor John Albert Johnson of Minnesota, couldn't even come close.

In a sense, Bryan was running against Roosevelt by proxy. Taft had pledged to continue Roosevelt's progressive policies and Roosevelt himself was on the campaign trail, boosting his friend. Nellie also got into the political game as she persuaded Taft to lose thirty pounds (Taft would be the heaviest man in history, even Grover Cleveland looked like an anorexic next to Taft).

In the end, all Taft really needed to do was to pledge he'd continue Roosevelt's work and he would win election quite easily.



First term: Taft's administration seemed to start out at the gate okay as he continued to pledge to push progressive policies, but there was already a rift brewing between Taft and his predecessor. Nellie fulfilled her dream as First Lady, but she suffered a stroke two months into the term, taking over a year to fully recover. Sort of a Monkey's Paw tale, I guess.

As for President Taft, he introduced what would become the sixteenth amendment, calling for a personal income tax. He also reduced the tariff, something that didn't go well with the majority of protectionist minded Republicans.

Taft could be a cowboy President too, just as Roosevelt had been. He sent 700 Marines to Nicaragua to prop up a pro-USA regime

The biggest blunder came in 1910 when he fired Gifford Pinchot, head of the Forestry Service. Pinchot was in a feud with Richard Balinger, Head of the Department of Interior. Ballinger was a business minded executive who, no doubt, wanted to dismantle Roosevelt's work in protecting the environment. Pinchot responded by attacking both Ballinger and Taft leaving Taft with no choice but to fire Pinchot. Roosevelt was on a world tour at the time but when he returned in June 1910, he was none too pleased and the rift between Taft and Roosevelt would be irreparable.

The Mann Act was passed in the Taft Administration. Music historians may remember this as the act that got Chuck Berry busted in 1959 when he transported a minor across state lines.

Most of the rest of Taft's term seemed to be dominated by the now feud between he and Roosevelt. While both would support each other from time to time, relations between the two were frayed as they seemed to avoid each other at all costs. Taft rejected Roosevelt's calls for a new nationalism, saying the US would have to adopt a new Constitution. Taft did replace the controversial Ballinger with a Pinchot ally, but they seemed to do little to please Roosevelt.

But it wasn't all negative. Taft would bust even more trusts than Roosevelt had, and he would veto a bill requiring all immigrants to take a literacy test, and while the US would intervene in Nicaragua and Cuba near the end of Taft's term, Taft took a political hit by wisely staying out of the mess in Mexico (Though Wilson and Harding would have to deal with Pancho Villa later).

And besides, Nellie got to plant the famous Japanese cherry blossoms in 1912.

Election of 1912:  Taft hated his four years in the White House. He really didn't like the political back and forth and he lost a dear friend in Theodore Roosevelt. Still, he accepted a draft to run for a second term.

But Theodore Roosevelt was back too, and he declared his candidacy as well. Roosevelt felt that Taft was taking the party down. He was upset that Taft went after one of the "Good Trusts" in US Steel. But he was most upset over the Pinchot firing. So, he was back in the game.

Roosevelt spent 1911 and 1912 criticizing the President at every turn. Taft finally would respond with attacks of his own and the gloves were indeed off. Taft compared a Roosevelt election to the reign of terror as a result of the French Revolution.

If the primary system had been in place like it is today, Roosevelt would have been the easy nominee. He remained very popular with the public. But in 1912, only thirteen states actually had primaries, Roosevelt winning eleven of them and Robert LaFollette winning the other two, and the votes didn't count at the convention anyway.

So, the convention was a tug of war between Taft and Roosevelt and Taft used his patronage card to take control of the floor. Consequently, Taft won the nomination and Roosevelt and his followers walked out.

The Democrats, seeing victory with a split GOP, eventually went with their own progressive, Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey. They became even more excited when Roosevelt went third party with the intent of torpedoing Taft. In fact, Roosevelt would be so successful in that regard, he would become the man to beat in the general election, not the President.

The election took a toll on Taft to the point where he was in tears. He retreated to the golf course, more or less ceding the Presidency, and let Wilson and Roosevelt battle it out.

In the end, Wilson would win the election easily with Taft finishing third, carrying only Utah and Vermont. Taft's conservative policies lost the day in 1912.

Post Presidency: Even though Taft had suffered a humiliating defeat, he was relieved that he was leaving the White House. Wife Nellie was disappointed to be sure, but she would support her husband in his judicial endeavors for the rest of his life. He lost a lot of weight and stayed active in politics, supporting Charles Evans Hughes for President in 1916 and backing President Wilson's European Policy and his Quixotic quest for the League of Nations.

In 1921, his lifelong dream was fulfilled when President Harding appointed him as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It was a conservative court for the most part and it isn't remembered for many landmark decisions, but Taft proved to be an honorable man worthy of the position.

Taft, falling ill, resigned from the Supreme Court in 1930 and died shortly after. He is one of only two Presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery (John Kennedy being the other).

Odd notes: While the getting stuck in the bathtub story could be a rumor, he was reported to have spilled water on the heads of guests below in a hotel in 1915.

Taft had a habit of falling asleep at public functions

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58914/15-wonderful-william-howard-taft-facts (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/58914/15-wonderful-william-howard-taft-facts%5C")

Final Summary: I guess you could argue that Taft was a caretaker President between two of the better-known ones, Roosevelt and the once praised Woodrow Wilson.

But he did accomplish some things in his own right. He continued some of the progressive policies of Roosevelt at least even if he did have conservative leanings. He didn't do a lot in terms of race, but he didn't set things back either.

But he did lean more towards the business interests when it came to the environment. I won't judge him on labor so much because he didn't have the same situations that Roosevelt had.

And the bottom line was, even though he did run for re-election, he didn't really want to be there. Instead, he was just another good person who simply wasn't that good a President.

But he would be a good Chief Justice, whether you agreed with him or not, and you could feel good for the guy in the end. It was a rocky path, but in the end, he got what he wished for.

He even deserved it.


Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/taft (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/taft%5C")

28. WOODROW WILSON (He kept us out us, um, ...)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Thomas_Woodrow_Wilson%2C_Harris_%26_Ewing_bw_photo_portrait%2C_1919_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Thomas_Woodrow_Wilson%2C_Harris_%26_Ewing_bw_photo_portrait%2C_1919_%28cropped%29.jpg)

Born: December 28, 1856, Staunton, Virginia
Died: February 3, 1924, Washington, DC

Term: March 4, 1913- March 4, 1921
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Thomas Marshall

First Lady: Ellen Axson Wilson (died 1914), Edith Galt Wilson (married 1915)

Before the Presidency: Thomas Woodrow Wilson was essentially a product of the old south having been born in antebellum Virginia and raised in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, mostly in the years of Reconstruction. His father, an ordained minister, had been born in Ohio but shared the racist Southern values and helped to organize the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America. In Columbia, South Carolina, Wilson grew up around a majority of blacks, some of whom were known as leased slaves.

Young Wilson suffered from a weak eyesight and may have had dyslexia. Still, he was a normal boy, playing baseball and the like. Schools were scarce in the post-Civil War South and Wilson had to rely on former Confederate soldiers for his education.

In 1873, Wilson enrolled at Davidson Collage despite not being academically prepared. Despite the slow start in education, Wilson was quite the intellect as he excelled in Logic, Latin, and English among other subjects. He had to drop out after a year however when his father was forced out his church in Columbia as well as Wilson's own poor health.

He enrolled at the College of New Jersey (Princeton) in 1875. There he did fairly well, graduating in the top quarter of his class. He entered law school at the University of Virginia but dropped out after a year to study law on his own. Bored with law, he attended Johns Hopkins University as a graduate student and received his PhD in History in 1886.

He found academia rather easy, so he spent much of his free time reading British history and writing essays on Government. One essay, Cabinet Government in the United States, was published in the International Review, where Henry Cabot Lodge was the editor. Another essay, his dissertation titled Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics, became a classic in the annals of American Political Science. In it, he criticized congressional dominance of Government and the weak-Presidencies in the post-Civil War Era. He even argued for the British Parliamentary System though he would change his mind after Roosevelt's strong presidency.

Though Wilson was undoubtedly a racist, his first wife, Ellen Axson, influenced him on the social needs of the poor and dispossessed as well as for political and economic reforms.

It would seem that Wilson was destined to be a scholar, but he was also very interested in politics, having dreams of becoming a US senator as a stepping stone to the presidency. In the meantime, he taught economy and law at Bryn Mawr College in the 1880s. Later, he would teach history at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He would end up at Princeton University where he would teach law and political economy.

In 1902, Wilson was tapped for President of Princeton University. The trustees wanted a reformer. What they got was someone intent on changing the way colleges were run. Princeton went from a tradition Ivy league school to a modern liberal university where professors were more less impersonable with their students. The changes would get old after a while and Wilson would leave the university in 1906 but not without leaving as a reformer with realistic goals.

By 1910, the Democrats in New Jersey had been tarnished by scandal and the party bosses were looking for an honest man with a high profile to run for Governor. Woodrow Wilson was that man with the caveat that he would be his own man and not beholden to the political machine. The party bosses agreed.

But they would soon regret their decision for Wilson was elected Governor and the first thing he did was to go after the political machines. Governor Wilson pushed through legislation that required primaries for all state candidates. He also passed a campaign finance law and outlawed corporate contributions to political campaigns. This radical reform (in the eyes of the machine anyway) got the attention of the National Democratic Party and of William Jennings Bryan in particular. The 1912 Presidential campaign was off and running.


Summary of offices held:



1902-1910: President, Princeton University

1911-1913: Governor of New Jersey


What was going on: Women's Suffrage, Prohibition movement, World War I, Mexican Revolution, Russian Revolution

Scandals within the administration: The Newport sex scandal

Why he was a good President: Well, he was our last really progressive President. He really did go after monopolies. He was ultimately one of the great peace activists in American history and, even if he did do it while kicking and screaming, he ended up supporting women's suffrage.

Why he was a bad President: He was kicking and screaming while supporting women's suffrage. Also, he was a racist. He also had no taste for civil liberties when it was against his own interests, at least when it came to the world war anyway. The Espionage and Seditions Acts are probably the most Undemocratic bills to have ever plagued this nation. Even the Patriot Act didn't go that far.

Did I mention Woodrow Wilson was a racist?

What could have saved his Presidency: More sensitivity towards civil rights might have been enough to put him in my top five. Maybe if he had supported women's' rights from the outset. He also should have accepted he was done after his stroke and let Marshall be President, for good or bad. And, of course, maybe he should have chilled a little before possibly starting the great Red scare.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: World War I lasting longer than it did wouldn't have been good. Staying insensitive to women's' rights wouldn't have helped his legacy either.

Election of 1912: Wilson came into Baltimore as one of the two favorites at the Democratic Convention, the other being Champ Clark, the Speaker of the House. The machine politicians favored the moderate Judson Harmon of Ohio and it looked like a three-way race. The perennially popular Bryan was also a factor.

A two thirds majority was needed for nomination, and it promised to be a long convention. Clark was well ahead on the first fourteen ballots and the powerful Tammany Hall machine dropped Harmon to support Clark. This concerned Bryan, thinking that a deal had been cut with party bosses and Wall Street. As such, he threw his support to Wilson more or less thwarting a Clark nomination. As it turned out, Wilson wasn't immune to deal making either. Another candidate, Oscar Underwood of Alabama, was about to withdraw in favor of Clark, but Wilson's men convinced Underwood that he would get Wilson's support if he (Wilson) dropped out. Underwood stayed in and Wilson was finally nominated on the forty-sixth ballot.

Wilson campaigned on campaign reform, tariff reductions, stronger anti-trust laws, independence for the Philippines, and most important, a breakup of all monopolies. He counteracted Roosevelt's New Nationalism with what he called the New Freedom, which basically was a more extreme version of monopoly busting.

But realistically, Wilson could have ran on a platform of requiring all Americans to have their legs amputated, for the Republicans were spilt between President Taft and Roosevelt, who bolted to form the Bull Moose party. In the end, Wilson won with just 41% of the vote but with a large majority in the Electoral College.

First term: The first thing President Wilson did was to go after the tariffs. He believed that a lower tariff was necessary in order to narrow the disparities between rich and poor. This created a deficit in tax revenue so, after signing the Underwood-Simmons Act, which lowered the tariffs, he also implemented the income tax as the Constitution now allowed.

Next up was banking reform. Ever since Andrew Jackson torpedoed the Second National Bank, there wasn't a real system of banking that could stabilize the market and there were too many periods of recessions and depressions, the most recent being the Panic of 1907. And by now, these financial panics were not only affecting the average person, but the bankers and corporations as well. This gave Wilson the impetus to push through the Federal Reserve Act which established a board that could control interest rates and the money supply. It also created twelve regional reserve banks where money would be minted and printed. I actually got to visit the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia as a kid. It was neat to see how money was printed. They wouldn't give me any souvenirs though.

On the foreign front, Mexico became a hot issue. In 1913, Mexico was overthrown by the counterrevolutionary General Victoriano Huerta. Huerta was an authoritarian in the worst way and, while Europeans saw Huerta as a business opportunity, Wilson refused to recognize him calling his men a "government of butchers." The next year, a few American soldiers were arrested, and Wilson had his excuse to send in the Navy, who occupied the port of Vera Cruz. Huerta fled and Venustiano Carranza, Huerta's rival from the North, and supported by Wilson, took over Mexico.

The story wouldn't end there though because, by 1916, the rebellion led by Pancho Villa had begun and President Wilson would have his hands full with the popular revolutionary throughout his second term.

There were even bigger fish to fry in Europe. Because of what seemed like umpteen alliances in Europe not to mention a slew of near wars over the past ten years, it was inevitable that something would trigger a major war.

And, on June 28, 1914, the straw that broke the camel's back happened. On that day, the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Serbian National. This created tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, who both had their allies that encompassed pretty much all of Europe. Within about six weeks, what became known as the Great War (later called World War I) would break out.

Both sides, now led by Germany and Britain, respectively, tried to draw the United States into the war but President Wilson agreed with the public outcry that the US should stay out of it only suggesting that both sides play nice when American shipping is involved.

A big controversy loomed in 1915 when the Germans sunk the luxury ship Lusitania, a British ship but not a military one by any means and also with Americans aboard. It was obvious now whose side the Americans would be on, and Germany appeased Wilson, knowing American involvement in the war would not be good for them. Wilson accepted the apology knowing the desire to go to war was small.

But Germany continued to push the envelope and began unrestricted submarine warfare. Their U-Boats would lead to the deaths of four American citizens. President Wilson protested again but this time Germany took a more arrogant stance. President Wilson ordered Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan to write a second note more or less threatening war against Germany. Bryan resigned instead feeling that there was no balance between the two major belligerents (Britain was pushing the envelope as well) and felt it would draw the US into the war. You see, besides being a creationist and an advocate for the poor (and maybe even a socialist), Bryan was also a pacifist.

Wilson drafted a third note, this time signed by the new Secretary of State, Robert Lansing, telling Germany that the sinking of another ship with American passengers would be an act of war. Things quieted down for a while after that.

There would be one more major act in Wilson's first term when he appointed the liberal Louis Brandeis to the Supreme Court. This is significant because Brandeis was Jewish and as such became the first Jewish member of the Supreme Court.

The Birth of a Nation Controversy:  Woodrow Wilson may have been fine with Jews and immigrants (he vetoed an anti-immigration act in 1915 but it was overridden).

But when it came to African Americans, he was definitely a product of the old South. He curried their favor in 1912 and rewarded them by segregating the Federal departments.

The biggest controversy surrounding Wilson's racism, however, came when famed movie director D.W. Griffith arranged a screening of A Birth of a Nation at the White House in 1915. Wilson was said to have praised the movie for its unflinching accuracy. This movie's so-called accuracy depicted blacks as basically evil lazy buffoons that ate fried chicken and watermelon at legislative sessions (never mind they were all played by white men in black face), and they also liked to rape white women on the side. And thank God for the Ku Klux Klan for saving the pure white people from the scourge of black dominance. Yes, President Wilson, said quote, "unfortunately, this is all so very true."

Of course, this was 1915, and even the Northerners weren't thinking much about racism and Jim Crow in the South, nor did they really care.

But historians certainly took a look and, while the webpage I'm reading about Wilson seems to have him in the top five, other historians have condemned him to the middle of the pack. Two historians who I have been watching on YouTube in fact have him down as one of the worst Presidents in history and one of them calls himself a Christian Conservative.

So, yeah, he may have been one of the most progressive Presidents in history and he was the one who planted the seed for what would eventually become the United Nations.

But, like it or not, Woodrow Wilson was an unabashed racist.

https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_birth.html
 (http://\"https//www.thirteen.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_birth.html%5C")
https://www.history.com/news/woodrow-wilson-racial-segregation-jim-crow-ku-klux-klan (http://\"https//www.history.com/news/woodrow-wilson-racial-segregation-jim-crow-ku-klux-klan%5C")


Election of 1916: President Wilson came into the 1916 campaign looking fairly popular. His progressive agenda was certainly a hit with the public and, so far, we had stayed out of the conflict in Europe. The Women's Suffrage movement was taking off and there was some hope Wilson would support that cause as well.

But the Republicans had gotten their act together. Roosevelt style progressivism was dead at this point. Roosevelt himself was still active within the party but now he was advocating going to war against Germany. But there was an isolationist mood within the GOP and there was a lot of resentment toward Roosevelt for splitting the party in 1912.

So, they went with Charles Evans Hughes, a Moderate Republican, and a justice on the Supreme Court. Roosevelt derided Hughes as a bearded iceberg but Hughes would win on the third ballot anyway.

The platforms were not all that different when it came to the Great War. Wilson was pushing for military preparedness while stressing neutrality. Indeed, his slogan was "He kept us out of war." Hughes too advocated military preparedness which seemed less convoluted than Wilson's plan. Also, the public was beginning to tire of the progressive reforms by 1916 and wanted to go in a new direction. So, Hughes' chances looked fairly good.

Indeed, by the time Election Day rolled around, Hughes reportedly went to bed thinking he would win a close election. And it was a close election. Only problem was, the close election went to Wilson, with a plurality of 49% (Hughes pulled 46%) and a slim victory in a Electoral College.

So, Hughes went into obscurity until 1930 when he would succeed William Taft to become one of the best-known Chief Justices in history.

And the nation waited with bated breath to see if President Wilson would still keep us out of war.


Second Term: Before the second term even began, President Wilson tried in vain to suggest a peace without victory between the two belligerents. He also recalled General Pershing from Mexico after failing to capture Pancho Villa.

Germany notified the US that it would resume unrestricted submarine warfare and the US would sever diplomatic ties with Germany. The US was closer to war. A month later came the infamous Zimmerman telegram in which Germany was trying to persuade Mexico to war on the United States. Wilson had his smoking gun.

With the Zimmerman note released to the press, Americans were outraged, and Wilson was able to get Congress to declare war on Germany. The US was in the war. Laws were passed including the Selective Service Act that reinstituted the military draft, and the very controversial Espionage Act which limited the freedom of expression and called for a stiff fine and prison sentence for anyone who dared to criticize the military or the Government. It was far worse than Lincoln's lifting of Habeas Corpus and made Adams' Alien and Sedition Act look like the greatest Civil Rights act ever.

There was also an internal war against the International Workers' Union, or the Wobblies for short. The Wobblies were a radical Union that argued mainly for socialism. And, yes, sometimes they would react with violence.

Wilson was not a fan of this group, or of any socialist/communist group for that matter, so he approved the first of many raids on this group in particular. By 1919, the raids had spread to any group deemed anti-American. The raids were led by Attorney General Mitchell Palmer, and they would become known as the Palmer Raids.

Women's Suffrage was also on the table as was prohibition. Prohibition had been an issue for decades really and the push to make alcohol illegal in the United States was on the rise by 1917. Wilson himself never gave his opinion one way or the other, but Congress would submit the eighteenth Amendment for ratification by the end of 1917 that would prohibit the sale of alcohol.

As for women's suffrage, Wilson, at best was unmoved by the protests led by suffragette Alice Paul; in fact, he was even bemused. Later, he would become angry having more protests broken up. Things got more violent, and women were convicted and sentenced to sixty days in prison where they suffered some considerably cruel conditions such as beatings, forced feedings, and unsanitary conditions.

Wilson was repelled by these militant women but with the US now in the Great War and sentiment beginning to favor the right to vote for women, President Wilson, after a plea from the more moderate Carrie Chapman Catt, introduced the nineteenth Amendment, which would give women the right to vote. And although the Amendment would fail in the Senate twice, the third time would be a charm in 1920.

As the Great War winded down in 1918, President Wilson introduced what he called his fourteen points. It was yet another attempt to end the war in Europe and he again called for peace without victory (whatever you thought of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, or Serbia, there really was no good guy in all this mess). Despite the rejection by England and France, Wilson's document stands as one of the more historical and well-meaning documents of world history and it would be the blueprint in which the Armistice that ended the Great War would be drafted.

1917 was also the year of the Russian Revolution and, by 1918, the first of many Red scares would plague the United States. Socialism remained popular in some circles and Wilson, through Attorney General Palmer, were wanting to discourage the movement, thus the infamous Palmer raids. There was also a companion to the Espionage Act called the Sedition Act which permitted the Postmaster general to ban the mailing of anything deemed subversive. It also called for heavy penalties when criticizing the government or the war effort. Eugene Debs would soon be sentenced to ten years for violating the Espionage Act (later commuted by President Harding).

As the Great War was ending, a new war was blooming, and this was a medical emergency. For this was also the era of the Spanish Flu pandemic. It would be nice to say that Wilson tried to do something but, given his soon to be zeal for his League of Nations and then his subsequent stroke, he would end up doing even less than Trump. By the time it was over, 600,000 American were dead (and 20 million worldwide).

The Great War ended in November 1918 and President Wilson attended the Paris Peace Conference making him the first US President on European soil. He arrived to a hero's welcome and became even more popular when he introduced his proposal for a League of Nations. The European nations liked the idea, and the Europeans would indeed form this organization, a precursor to what would become the United Nations.

But it didn't prove to be as popular at home. The Republican Congress were in something of an isolationist mood and would spend over a year arguing about ratifying either the League of Nation or even the Treaty at Versailles.

Thus, Wilson set out on a League of Nations tour in the fall of 1919. His health wasn't the greatest by then and doctors and some of his aides advised him against it, but he was determined to win public support. So, off he went, making forty addresses in twenty-nine cities. But he was unable to sway the likely indifferent public either. Suffering from exhaustion, he cut his tour short and a week later, on October 2, he suffered a debilitating stroke.

And Wilson would leave us with yet one more controversy. Since no one had any real faith in the Vice-President, Thomas Marshall, they kept the severity of Wilson's stroke secret to the public (and to Marshall and the Congress) and Wilson's wife, Edith Galt Wilson, more or less ran the White House, managing to get her husband to sign legislation as needed. She tried to stay as apolitical as possible but was influential in the firing of Robert Lansing when he held cabinet meetings behind the President's back and wouldn't accept a British ambassador's credentials until he fired an aide that made unflattering comments about her. She is sometimes referred to (usually affectionately) as the first woman President.

With President Wilson more or less sidelined, 1920 would prove to be a quiet year in the White House despite the new Prohibition and the new right to vote for women. The Treaty of Versailles ratification failed as had the League of Nations proposal.

The United States was about to enter a new era.




Post Presidency: Still ill from his stroke, the last few years of Wilson's life were rather quiet. He tried to form a law office with a partner but that fizzled when it was obvious Wilson was too ill. He fantasized about a third term in 1924 despite his paralysis and being nearly blind. He also still managed to publicly advocate for the League of Nations and managed a short Armistice Day address on a newfangled invention known as radio. This was in 1923.

Alas, Wilson would be unable to make a election bid as he died quietly on February 3, 1924.

Odd notes: Wilson kept a flock of sheep on the White House lawn (couldn't afford a lawnmower I guess)

His parents were Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/553285/woodrow-wilson-facts (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/553285/woodrow-wilson-facts)

Final Summary: Needless to say, Woodrow Wilson is one of the most complicated men ever to hold the Oval Office. On one hand, he made great strides in progressivism. He formed the Federal Reserve, he obviously supported immigrants given his several vetoes on anti-immigration legislation, and, despite his walk back on keeping the US out of war, he was, ultimately, a man of peace as he tried desperately tried to push the League of Nations, an organization that was, sadly, destined for failure. He even won the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

But he also had such a dark side, arguably evil even. He betrayed the blacks when he segregated the various departments and even encouraged laws that set back rights for blacks, especially in the South. And of course, there was the Birth of a Nation episode when his real feelings for blacks came out. That alone is damning, but then with the Espionage and Sedition acts which curtailed civil liberties to no end (and it was even upheld by the Supreme Court), well, needless to say I'm no fan of Wilson.

Still, he is remembered by historians (or at least some historians) as a great President for the things he did accomplish and at least had the foresight on such as the League of Nations.

As for me, I look at it as two Woodrow Wilsons. The good Woodrow, the progressive who advocated world peace and, eventually, women's suffrage, I'd give an A to. But the bad Woodrow, the racist who didn't believe in civil liberties gets an F.

So, I guess I average the grades out.


Overall rating:  C

https://millercenter.org/president/wilson (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/wilson%5C")

29. WARREN HARDING (I'd do anything for love)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Warren_G_Harding-Harris_%26_Ewing.jpg/640px-Warren_G_Harding-Harris_%26_Ewing.jpg)


Born: November 2, 1865, Blooming Grove, Ohio
Died: August 2, 1923, San Francisco, California (died in office)

Term: March 4, 1921- August 2, 1923
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Calvin Coolidge

First Lady: Florence Kling Harding

Before the Presidency: Warren Harding grew up in a family of six in rural Ohio. Both of his parents were doctors; his mother having gotten that distinction from being a midwife. It was a happy childhood.

Harding graduated from Ohio Central College. While there, he distinguished himself by editing the campus newspaper. Though he tried his hand at law and teaching, journalism was his calling, and he, along with some friends, purchased a small newspaper for $300. They would have some moderate success.

In 1891, Harding married a local divorcee, Flossie King DeWolfe, five years his senior. The wealthy woman pursued Warren and he would finally give in to her chagrin, more on that later. Anyway, her father objected to the relation because of a rumor that Harding had black ancestors. He reportedly even threatened to kill Harding.

Harding's Marion Star flourished during the 1890s partly due to Florence's business sense and Harding's own affability. He was known for his unbiased reporting and became popular with politicians of both parties. He made great pains not to run a critical story and had never fired an employee. It made Harding extremely well liked.

So, he was a natural when it came to politics. He became a Republican and was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 1899. He served as Majority Leader before a run for Lieutenant Governor, which he also won. He held that position for one term.  He left that position to return to the newspaper in 1905. Five years later, he would make an unsuccessful run for Governor.

Harding became popular with the National GOP and won the honor of formally nominating President Taft for his re-election in 1912. He made a run for US Senator in 1914. It wasn't the most pleasant of campaigns as Harding's backers smeared his opponent for being Catholic (you think Americans are a bunch of bigots now? Let's go back to a time when even having brown eyes was a cardinal sin). Harding won the election, but he was somewhat embarrassed by his supporters.

Harding's six years in the Senate were undistinguished for the most part though he did oppose President Wilson's League of Nations pitch. Considered a good fellow, Harding missed more sessions than he attended and missed key debates on the two major amendments of the day, women's suffrage, and prohibition. He did serve as keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention in 1916 though.

And it set up what would be an interesting 1920 convention indeed.

Summary of offices held:

1900-1904: Ohio State Senate

1904-1906: Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

1915-1921: US Senator, Ohio


What was going on: League of Nations backlash, Economic boom, Teapot Dome scandal, prohibition

Scandals within the administration: Can you say Teapot Dome?

Why he was a good President: He did pass some reforms, especially when it came to women and children. He also was involved in the Washington Naval Treaty. And he was the first President to make use of the new media form called radio.

Why he was a bad President: he was one of the most scandalous Presidents in history. His economic policies would inevitably lead to the disaster known as the Great Depression. But, ultimately, for every decent person he appointed (he also was the first President to appoint women to key positions), he would appoint about three really bad eggs, Albert Fall only being the tip of the iceberg. Also, he didn't really respect the White House all that much.

What could have saved his Presidency: Cleaning house before and during the Teapot Dome scandal became apparent would have been huge.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: After Teapot Dome, it already was.

Election of 1920: There was no indication Harding would be nominated, but he had a campaign manager, Harry Daugherty. There was no clear front runner, so he began talking Harding up to party leaders. Harding himself was proving to be affable and non-offensive as always, chumming it up at poker games, not seeming to take any positions on anything. To some Republicans, he was perfect and ended up getting nominated on the tenth ballot. To compliment Harding, they went with the popular Governor of Massachusetts, Calvin Coolidge, as his running mate.

As for the Democrats, they were pretty much tired from eight years of Woodrow Wilson and were looking to change courses. It was a disheveled convention to say the least. They also went with an Ohio newspaperman, James Cox of Ohio, a former Governor and a liberal. He too would have a big name running mate, President Wilson's former Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The platforms were fairly predictable. The Republicans criticized Wilson's handling of the World War and railed against the League of Nations. They also pushed for a return to tariffs and went with the slogan of a Return to Normalcy. Celebrities of the day began to get involved and popular jazz singer (and embarrassing blackface actor) Al Jolson, stumped for Harding, singing songs that compared Harding to Lincoln (If Lincoln had seen the Jazz Singer, he would have puked).

The Democrats campaigned on continuing Wilson's policies for the most part (luckily, D.W. Griffith stayed away). That proved to be unpopular among the public though and they would pay the price come November.

The Socialist Party had a candidate in 1920 also. He was the well-known Eugene Debs who campaigned from prison. He had been convicted under Wilson's Sedition Act (he opposed the draft). This probably didn't help Cox' chances wither.

So, Harding won the election by a landslide for the most part and a very interesting decade in American history (at least culturally) was about to unfold.

First term: One of the first things President Harding did was to sign bills enforcing higher tariffs. He also signed the Budget and Accounting Act which consolidated the budget requests into one large request. Probably one of Harding's better bills.

He also made some fairly solid appointments in his first year of office, tabbing Charles Evans Hughes for Secretary of State and Herbert Hoover for Secretary of Commerce. Of course, he struck out on a few others, but we'll get to that later. His most significant appointment, however, was for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For that, he picked former President William Howard Taft.

During Harding's term, Washington D.C. hosted the Washington Naval Armament Conference designed to limit naval strength throughout the world. It kept the world at peace for about a decade but, sadly, thanks to Japan initially, and Germany and Italy even more aggressively, it would be doomed to failure.

Though a staunch conservative, especially in economic matters, Harding could also have a heart. He pardoned Eugene Debs in late 1921 and he made some speeches condemning the treatment of African Americans by the previous administration. He also signed an act over the protests of the American Medical Association who called federal involvement in medical affairs, Socialist (in other words, Harding was costing them their mansions). He signed the Maternity and Infancy Protection Act which contributed matching funds to states that established prenatal and child health centers. This too, would also be temporary, however, as a Republican led Congress would let it lapse in 1929.

Like other Presidents before him (and Coolidge and Hoover afterwards), Harding wasn't friendly when it came to Veterans' pensions. He vetoed a bonus bill saying a balanced budget came first.

By 1923, President Harding was indeed a popular man and there was no doubt he would have been re-elected in 1924 had he not died.

Or would have he? Because, just weeks after he died, the biggest political scandal in United States history to date broke out. Remember I said he struck out with some of his cabinet appointments? Well, his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, was a doozer. In January 1923, he resigned after being implicated in a scandal where he took bribes from private oil companies so they could tap the Teapot Dome reserves in Wyoming.  Meanwhile, Harding's former campaign manager and now Attorney General, Harry Daugherty, survived two impeachment attempts as two indictments accusing him of defrauding the government hung over his head. Harding himself, was part of a nefarious bunch of political crooks known as the Ohio gang, known for late night poker games at the White House where Harding once gambled away the White House China. And on top of all that, Harding was known as a notorious womanizer and had a long affair with one Nan Britton, and it's the affair with her that will start a conspiracy theory surrounding Harding's death.

But it was the Teapot Dome Scandal that would tarnish Harding's legacy ultimately. While Harding himself was never implicated in the scandal, it did expose both his desire to please everybody (His father once told him if he were a girl, he'd be in the family way all the time, because he couldn't say no) and his propensity to pick his cronies for important positions, no matter his character.

Death: President Harding had been shaken by the looming scandals surrounding him and he embarked on a trip to Alaska and the West with Florence. Though his health wasn't the best, he was in his element as went out to shake hands and greet people. Whatever was going on in Washington, he was certainly well liked in Alaska.

On July 28, 1923, on the return journey, Harding fell ill with what was thought to be ptomaine poisoning and the train made an emergency stop in San Francisco. He lingered for several days and died five days later, on August 2.

Doctors would later rule his death as from a heart attack, but suspicion surrounded around the President's wife. She certainly knew of Harding's philandering, and she was worried he would be taken down by scandal as the Teapot Dome affair, while not yet public, was certainly well known in political circles. More telling, she refused to have an autopsy done on him, having him embalmed within the hour.

So, for the longest time, there was speculation that she had poisoned him. History Daily  even goes as far to say she was behaving erratically on the day he died, accusing the hotel of poisoning him and threatening lawsuits until an employee wanted to test a glass that smelled odd.

https://historydaily.org/warren-harding-death-conspiracy-wife-poison (http://\"https//historydaily.org/warren-harding-death-conspiracy-wife-poison%5C")

An administration official, Gaston Means, published a book called the Strange Death of President Harding in 1930. He was hardly a dependable source, however, as he had served time for, guess what? Political corruption. Doctors later cleared Mrs. Harding long after her death.



Odd notes: Al Jolson endorsed Harding for President

Harding named his penis, "Jerry."

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/552068/warren-g-harding-facts (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/552068/warren-g-harding-facts%5C")

Final Summary: Warren Harding really wasn't cut out for the White House. He wasn't really known as a hard worker though he did accomplish some things in his first year. But basically, he delegated authority to his cabinet members, a couple were successful such as Secretary of State Hughes and Secretary of Commerce Hoover (who incidentally was with Harding when he died).

But he had a long list of neer do wells starting with his own campaign manager/Attorney General and Albert Fall. Others in his administration would wind up behind bars as well. Basically, Harding was not a good judge of character. He treated the White House like a bachelor's apartment to the point where the ghost of Dolley Madison would have been appalled. Though likable certainly, maybe too likable, he was also lacking moral character and not just from his womanizing.

So, in the end, Warren Harding on the surface was a pretty nice guy who would do anything to be liked, but it also made him something of a pushover, something you never want in a President.

And that was, in a nutshell, his downfall.

Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/harding (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/harding%5C")

30. CALVIN COOLIDGE (Silence is Golden)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Calvin_Coolidge_cph.3g10777_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Calvin_Coolidge_cph.3g10777_%28cropped%29.jpg)

Born: July 4, 1872, Plymouth, Vermont
Died: January 5, 1933, Northampton, Massachusetts

Term: August 2, 1923- March 4, 1929
Political Party: Republican

Vice President:  Charles Dawes

First Lady: Grace Goodhue Coolidge

Before the Presidency: John Calvin Coolidge was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He had no major ambitions growing up, just wanting to follow in his father's footsteps as an honest small-town merchant. He was an average student in school until he blossomed at Amherst College where he graduated with honors in 1895. A member of the Republican Club, Coolidge was known for his wit and his public speaking skills. On his oratory skills, he was chosen to deliver the Grove Oration, a send up on his Senior Class at graduation. He also won a national essay contest for "The Principles Fought for in the American Revolution." He also relied on other Amherst Graduates such as his future Attorney General, Harlan Stone.

Coolidge passed the Massachusetts Bar in 1897 and began his law practice in Northampton. He also starting to get involved in Republican politics.

Coolidge suffered personal losses in his youth with the death of his mother and younger sister. He would form a bond with his stepmother, however. His father, meanwhile, was a pillar of his community and had a political career of his own. Along with being a storekeeper, he served in the Vermont House of Representatives as well as a term in the State Senate. That along with his prudence with money, would be a big influence on Calvin.

His political career started with a seat on the Northampton City Council. His star rose steadily as he was appointed the city solicitor a year later. After a stint as a county clerk, he ran for the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1906. Four years later, he was elected Mayor of Northampton followed by three years in the Massachusetts State Senate where he would preside as President. In 1916, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and was off to Boston.

It was Coolidge's election as Governor of Massachusetts where he gained National prominence. In 1919, the Boston Police went on strike. Governor Coolidge sent the Massachusetts State Guard to restore order by force and to break the strike. He faced up to AFL Union leader Samuel Gompers and won. The militia, meanwhile, policed the streets of Boston until the now fired strikers could be replaced. Coolidge was seen as a national hero even being praised by President Wilson.

Coolidge's term as Governor was fairly progressive by his standards. He supported pay increases for public employees, limited the workweek for women and children to 48 hours (the child labor laws in the early twentieth century were pretty abysmal), and placed limits on outdoor advertising. He also consolidated the state government.

So, as 1920 rolled around, he was being touted as the favorite son candidate for the Presidential nomination.

Summary of offices held:

1899: Northampton City Council

1900-1903: Northampton City Solicitor

1903-1904: County Clerk, Hampshire County, Massachusetts

1907-1909: Massachusetts House of Representatives

1910-1912: Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts

1912-1915: Massachusetts Senate

1914-1915: President, Massachusetts Senate

1916-1919: Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts

1919-1921: Governor of Massachusetts

1921-1923: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Prohibition, the Roaring Twenties, the Ku Klux Klan, The Scopes Monkey Trial, Teapot Dome scandal

Scandals within the administration: none major

Why he was a good President: Well, he kept his cool, didn't he? Seriously though, he never wavered from his political philosophy (which, admittedly, isn't mine). He did cut taxes to the point where few Americans paid any. He balanced the budget, and he took advantage of the media at the time becoming the first real radio President. Most importantly, he wasn't Warren Harding and brought back integrity to the office.

Why he was a bad President: His economic policies, which seemed great at the time, directly led to what would become the Great Depression. He also wasn't the most socially activist President, even to the point of tolerating (though not necessarily approving) the Ku Klux Klan.

What could have saved his Presidency: he should have had more foresight in economic matters. He missed the Wall Street crash by about seven months.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Had the stock market crash happened a year sooner or if the KKK had been ultimately successful.


How he became Vice President: As mentioned, Governor Coolidge, came into Chicago as a favorite son candidate and he received 34 votes on the first ballot. Of course, he had absolutely no chance of winning.

He wasn't discussed in the smoke-filled room where deals were made. It was there where Warren Harding was decided on for President. However, they initially wanted Senator Irving Lenroot of Wisconsin for the running mate.

But there was a groundswell for Coolidge on the floor and, after a push by some rebellious delegates, Coolidge was nominated as Vice-President.

Coolidge did his part in the campaign as well, stumping in the South mostly, though in vain. The South was still largely Democratic (or Dixiecratic really). Nevertheless, it as an easy win overall in November and Coolidge was the Vice President of the United States.

As, Vice President, Coolidge would keep a low profile until, on August 2, 1923, while vacationing at his father's home in Vermont, he was awakened with the news that President Harding had died. Coolidge's father, a justice of the peace, swore Coolidge in at 2:24 AM.

And the new President coolly went back to bed.

First term: President Coolidge served out the rest of Harding's term with little fanfare. There were some things brewing such as the Ku Klux Klan more or less taking over Oklahoma. Coolidge himself would let his goals be known in a State of the Union Address supporting prohibition and U.S. involvement in the World Court. He, like Harding before him, vetoed the bonus bill, although his would be overridden later. The Congress passed an even more restrictive immigration law banning the Japanese entirely and severely limiting everyone else outside of Canada and Mexico. He also oversaw the signing of the Dawes plan which was to solve the German reparation problem. It wouldn't be enough to save the world from Hitler, however.

Election of 1924: President Coolidge, already popular in his own right, was ready for a try of a term of his own. He was unscathed from the Teapot Dome Scandal and was indeed praised for his honesty and decency at a time when it was so sorely needed by the President. So, despite the challenges from the likes of everyone's favorite anti-Semite, Henry Ford, Coolidge would win the nomination fairly easily. He was known as Silent Cal by then, known for his disdain for small talk. He had hoped to peg Senator William Borah as his running mate, but he turned the offer down. So, they ended up going with the colorful Charles Dawes of Illinois.

The Democrats were, at the very least, a little more entertaining. For they had no clear front runner to challenge Coolidge. Not that they didn't have their own stable of candidates who wanted a shot at him., indeed, there were several solid contenders such as Governor Al Smith of New York, touted by the returning Franklin Roosevelt (he had just recovered from polio) as the "Happy Warrior." He was challenged by Wilson's former Treasury Secretary, William McAdoo. McAdoo was supported by William Jennings Bryan due to his positive stance on prohibition (this was the year before the Scopes trial that would tarnish Bryan's reputation somewhat). Prohibition, by now, had become something of a divisive issue within the Democratic party. In the end, the Democrats went with John Davis, a former ambassador to the United Kingdom. 

The general campaign got off to a tragic start as President Coolidge's son died of an infection during the Democratic Convention (they suspended out of respect). Once everything got rolling, however, it was more or less a repeat of the 1920 campaign. "Keep Cool With Coolidge" was the campaign slogan for the Republicans as they held the line on tariffs and stayed mum on just about everything else including prohibition and the KKK. Davis, on the other hand, openly condemned the Ku Klux Klan and, as such, made open the rift among the Democrats between the Jim Crow South and the Civil Rights advocacy that was gaining with the Northern Democrats.

Thanks to a progressive third-party campaign led by Robert LaFollette, Coolidge all but destroyed Davis in the popular vote and easily won his chance at his own term.

Second Term: President Coolidge certainly wasn't what you would call an activist President. The Congress passed the Revenue Act which lowered government spending and cut income taxes considerably. The economy was booming and President Coolidge was content with letting the good times roll.

He was a little more active on the foreign front. Though opposed to joining the League of Nations, he favored joining the World Court (which Congress would also reject). He also participated, through Secretary of State Kellogg, in the Kellogg- Briand pact, a resolution that more or less outlawed war (I know, seems pretty naïve now, doesn't it?). He also took an economic interest in Latin America, sometimes with the Monroe Doctrine in mind. Meanwhile, the more militaristic Roosevelt Corollary was all but abandoned.

Despite Coolidge's reputation as the quiet type, he was quite available to the public, holding two news conferences a week and becoming well known on the radio. He was known for his sense of humor and once even wore an Indian headdress given to him by Yellow Robe's daughter (Lakota tribe).

There were other things going on that Coolidge more or less ignored such as a major Ku Klux Klan demonstration in Washington in 1925. It was all but ignored except for a passing critical comment, hardly the outrage John Davis had vocalized the year before.

It was also the era of the Scopes evolution trial in Tennessee (will have to write about that someday) and Lindbergh's cross-Atlantic flight. It was a quite exciting time in the mid to late twenties.

President Coolidge was as popular as any President has ever been, and he would have been re-elected easily in 1928. But he chose not to run, citing the two term rule (though, in Coolidge's case, that might have been a little iffy).

Post Presidency: Coolidge announced he wasn't running in 1928 with little fanfare. Even his wife was to quip, "What announcement?"

In truth, he had never really gotten over the death of his son in 1924 from a blister infection. Penicillin wasn't around in those days so if you got an infection, you could very well be toast. In any event, he returned to Northampton where he worked on his autobiography and wrote a newspaper column. He traveled the country with his wife and even dined with Huey Long, the Governor of Louisiana. He would also speak infrequently on behalf of President Hoover, besieged from the ills of the Great Depression, an economic crisis in which the seeds were, unfortunately, due to the Coolidge policies.

On January 5, 1933, Coolidge, after having eaten lunch, collapsed and died of a heart attack.

Odd notes: A dinner companion reportedly bet Coolidge she couldn't extract three words from him. He answered, "You lose."

Coolidge once pardoned a raccoon.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/551904/calvin-coolidge-facts (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/551904/calvin-coolidge-facts%5C")

Final Summary: Well, whether you liked his policies or not, you have to admit Calvin Coolidge was a pretty cool dude. And, really, he wasn't all that terrible a President. As noted before, he certainly brought trust and integrity back to the White House (Whether he was able to recover the White House China Harding gambled away, we don't know). He also was an advocate for world peace and, with the help of radio, he made the Presidency more accessible.

But he'll also have to bear the cross with his economic policy. Yes, things were booming during his tenure, but the signs of a market crash were already there. There were absolutely no regulations then and speculators were running amok. Coolidge couldn't see the writing on the wall, maybe no one could. I also wish he had taken a tougher stand against the Ku Klux Klan. Oklahoma's Governor did, in fact, and got rewarded by being thrown out of office. Somehow, I don't think that would have happened to Coolidge, not in the 1920s anyway.

But overall, yeah, he was a much better President than Harding had been for sure. Now would he have handled the Depression better than Hoover had? Honestly, I doubt it.

But for the time period that he served; Coolidge was certainly the right President for the times. Just don't ask him how the weather is.

Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/coolidge (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/coolidge%5C")

31. HERBERT HOOVER (Brother can you spare a dime)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/President_Hoover_portrait.jpg/640px-President_Hoover_portrait.jpg)

Born: August 10, 1874, West Branch, Iowa
Died: October 20, 1964, New York, New York

Term: March 4, 1929- March 4, 1933
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Charles Curtis

First Lady: Lou Henry Hoover

Before the Presidency: Herbert Hoover was born to Quaker parents in rural Iowa. By the time he was nine, both of his parents had died, and he and his siblings were passed around to relatives. Herbert ended up with his uncle in Oregon. Herbert was somewhat introverted, and he struggled in school for a bit, excelling in only math. But he studied hard and got into Stanford University. It was there where he showed his entrepreneur skills when he started a student laundry service.

After Hoover graduated in 1895, he tried to find work as a surveyor and ended up working at a gold mine in California. It was hard work; Hoover worked seventy hours a week. Luck came his way when he found a job in San Francisco. This put him in connection to a company that needed a mine inspector. He worked as a mining engineer in Australia and China from 1897 to 1902. In fact, Hoover and his young wife, Lou, were in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900.

In 1908, Hoover opened his own mining consulting business and was independently wealthy as of 1914. He had identified himself as a Progressive Republican and was concerned about humanitarian needs. In that sense, Hoover was an idealist. He supported Roosevelt's third party bid in 1912.

Hoover's foray into politics, or at least the administrative end of it, started in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War. That year, he was asked by the US consul to help evacuate over a hundred thousand Americans trapped in London. After Germany invaded Belgium, he organized the Commission for Relief in Belgium with some wealthy friends. Through the commission, Hoover was able to raise millions of dollars for food and medicine for the besieged Belgians.

Hoover had become nationally known for his humanitarian skills and President Wilson asked him to run the US Food and Drug Administration. By now, the US was on a war footing, having entered the World War and Hoover was advocating the conservation of food. Hooverizing became another word for rationing and Americans were all in as they were supporting the troops in Europe. After the war ended, President Wilson appointed Hoover as head of the European Relief and Rehabilitation Administration where he directed 34 million tons of food, clothing, and supplies to war-torn Europe. He would also attend the Versailles Peace Conference with President Wilson and ran Wilson's economic council as well. After leaving the administration, he founded what would later be called the Hoover Institution, at Stanford. And, though a Republican, he supported US involvement in the League of Nations, something his party was vehemently opposing.

Of course, Hoover was a Republican and was considered a candidate in 1920 but his support of the League of Nations more or less ended a chance at the White House that year. Instead, he ended up being appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Harding, a position he would keep through both the Harding and Coolidge administrations.

As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover supported regulation of new industries such as aviation and radio. He also was aggressive in pursuing trade opportunities for American businesses. Under Hoover as Commerce Secretary things were booming indeed.

In 1922, Hoover wrote a book called American Individualism. In it, he rejected the laissez-faire capitalism of the right while also being critical of the socialist policies of the left. Hoover was clearly a Capitalist, but he was looking for a more reasonable middle ground.

As Secretary of Commerce, Hoover was seen as a Progressive and was even being considered as a running mate for Coolidge in 1924. Of course, that was not to happen. But a major flood on the Mississippi River in 1927 but him back in the National spotlight as he took charge in the relief effort. By 1928, Hoover had a reputation as a humanitarian and as someone who could get things done. He was certainly going to be a front runner in 1928 to be sure.

Summary of offices held:

1914-1917: Chair of the Commission For Relief in Belgium

1917-1918: Director, United States Food Administration

1918-1919: Chair, European Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

1921-1928: Secretary of Commerce

What was going on: The Wall Street crash, The Great Depression, the Bonus Army,

Scandals within the administration: none that we know of

Why he was a good President: Despite not being the right President for the times, Hoover did try to do his best and he was certainly an idealist when it came to advocating world peace.

Why he was a bad President: Well, it was the Great Depression, wasn't it?  His political philosophy of not using Federal funds to help the people in need was disastrous to say the least and probably left his successor to deal with an even deeper crisis than necessary

What could have saved his Presidency: A more activist role in making the Great Depression a little less severe would have done wonders.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Between the Great Depression and Emperor General MacArthur, the poor guy had no chance.

Election of 1928: Hoover came into the Republican Convention not very enamored by the party regulars who, no doubt, found Hoover as too progressive, but he had swept the primaries and was endorsed by powerful Andrew Mellon of Pennsylvania. He also happened to be the Treasury Secretary. Hoover won on the first ballot and was teamed with Majority leader Charles Curtis of Kansas. The Republicans ran on a fairly conservative platform with lower taxes, a protective tariff, and strong support of prohibition among other things. Plus, they had the wave of prosperity under their watch to run on.

The Democrats, on the other hands, needed someone to shake things up on their end. They went with Governor Al Smith of New York. He took a different stance on prohibition. By 1928, you were either a "wet" (for the repeal of prohibition) or a "dry" (a supporter of prohibition). Smith was, unmistakably, a wet, though the party made great pains in promising prohibition supporters they wouldn't try to repeal the amendment. For proof, they nominated, for Vice-President, the pro- prohibitionist, Joseph Robinson of Arkansas.

Hoover had the upper hand throughout the campaign, and he campaigned cautiously making seven carefully worded radio message without even mentioning Al Smith. He also coined the slogan, 'a chicken in every pot." And "a car in every garage." There was also another issue that hurt Smith. He was the first Catholic to have ever been nominated by a major party and the Anti-Catholic fervor remained strong in the United States. As such, Smith would have to endure some indignities in the South especially as he spoke to a jeering crowd in Oklahoma City while the KKK (still in power in Oklahoma) burned a cross within his sight. The religious intolerance was pretty ugly for Smith to say the least.

And it would show up in the vote in November as well as Hoover won in yet another landslide for the Republicans. The haters of anything non-white Anglo-Saxon protestant won yet again.

And, within a year, they were about to get their just rewards.

First term: President Hoover's administration started quietly enough. The economy seemed to be flowing smoothly. He organized a strong cabinet and there was no reason to believe the government was in any way unstable. Yes, there were some tensions on the World front, both in Europe and Asia, but nothing that seemed as if a new world war was imminent. It seemed like a happy time.

But October 29, 1929, would change everything. While one can look back and see the tea leaves, no one thought about the warnings then as investors were speculating like it was the 1849 Gold Rush all over again. So, imagine their surprise when the stock market began to crash that previous Thursday, and now, on Tuesday, finished the free-fall that sparked the Great Depression.

It especially affected farmers, initially, but it also trigged a worldwide depression, one that especially affected Germany as they would make their slow descent into Nazism.

On the foreign front, Hoover did have some temporary successes at least, notably with the London Naval Treaty which limited the size of the navies. The US, Britain, and Japan signed the treaty while France and Italy didn't. Italy, of course, had been led by the Fascist Benito Mussolini for years at this point. Japan would also, thanks to a couple of assassinations, go militaristic in late 1930. The Hoover Administration did get to celebrate a Nobel Peace Prize as a result of the Kellogg-Briand pact of 1928 (really a Coolidge victory but, well, you know).

But on the domestic front, it was all about the Great Depression. Within a year, banks began to fail, and, by the end of 1930, more than 1300 banks had shut its doors. Unemployment rates were skyrocketing and there were no safety nets of which to speak of. Basically, it was every man for himself.

President Hoover, needless to say was way in over his head as he didn't know what to do, no one did to be fair. But it would take a while for him to even attempt anything.  He finally did when he funded a public works project, but it would pale in comparison to the long reaching programs FDR would implement a few years later and the depression only got worse.

By 1931, there was a clamor within the Democratic Party as well as some Progressive Republicans from the Midwest for economic relief for farmers and others affected severely by the Depression. Hoover responded by vetoing at least two relief bills that would be overridden. He had believed that the worst had passed, and that the economy would work itself out. Of course, it didn't, and it not only had a devastating effect on Americans, but it also had an effect on the World stage as well. Italy was full blown Fascist; Germany was well on its way as Hitler was rising from the ashes, and Japan was about to wage its expansionist war starting with Manchuria. The early 1930s was not a good time to be alive.

Perhaps the final nail on Hoover's coffin though had to have been the advent of the Bonus Army. A large contingent of World War I veterans, many of whom were affected by the Great Depression, camped out near the White House with demands to receive their bonus pensions early. Hoover, as well as Congress, rejected their demands while supporting their right to demonstrate and even provided them shelter and supplies. So far, so good, right?

Enter Douglas A. MacArthur, General and would be Emperor of the United States Army. By now, most of the protestors had gone home and only a handful remained in the abandoned buildings. Hoover wanted them relocated, peacefully mind you, and ordered the Secretary of War to move them to nearby camps. But the Secretary of War feared riots and ordered General McArthur to relocate the stragglers to the Anacostia River Flats.

But General MacArthur, that great lover of peace who would one day want to nuke China, had other ideas. He decided to drive the Bonus Army out of Washington altogether and burned the camp area down with the use of tear gas, bayonets, tanks, and guns. He probably would have used a nuclear weapon if it had existed then. One Bonus Army member was killed, and the incident horrified the public.

MacArthur and Hurley weren't willing to stand up for their horrific error and denied responsibility, so President Hoover took the heat for them. Good for him, but maybe he should have done a Truman and, you know, fire their asses? Guess the buck didn't stop with Hoover though.

Anyway, things were not looking good for Hoover come re-election time.

Election of 1932: No one really expected Hoover to be re-elected after the Bonus Army debacle. Now the word Hooverize stood for something else. Now people were living in Hoover Hotels (cardboard boxes) or in Hoovervilles (enclaves of makeshift shacks). People showed off their Hoover flags (pulled out empty pockets) while they stood in breadlines. This was not a man that was ripe for re-election.

Still, the defeated Republicans nominated Hoover and Curtis on the first ballot, and they took their chances, dim as they seemed. The platform changed though as had the times. Now they were supporting the repeal of Prohibition as they were feeling the political tide turn that way. It was about the only issue they were on the right side of.

The Democrats, on the other hand, were quite giddy at the chance of gaining the White House after twelve years, the only question on being who would be the candidate. It wasn't as cut and dried as you would think given how the tide had turned, but we'll get into that more on the next chapter.

For, in the end, Hoover had to deal with the charismatic Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the differing platforms wouldn't really make a difference. Hoover was toast and he knew it. FDR was cautious in his campaigning, mentioning the New Deal but not really explaining what it meant. What it did mean though was a landslide loss for Hoover in the election, however.

Post Presidency: Herbert Hoover left a failed President but, like Jimmy Carter later, he would have an extraordinary post- Presidency. He was all but rejected by the Republican party and he was more or less demonized by the Democrats, his stinging criticisms of FDR's New Deal not doing much to help. As such, he actively supported Alf Landon in the 1936 campaign.

Hoover's post-Presidency really started at the onset of World War Two. He met with Adolf Hitler in Germany to give him a good dressing down basically. As someone who truly opposed war, he was against US involvement until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. President Roosevelt dropped his less than enamored feelings for Hoover and appointed him to chair an international relief organization to help nations that had been overrun by Hitler. Unfortunately, thanks to the cruelty of the Nazis, he was unable to get food to the people that needed it most.

He fared better in the post war atmosphere, serving as coordinator of the Food Supply for World Famine. In 1947, the Republican controlled Congress appointed Hoover as chairman of what would become known as the Hoover Commission. This was done in hopes he could somehow dismantle the New Deal that he had been so critical of. Imagine their disappointment when he did anything but. Instead, he advocated reforms to strengthen the Executive Branch, some of his proposals even making their way into the Executive Reorganization Act in 1949. He returned in 1955 to suggest more reforms, though he would prove not to have been as successful as he had been in 1949.

On the international front, however, was where Hoover would flourish. He opposed the use of the Atomic Bomb on Japan and opposed American intervention in wars overseas, notably in Korea, preferring a stronger military stateside instead.

He remained active in Republican Party politics as well, supporting Robert Taft in 1948 and 1952 and Eisenhower in 1956. He was not a fan of Nixon in 1960 however and supported Goldwater just before Hoover's death in 1964 as he shared many of Goldwater's Libertarian views.

Herbert Hoover died of colon cancer in 1964 and is remembered for his activism in the humanitarian field post-presidency.

Odd notes: President Hoover donated his salary to charity

His son had two pet crocodiles

(https://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/herberthoover.php) (http://\"(https//www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/herberthoover.php)%5C")

Final Summary: The only thing that really saves Herbert Hoover from being listed among the very worst Presidents in history was that at least he wasn't corrupt. He really did try his best in his own way.

But ultimately, he was an abject failure. As someone who basically held Libertarian views, he did almost nothing to alleviate the pain of the average person. He did pass a bill to help the farmers but that was before the Wall Street crash, and he would make some halfway measures in attempts to boost the economy. But he seemed indifferent and even cold from a public standpoint at the plight of the people in need.

He did have a sense of idealism when it came to world events. He supported Kellogg-Briand and was disappointed when Japan broke the treaty. He also backed the London Naval Treaty.

But ultimately, he'll always be remembered for the Great Depression and all the humanitarian efforts he made after his Presidency can never erase that. If I were rating Herbert Hoover as a man, I'd probably give him at least a solid B.

But as President, well...


Overall rating: D+

https://millercenter.org/president/hoover (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/hoover%5C")

32 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (Happy days are here again)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/FDR_1944_Color_Portrait.jpg/640px-FDR_1944_Color_Portrait.jpg)

Born: January 30, 1882, Hyde Park, New York
Died: April 12, 1945, Warm Springs, Georgia (died in office)

Term: March 4, 1933- April 12, 1945
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President(s): John Nance Garner, Henry Wallace, Harry Truman

First Lady: Eleanor Roosevelt

Before the Presidency: Franklin Delano Roosevelt grew up as an only child of fairly wealthy parents in upstate New York. He was isolated on a large farm growing up for the most part and was schooled at home by tutors. He did have loving parents, especially his mother, who was devoted to him throughout her life.

At age fourteen, Franklin's parents sent him to the Groton school where he was miserable. There was something of a pecking order at the private school that favored athletes and rebels; Franklin was neither. He did become familiar with his distant cousin, Theodore, however, and became something of an admirer of him.

Franklin entered Harvard in 1900. There he became very active in extracurricular activities, sometimes at the expense of his grades. Still, his grades were average, and he graduated in 1903. He continued on through graduate school where he became editor of the Harvard Crimson. It was during this period when Roosevelt declared himself a Democrat even though he remained an admirer of his Republican and now President cousin.

The love bug bit Franklin as well and, after being rejected by one prospect, he became involved with a distant cousin, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. They would develop a romantic as well as a professional relationship, and anyone who knows American History knows who Eleanor Roosevelt is.

Franklin and Eleanor were married in 1905. She was given away by Theodore.

About the time he was married, Roosevelt entered law school. It wasn't really his passion, however, and he never graduated. Nevertheless, he passed the bar.

He worked for a law firm for a time until he was approached by upstate Democrats to run for political office. Roosevelt ran for the State Senate in 1910 and won his first election. Roosevelt was an attractive candidate party due to his name, but also because he seemed to have an endless reservoir of energy. He was clearly a people person, and voters especially then responded very positively to that.

Roosevelt proved to be a different kind of Democrat as he railed against the Tammany Hall machine while defending the farmers in his district. He also shared the belief his cousin had that government should play a role in a fair and equitable society and didn't think people should be controlled by an economic or political power. In other words, Franklin Roosevelt was a diehard progressive.

After he was re-elected in 1912, he formed a friendship with Louis Howe, a journalist who would become FDR's chief adviser for two decades. FDR wouldn't finish out his second term, though, as President Wilson came calling. Roosevelt had supported the New Jersey Governor through his Presidential run and Wilson asked him to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy, a position he held for almost all of Wilson's two terms. It was a position that his cousin Theodore once had under President McKinley.

As Assistant Secretary, Roosevelt thrived on the ceremonial gatherings he was called to attend, but more important, he worked to reshape the Navy in some ways, acting more as the top dog than as an assistant. He advocated a larger Navy, particularly during the World War, which often put him at odds with the Wilson Administration. Nevertheless, it was Roosevelt that took charge of the Navy's contribution to the American effort in the war.

Roosevelt, by now, was a politician's politician, and he would take steps to make sure his political career wouldn't end, even with his flaws. When he lost a bid for the Senate in 1914, he realized he had to play ball with Tammany Hall. He also had an eye for the women and, when caught, Eleanor offered to divorce him. He turned her down and promised to be faithful from then on (he would break that promise on numerous occasions). He did it more for political reasons than anything else. Eleanor was also the shrewd type (though she has nothing on Hillary Clinton) and decided she would live her own life as well, thus, the marriage was one of a political partnership than of a romantic one.

Despite the personal issues, FDR's star was rising within the Democratic Party, and he was nominated to run with James Cox as Vice President in 1920. Of course, Harding would win the election in a landslide, but FDR came out of the election as one of the party's bright stars. He retired to the private world after the election and seemed ready for a political comeback. Then tragedy hit.

In the summer of 1921, Roosevelt was vacationing at Campobello Island when he was stricken with polio. He survived but would be partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He did manage, through rehabilitation, to be able to stand and walk as necessary, but he would be doing it in constant pain. Eleanor and Louis Howe encouraged him (Eleanor probably still loved Franklin in her own way) and were drawn in by FDR's own optimism. Franklin expected a full recovery that never came, and yet, he never lost his will to live and, in fact, seemed to be strengthened by his circumstances. In that sense, he was an extraordinary man.

FDR got back into politics in 1922 when he backed Al Smith for Governor of New York. Smith won and FDR would back him for President two years later. Alas, it wasn't Smith's time, but 1928 would be, at least in the Democratic Party, and he persuaded Roosevelt to run for the Governor's seat. Smith had hoped that an FDR gubernatorial run would help his chances in the North. Alas, it didn't but Smith at least had his man in the Governor's mansion; FDR narrowly won and was destined to become a fairly popular Governor. At first, a lot of it was smoke and mirrors as Governor Roosevelt proved successful at hiding his affliction with the help of Howe, thus dispelling rumors that polio had made him more or less disabled (which he technically was).

The moment for Governor Roosevelt to shine, though, would come in the form of the Great Depression. Like President Hoover, Governor Roosevelt did nothing in hopes that the economy would take care of itself. However, Unlike President Hoover when it became obvious the market wouldn't recover, the Governor took action by getting the state to pass a public works program to aid the unemployed and to lower taxes for farmers. He also granted relief to the needy and developed a reputation nationally as a liberal reformer.

As such, Roosevelt won re-election in 1930 and seemed poised as a major Presidential candidate in 1932.



Summary of offices held:

1911-1913: New York State Senate

1913-1920: Assistant Secretary of the Navy

1929-1933: Governor of New York


What was going on: The Great Depression, The New Deal, Hitler and Mussolini, Hindenburg disaster, Golden age of Hollywood, World War II

Scandals within the administration:  The Air Mail scandal

Why he was a good President: His New Deal economic policies are with us to this day, even as there are still some who would like to destroy them, even Social Security, which may be FDR's biggest domestic legacy. It took a while, but he got us out of the Great Depression and kept the nation calm with his numerous fireside chats. And he masterfully guided us through the crisis that was World War II. He is perhaps the only President in history that was able to steer us through two major crises.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he really fumbled the ball when it came to the Japanese- Americans, something even I can't forgive him for. His quixotic attempt to pack the Supreme Court didn't look well on him either.

What could have saved his Presidency: If he had followed his advice about falling into fear and not gotten xenophobic on the Japanese in the US, he probably would have scored an A

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If the Depression had actually gotten worse for starters. I won't mention losing World War II because if he had tanked with the New Deal, he never would have been President for World War II; they would have sent him out on a rail.

Election of 1932: Roosevelt came into the convention in Chicago as the front runner. Still, it wouldn't be as easy to get the nomination as one would think. For one thing, Al Smith was giving it another shot. They seemed to agree on just about everything, including the repeal of prohibition, but Roosevelt wasn't as keen on making it a campaign issue as Smith was. And, because Smith was running, Catholicism was again an issue (People actually feared a Catholic President would take his orders from the Pope). John Nance Garner was also running, and he was popular in the West.

Of course, the issue on everyone's minds was the Great Depression, which had all but peaked by 1932. No one initially had the two thirds majority until Roosevelt promised to put Garner on the ticket, giving him enough votes to be nominated on the fourth ballot.

Roosevelt went against possibly the most unpopular President in recent history in Herbert Hoover and it wouldn't take much to win in the largest landslide in history up to that point. Still, Roosevelt played up his platform of a "New Deal,", emphasizing the need for people to work together as opposed to the individualism Hoover spoke of. Otherwise, Roosevelt played the rope-a dope knowing it was Hoover, not he, that had to prove his adeptness at being President, something he (Hoover) seemed to be failing miserably at.

And as such, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was elected in the biggest landslide until, well, the next election.

First term: As it was, FDR was lucky to even make it to inauguration. At a rally in Miami in February 1933, Roosevelt was sitting in the back seat of a car when shots rang out. Four people were wounded, and Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was killed. FDR, fortunately, escaped the incident shaken, but unscathed.

So, Roosevelt became the last President to be sworn in on March 4. From 1936 onwards, the President would be inaugurated on January 20 since it was now easier to travel to Washington.

Not that he took much time to enjoy his victory. The United States still was in the worst economic crisis in its history, and it actually took a World War to finally get us out of it. Roosevelt made great pains to ease the impact as much as he possibly could, however, as his New Deal turned out to be much more than a campaign slogan. Within a day of his inauguration, he declared a four-day bank holiday in an effort to stop the run on banks. Days later, Congress would meet, and it started a tradition of the first hundred days or, in other words, the first hundred day period of a Presidential Administration when most of his work would be accomplished. That isn't necessarily true, of course; Obamacare wasn't passed until his second year for example, but it is true that FDR accomplished more in his first hundred days than any President before or since.

And the country badly needed someone that could accomplish much. President Roosevelt did just that starting with the Emergency Banking Act. He then convinced Congress to let him organize work programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority. More jobs were created with the Federal Emergency Relief Act and, on the hundredth day, the National Recovery Administration, and the Public Works Administration. The NRA (not the National Rifle Association) was especially notable since their stamp seemed to be on everything from newspapers to shop windows to consumer packaging. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that apparently helping the less fortunate was somehow unconstitutional and President Roosevelt would have to take another tactic.

Luckily, I'm exaggerating the cruelty of the court circa 1935 a little as many of FDR's programs did pass muster with them, one of them being the National Labor Board which established the government as a pro-labor entity. He continued to create jobs with Federal Funds with organizations like the Civil Works Administration. He also took the US off the Gold Standard and established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which guaranteed depositors their money wouldn't suddenly disappear into the night. FDIC exists to this day.

Of course, Roosevelt and his New Deal had its enemies, mainly virtually the entire Republican Party. The Progressive idealism once prominent in the GOP was all but disappearing and only a strongly Democratic congress enabled the President to get his programs through. He also had detractors within his own party for not doing enough, notably, Senator Huey Long of Louisiana, a populist to a fault and even a potential dictator in Louisiana. The people loved him, especially the blacks and the poor and in some ways, was a liberal version of Donald Trump, albeit a bit smarter. He had plans to run against FDR in 1936 but he would be cut down by an assassin's bullet in 1935.

World events were also becoming grimmer as Japan was hell bent on expanding its empire and was at war with China. Germany was now controlled by Hitler and his oppression of the Jews was already headline news. Roosevelt was, of course, cognizant of all this, but his priorities in this first term was to get as many Americans off the breadlines as he possibly could. Thus, all he could do was to pray for Europe.

And, domestically, the United States was about to get hit with a new crisis. For, the plains states were in a severe drought, and it set off the Great Dust Bowl of 1934.

His biggest enemy though proved to be the Supreme Court which found many of his New Deal programs unconstitutional. Most of these were Republican appointees of course which didn't help. As such, Americans remained nervous about their futures and wondered if a second FDR term would really do any good.

Election of 1936: World and National events were not the best to say the least. Europe was getting darker by the day as Berlin held the Summer Olympics as Hitler's paeon to Aryan superiority. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled when African- American Jesse Owens all but dominated the Olympics. Meanwhile Spain was in the throes of its own Revolution with Franco's fascists getting help from Mussolini and Hitler, who were more or less allied these days.

At home, meanwhile, the Supreme Court seemed to have put the brakes on Roosevelt's New Deal and the economy had faltered into what was now called the Roosevelt Recession. Yes, things were a lot better than it had been in 1932, but people were still struggling to make ends meet in general. So, Roosevelt's re-election, at least at the start, wasn't a done deal. He lost the support of the business community after supporting the Social Security Act (screw the elderly the rich men said).

With his likely biggest obstacle gone in Huey Long, however, there was no doubt as to his re-nomination, the only question being who the Republicans would put up against him.

As it was, there really was no strong Republican to put up against Roosevelt; that would have to wait four years. They ended up going with moderate Governor Alf Landon of Kansas, certainly a likable sort, but not much of an orator. Even worse, while Landon himself was more of a Centrist, the more conservative voices, most notably, his running mate, Frank Knox, were louder and that tended to turn the public off.

So, Roosevelt was able to form his coalition of what was called the New Deal Coalition, a group of Southern Democrats, minorities, particularly blacks, Northern Jews, Catholics, labor, and farmers. It was a coalition that would keep the Democrats in power until the seventies with some exceptions (Truman's Republican Congress, Eisenhower, even Nixon).

And Roosevelt won in the biggest landslide in history- period.

Second Term: As casually mentioned, President Roosevelt had signed the Social Security Act into law and, as we know, that gives Senior Citizens some financial security, or at least until they vote for the morons that have always wanted to take it away from them.

The second term started with a bit of controversy as FDR made an attempt to pack the court with justices that would support his New Deal policies. The idea didn't float well with Congress, however, and they ended up just passing a bill that gave justices over 70 full retirement benefits. No retirements were forthcoming however, and Roosevelt would take a pretty big political hit. However, some justices received the message and voted the National Labor Relations Act and the Social Security Act constitutional, and Roosevelt could breathe a bit of a sigh of relief.

By 1937, the situation in Europe was getting more tense as Hitler was beginning to flex his military muscles. In response and, knowing the Americans' reluctance to fight another war in Europe, FDR signed the third neutrality act of his presidency which prohibited the shipping of arms and munitions to belligerents. He did approve of non-miliary sales to belligerents  in something called Cash and Carry. This was an underhanded way to help Britain and France mostly as Roosevelt was clearly appalled by the human rights violations and warmongering going on in Germany in particular.

There was finally a judicial retirement and FDR made one of the most famous appointments in history in the liberal Hugo Black. Black supported Roosevelt's New Deal policies but he was also controversial for being a member of the Ku Klux Klan in his youth.

The economy still continued to sputter despite the first term efforts. Roosevelt had taken a more conservative approach in an attempt to balance the budget, but it was obvious more relief was needed. He was talked into a five billion dollar relief bill to create more jobs, but unemployment still stagnated at a whopping 19%. It didn't seem like anything more could possibly be done to end this depression. President Roosevelt did get one more thing passed on his domestic agenda however as the government established the minimum wage and the 40 hour work week.

Ironically, Adolf Hitler, inadvertently, would come to the rescue though not in the way anyone would have wanted. In 1938 he invaded and took over Austria. Later in the year he made a deal with "Peace in Our Time" Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, and quickly rolled over Czechoslovakia. Now, the United States was beginning to take notice. By the end of the year, Roosevelt had recalled the American ambassador to Germany over the anti-Jewish activities there.

In 1939, everything went full blown as Italy, having already conquered Ethiopia, was now invading Albania. Germany, meanwhile, after conquering Czechoslovakia, was threatening to invade Poland even as England and France vowed to defend Poland in that situation. President Roosevelt too was concerned, and he sought to cement the alliance with Britain. The US wouldn't enter the war, of course; public sentiment would have had FDR's head on a silver platter. But he could help in economic ways. He dropped the arms embargo while revising the neutrality law. Relations with Japan were also in tatters so the trade agreement with the military aggressor was terminated.

On September 1, 1939, the inevitable happened; Germany invaded Poland. France and Britain declared war two days later but the US, thanks to public pressure, declared neutrality.

The truth is, though, Roosevelt wasn't comfortable with abandoning his European friends in time of need, so he was able to pass Lend and Lease laws in 1940. Germany, by now, was invading practically all of Europe and even had an Axis pact with Italy and Japan. Mussolini was trying to conquer Africa while Japan wanted all of Asia. That left Europe at the mercy of Hitler and by the summer of 1940, he had conquered Norway, Denmark, Holland, and worse of all, France. On top of that, the Luftwaffe was bombing London on a daily basis. This, needless to say, was upsetting the American public though not enough to enter the war themselves. This brought Roosevelt to declare non-belligerency as opposed to neutrality, essentially giving moral and economic support to Britain and France.

Most Americans approved of this happy medium but there was a group known as America First that wanted to stay out of the war altogether. One of its most prominent spokespeople happened to be Charles Lindbergh who must have thought people would reject the call to defend the rest of Europe from Germany. Instead, it would backfire in his face.

As for Roosevelt, he made what would be a controversial decision of his own. With the prospect of the US eventually entering the war (he would implement a peacetime draft just for that inevitability), he announced that he would seek an unprecedented third term.

Election of 1940: FDR has stated that he would only run for a third term if the situation in Europe deteriorated and if there was a draft movement for him. With Nazi Germany running amok all over Europe by the Spring of 1940, the first condition had been met. The only question now was if there would be a draft Roosevelt movement. The second condition was met, sort of, and Chicago Ed Kelly organized his own Draft Roosevelt movement, but others in his party, including Vice President Garner (who wasn't going to run with FDR this time around), disagreed with Roosevelt breaking the two term limit tradition, never a law, but always assumed.

He also had some resistance from Southern Democrats (or the Dixiecrats) when he chose ultra-liberal Henry Wallace to be his running mate. Nevertheless, Roosevelt had no problem getting a third nomination.

As for the Republicans, they were considerably more organized than they had been in 1936 and went with Wendell Willkie of Indiana. A former Democrat, he actually supported FDR for much of the New Deal and, in some aspects, the platforms, at least economically, seemed fairly similar.

The gloves came off near election time, however, as Willkie railed at FDR's quest for a third term while indicating that a third FDR term would mean the US would be at war. Roosevelt denied the accusation pledging that the US would not get involved in any foreign war. Sort of like the Woodrow Wilson pledge, "He kept us out of war."

Though the candidates themselves were rather civil (they basically liked each other personally), the campaigns began to get down and dirty. In the end, it didn't matter, however; Roosevelt again won by a comfortable margin though the Republicans did fare a bit better than they had in 1936.

Third Term: 1941 would prove to be arguably the most eventful year in American history. America was finally beginning to see the Great Depression in their rear view mirror since Roosevelt had more or less put America on a war footing. No, the United States wasn't physically in the war, but with Cash and Carry and Lend-Lease bills supporting the Allies in Europe, war production was on all cylinders, meaning jobs were now becoming plenty.

Of course, the World War was the first thing on everyone's mind and there was still a very vocal isolationist movement, some of whom were actually German (though not necessarily Nazi) sympathizers. One wonders if Lindbergh (who actually did meet Hitler) fell into the sympathizer category.

There was a problem on two fronts globally of course, while the American public was more transfixed on what was happening in Europe (Edward R. Murrow's news reports during the bombings of London were listened to by millions), they were less aware of the threat in the Pacific. Militaristic Japan was set on conquering virtually all of Asia and even had eyes on Australia. All of this was affecting American interests obviously and relations between the two nations were near the breaking point. As such, Japan sent an envoy to negotiate a peace settlement with the US.

Of course, as we now know, and probably unknown to the Japanese envoy, it was all a ruse. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States territory. The isolationist movement fizzled in a matter of hours and the United States was at war.

And President Roosevelt was ready. He had anticipated the inevitability of war, possibly with Japan for certain, and he had implemented a peace draft the year before while setting aside more funds for defense. In some ways the Lend-Lease program had been a stalling tactic, so the US had time to prepare for its inevitable involvement in the war.

And, after the United States and Japan formally declared war on each other, Germany and Italy gave Europe an inadvertent gift when they declared war on the United States. The United States was in the European war as well and, basically, the Americans and British would be major factors in both Europe and Asia.

Of course, the three axis powers were constantly shooting themselves in the foot by 1942. Italy was beginning to bite off more than they could chew in Africa. Germany was in Africa too and they were faring better under Rommel, but Hitler miscalculated when he thought he could bomb England to submission as some guy named Winston Churchill had something to say about that. An even bigger, and probably fatal, faux pas, was the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Things were going swimmingly for a while and they were within miles of Moscow, then the Russian winter set in and the Germans were not prepared. Instead, the tide turned, and Russia began their slow methodical advance to drive the Germans all the way back to Berlin.

Meanwhile, in the United States, as men left for the front lines, women began to take over the jobs in the factories, all with the support of the President. President Roosevelt also took advantage of the war situation by passing some legislation that helped minorities get fair and equal treatment at the workplace. Rationing became a way of life, victory gardens were planted, women sacrificed their nylons for the war cause. And Unions pledged not to strike, and, with a couple of exceptions, they didn't.  Everyone seemed to work together for the most part and, indeed, they had to. A world under Hitler or Tojo was definitely not something that was wanted.

The war also caused a lot of xenophobia in the nation too, sadly, and while Life was briefly a little easier for African-Americans at least (many of whom were fighting bravely in the war), it would be hell for Japanese-Americans. Because of public paranoia, all aliens were forced to register with the government. Germans, Italians, and Japanese were especially singled out, but it was the Japanese who would receive the brunt of the racism. President Roosevelt ordered all Japanese, including American citizens, to live in internment camps during the course of the war. The conditions were mediocre at best and barely livable in some instances. It is the one major flaw in an otherwise solid presidency.

The war effort was slowly turning the Allies way by 1943. The US scored some major naval victories against Japan to the point where Japan would never really recover. Europe was a tougher nut to crack, primarily with Germany, but even there, things were looking up. The Russians now had their counter-offensive going and the best Germany could do on the Western front was settle for the occasional stalemate. They still occupied much of Europe, notably France, Holland, Norway, and some other countries. But there was a sense that the tide was ready to turn, especially after Mussolini fell from power in Italy and the Italians switched sides.

And, in 1944, the tide did turn in the form of what is now known as D-Day. On June 6, 1944, an Allied invasion, coordinated by General Dwight Eisenhower, stormed the beaches at Normandy, overwhelming the Germans. Within weeks, the Allies liberated Paris and now had their own counteroffensive that would end in victory in Berlin.

And President Roosevelt, in between his frequent meetings with Churchill and Stalin to discuss the war effort, was already in motion to establish relief for Europe once the war was over. The groundwork for what would become the United Nations would also be underway in 1944.

The war was going well, and the end looked as if it was in sight. The economy was never better. And, despite the ill thought out imprisonment of innocent Japanese Americans (FDR apparently forgot his own message of the only thing to fear is fear itself), civil rights had taken a tentative step forward as had the rights of women in the workplace (though just as tentative).

But Roosevelt's health was fading by 1944 and one would think he would have wanted to retire. But he wanted to see the war to its conclusion (and the Pacific theatre still had no end in sight at this point).

So, he announced his bid for a fourth term.


Election of 1944: Despite obviously suffering from poor health, Roosevelt made it be known he was willing to run for a fourth term. This time, and likely smelling an easy victory, there was little opposition in the party as President Roosevelt was as popular as ever. Thus, it was a near unanimous vote on the first ballot.

The Vice Presidency was another matter. There was a feeling within the party that FDR wouldn't survive a fourth term and they really didn't want the liberal Henry Wallace in the White House (he was even accused, erroneously, by some as a Communist). So, they went for the relatively unknown Senator from Missouri, Harry Truman. A strange pick for someone they thought might replace Roosevelt, but sometimes you get lucky.

The Republicans were also fairly united as they went with the liberal Republican, Thomas Dewey, the Governor of New York. Like Willkie, he didn't differ that much from Roosevelt. Like Roosevelt, he supported the concept of a United Nations. He basically also supported the New Deal only criticizing that it needed to be more efficient. He did note that FDR himself was an old man (He was actually 62 but he no doubt looked older).

But Roosevelt was still able to muster up his old energy noting that one shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. Even better, he deflected some of the more ridiculous criticisms raised against him with his own brand of humor, at one point nothing that he doesn't resent the personal attacks, nor his wife, but his dog on the other hand...

In the end, the election was a foregone conclusion. While not quite a landslide, Roosevelt nonetheless would win by a comfortable margin. Dewey would have to wait another four years to make history (though probably not quite in the way he wanted).

Fourth Term: President Roosevelt, though ailing, still managed one more trip to the Yalta Conference to discuss the final assault on Germany and how they would be treated after the war. By now, both the Russians and Allies were driving deep into Germany, and it was a foregone conclusion that Berlin would fall within a matter of months. The war in the Pacific was also going well as the US recaptured Manila and scored a decisive victory at Iwo Jima too. It only seemed like a matter of time that Japan would also lose though, as per their tradition, surrender was something that was foreign to them.

With the war effort in hand and in need of a break, President Roosevelt decided to go on vacation at his favorite retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia.


Death: As noted, FDR's health had deteriorated a lot more than the public could have guessed. He had been quite adept, with some help from sympathetic aides, to hide the impact of his polio from the public. He was equally adept with hiding his more recent health ailments.

And it was a laundry list that included various heart ailments, high blood pressure, bronchitis and, of course, the always lingering effects of polio.

On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. He would never regain consciousness and died three hours later.

This, of course, sent shockwaves in Washington as Harry Truman was sworn in as soon as he heard the news. He famously asked the now widowed Eleanor if there was anything he could do for her and she replied, "No, Harry, it's what we can do for you: you're the one in trouble now."

Odd notes: FDR established the White House's first movie theatre.

When the King and Queen of England visited the United States, President Roosevelt took them on a picnic and served them hot dogs. (ids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/franklin-roosevelt (http://\"ids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/franklin-roosevelt%5C"))

After FDR's presidency, the Republicans managed to pass an Amendment that from then on limited the President to two terms.

Final Summary: Franklin D Roosevelt rates as perhaps the most activist President in our history. He certainly took the initiative as soon as he took office and never seemed to waver, even as his health was declining.  He created programs to put people to work and the Social Security program is today the nest egg that the elderly and disabled depend on. He also was a very forward looking President who saw the war signals much sooner than the rest of us did. On top of that, he had an extraordinary First Lady in Eleanor Roosevelt. She was destined to stay in the political arena and served in the United Nations General Assembly. She is the benchmark for the more politically minded First Ladies that we have today.

The one big flaw in Roosevelt's resume, of course, is the internment of the Japanese-Americans. I'd like to say that was the last atrocity heaped upon a group of people in America but, sadly, I'd be wrong. It wasn't even the worst atrocity since that time. But it is, nevertheless, a stain on what was otherwise a nearly flawless twelve years.

So, yes, I'm taking points off for that while noting that he did do things to improve life for minorities though not quite to the point where he alienated the South. We'll save that for his successor. By the way, he was one of the first Presidents to have women in his Administration as well.

Anyway, given the times he lived in, and despite the brief xenophobia, he still has to rate as one of the best five Presidents in history.

I'll still take Teddy though.


Overall rating: A-

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33. HARRY S. TRUMAN (America needs you, Harry Truman)

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Born: May 8, 1884, Lamar, Missouri
Died: December 26, 1972, Independence, Missouri

Term: April 12, 1945- January 20, 1953
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Alben Barkley

First Lady: Bess Wallace Truman

Before the Presidency: Harry Truman grew up in a modest family of four. The family settled in Independence Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, when he was six. Harry was something of a nerd as his mother didn't allow him to rough house. He also wore glasses, and he grew up a rather awkward boy. As such, he spent much of his free time reading and playing the piano. At one point he even dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. And, like most boys, he fantasized about being a soldier.

Truman worked hard at school and wanted to join West Point after graduating high school in 1901, but his poor eyesight nixed that idea. His father also had financial problems, so a major college was out as well. Instead, Truman attended a business school for a year before dropping out and finding work in construction, and then as a bank clerk.

In 1906, Truman left the bank to work on the family farm for close to a decade. It wasn't his favorite profession, and he found an escape when he joined the National Guard in 1905. During this period, he courted a young woman named Bess Wallace and while she didn't want to marry him initially, they continued with a romantic relationship. They would finally marry in 1919.

In 1914, Truman's father died. Though he was heartbroken, this did give him the opportunity to wean himself away from the farm. He tried his hand as a small mining owner as an investor in the oil business but found little success in either.

The United States entered World War I in 1917 and Truman rejoined the National Guard. Soon, his unit was federalized, and he ended up fighting in France. Truman rose up in the ranks, making it all the way to Captain. He proved to be a solid leader, earning the respect of his men. His self-confidence bloomed and Truman would come home a surprisingly popular man in the Kansas City area.

His political career had started once he got home in 1919, unbeknownst to Truman at the time, who only wanted to be successful in a small business. Indeed, a clothing store he opened with his war buddy, Eddie Jacobson, ultimately would fail as Kansas City was apparently immune from the national economic boom of the early 1920s.

But Truman was not the awkward little kid anymore. The war had made him more confident, and he became active as a respected businessman, joining several civic and Veterans groups.

One of his war buddies happened to be Boss Thomas Pendergast of the Kansas City Democratic Party. Pendergast, though, wasn't your typical political boss; he actually admired Truman for his honesty and hard work ethic. He convinced Truman to run for a local judgeship in Jackson County and, after a tight primary, won the general election easily.

As the local judge, Truman also served as County Commissioner and handled the county's budget and roads while also awarding patronage to Pendergast supporters. He would lose re-election after a rift in the Democratic Party, but Pendergast got him elected again in 1926 and 1930.  He proved to be a very good county commissioner as he oversaw a major road project and helped to guide the county through the worst of the Great Depression. And though he was part of the Pendergast machine, and even though Pendergast had some corruption in him, Truman himself was admired for his integrity and honesty. As such, he walked a fine line between making the Pendergast machine happy so he could continue to make improvements to the county. Truman's integrity even benefited Pendergast as he could point to Truman as someone in his machine with integrity. Truman also had very much a bi-racial coalition which didn't hurt matters much either.

By 1934, Truman decided he wanted to move up in the world. He asked Pendergast to support him for a run at the House. At first Pendergast agreed, but then changed his mind- he wanted Truman to run for the Senate instead. It was a bruising primary campaign, but Truman ended up with the Democratic nomination, and rolled on to an easy victory in November. Harry Truman was going to Washington.

Truman's first term in the Senate was somewhat unremarkable. He enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow Senators and was a reliable supporter of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies, but he wasn't known to take the lead on very many bills. He did have strong ties with the Labor Unions and was a factor on transportation issues on the two committees he served on. He even co-wrote the Transportation Act of 1940 which was an attempt to make the regulations a little less bureaucratic.

Truman's re-election bid would not be as easy as the first. Pendergast was ill and now in prison as his wheeling and dealing had caught up with him. Still, he had the power of incumbency and was considered the liberal candidate in the Democratic primary. As such, he managed to eke out a close victory after doing well in the big cities of Kansas City and St. Louis. Again, he won in the general election, and he was ready for a second term.

By now, it was inevitable that the US would be involved in World War II and Truman was able to convince the Senate leadership and Roosevelt Administration to let him run his own committee to monitor what he saw as wasteful defense spending. No, he wasn't one of those deficit hawks that wanted to eliminate the budget, more to the point, he didn't want the Pentagon to be purchasing those popular hundred dollar toilets.

So, he chaired what was known as the Truman committee, the intent being to protect the little man's interests from the likes of big business and labor union predators. It met with some moderate success and Senator Truman was now becoming nationally known.

The war also changed Truman's convictions a bit. He supported the Neutrality acts in the 1930s knowing his constituents were a bit isolationist. But privately, he had grave concerns about Germany and Japan and advocated for a stronger military. When war did break out in Europe in 1939, Truman supported the Cash and Carry laws as well as Lend-Lease. He also supported the peacetime draft that was implemented in 1940. He explained his views to a Missouri voter in a letter stating, "We are facing a bunch of thugs, and the only theory a thug understands is a gun and a bayonet." It was Harry Truman at his blunt best.

And so, Harry Truman seemed comfortably happy doing his best as a United States Senator. He had no real Presidential ambitions.

But fate has a strange way of behaving.

Summary of offices held:

1905-1911: National Guard

1917-1919: United States Army (World War I)

1920-1953: Army reserve (Colonel)

1923-1925: Judge, Jackson County, Missouri, Eastern District

1927-1935: Presiding Judge, Jackson County, Missouri

1935-1945: US Senator, Missouri

1945: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: The Cold War, the Atomic bomb, The Red Scare, Post war boom, the Nuremberg trials, the Korean War

Scandals within the administration: IRS scandal

Why he was a good President: Accountability mostly. When he said the Buck stops here, he meant it. He took responsibility for his faux pas such as the Korean War. He also made executive decisions knowing they'd be unpopular but was best for the country. He strived to make life better for the Average American and he did more for civil rights than anyone had before him, including Lincoln.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he did get us into Korea. Also, it's questionable whether he should have dropped the atomic bomb. Yes, the intentions were good (If dropping an A-Bomb is ever good) but it also began the Cold War and we're certainly living in fear of a nuclear holocaust at this writing (thanks, Vladdie Putin).

What could have saved his Presidency: Maybe more success with his Fair Deal agenda could have helped him at the time. His legacy is rather solid, though.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If he really was Woodrow Wilson, Jr. and went with his prejudices instead of his heart. And, of course, there was Korea.

How he became Vice President: President Roosevelt decided to dump Vice President Henry Wallace for the 1944 election. The Democrats had seen him as too liberal (read: Communist) and a bit wacky as well. The powers that be, then, congregated in one of their smoke filled rooms and came up with the consensus pick of- Harry Truman.

Truman accepted the nomination with a little reluctance, but he proved to be a good campaigner and seemed ready to accept the duties once FDR was re-elected.

As Vice-President, he didn't have a lot of contact with the President though there was certainly no animosity between them. He was critical as a tie breaking vote on a couple occasions, notably in getting Henry Wallace approved for Secretary of Commerce.

Of course, we'll never know how effective Vice President Truman would be because, after only eighty-two days, he was summoned to the White House to be told by Eleanor Roosevelt that the President was dead. The first thing Truman asked was if there was anything he could do for her.

Eleanor answered, "Is there anything we can do for you? You're the one in trouble now."

And indeed, he was.

First term: World War II was literally about to end in Europe when Truman became President. Mussolini, already thrown out of power and being hidden by the Nazis, had been captured and publicly executed. Hitler, meanwhile, was stuck in his bunker as the Russians roared into Berlin with the Allies coming from the other direction. Hitler, of course, did what any Fascist hero would do, he killed himself.

So, the war in Europe was over but the US still had to deal with Japan in the Pacific arena. American planes were bombing Tokyo on what seemed like a daily basis, but the Japanese military refused to give in, even as it was obvious the war was lost for them.

Meanwhile, there was a secret program known as the Manhattan project and they had, by 1945, developed the first atomic bomb. President Truman was made aware of this new invention that could wipe out entire cities. After some consultation and some heart wrenching, it was decided that the use of the atomic bomb would likely save more lives than the constant bombings of Japanese cities. This was assuming, of course, that Japan would come to their senses and surrender.

So, President Truman made the fateful decision and okayed the bombing of Hiroshima. The effects of the atomic bomb were devastating. As many as 125,000 civilians were killed, many more suffered severe health problems for the rest of their lives and the city itself was reduced to rubble, all with one bomb.

It was hoped that Japan would surrender right then and there. They didn't, so an atomic bomb was also dropped on Nagasaki; another 80,000 civilians were killed. This time, the powers that be in Japan realized their nation was in trouble, especially after it was implied that Tokyo would be next.

So, Japan unconditionally surrendered. World War II was over at last.

With the war now over, President Truman could now concern himself with domestic concerns. He had been a fan of the New Deal and he continued Roosevelt's policies for the most part.

Europe was another matter. With the war over, Truman had to deal with two problems. The most obvious issue was on what to do to help Europe recover from the immense damage the war had caused. The even more serious problem, though, dealt with a new foe, for the Soviet Union was now free to spread its interesting brand of Communism and they were set on pushing their will not only on Eastern Europe, but on East Germany, including Berlin, as well. This would set off some confrontations between East and West starting with the Truman administration. The Cold War had begun.

1946 was not a good year for President Truman, at least on the domestic front. He had hopes to expand the New Deal even further, but Congress didn't seem so keen, even with a now booming post-war economy. It didn't help that inflation was getting out of control and there were a wave of Union strikes throughout the country.

So, despite the booming economy, Truman's polling numbers sank like a lead balloon and the Republicans took both houses in the November election. It didn't look like Truman was going to accomplish much in the two years he had left.

The Republicans were giddy at having control of Congress and would pass the Taft-Hartley Bill over Truman's veto in 1947. This bill limited union participation in politics, approved right to work laws in states that wanted them (Right to work was actually a euphemism for anti-union and anti-minimum wage). It also gave the President the right to block strikes with an eighty day cooling off period. Truman didn't like the measure, but he would find himself invoking Taft-Hartley on several occasions.

Truman fared better when it came to foreign policy. He came up with what was known as the Truman Doctrine. This Doctrine basically supported free European Countries in the war against Communism though it wasn't formally worded that way. It also called for economic assistance for Greece and Turkey. The extremes of both parties were against the bill from leftist Henry Wallace to majority Leader and isolationist Robert Taft, who would be a constant pain in the side for Truman. Still, it did appeal to the moderates on both sides, and it passed easily.

The other major accomplishment was a humanitarian one. Secretary of State George Marshall suggested an economic aid package to Europe to help them recover from the ravages of war. Officially called the European Recovery Plan, it would be better known as the Marshall Plan.

President Truman supported this plan as he hoped it would make Communism less attractive to the suffering Europeans and would produce economic and political stability on the continent.

Of course, it did much more than that as many Western Europeans (The Soviets and their satellites refused to participate) benefited from the humanitarian aid. Western Europe did indeed stabilize politically and economically, and the United States was widely seen as a force for good.

Of course, the Soviet menace wasn't going away anytime soon. Stalin decided he wanted all of Berlin (It had been partitioned by the four powers after the war). Since Berlin was actually deep inside East Germany, Stalin ordered a blockade of the entire city so no food could get in. Truman was in a dilemma as advisers suggested he send in the military. He had a better idea.

Instead of sending in the Marines, the United States began air drops of essential supplies to the beleaguered city. Skeptics didn't think it would work and, it is a bit surprising that the Soviets didn't try to shoot the airlifts down (which would have caused a war anyway). But it did work, and the Soviets would eventually give in. West Berlin would be free, surviving another blockade in 1961, until the Berlin Wall finally came down in 1989 and Germany was reunited as a free country.

President Truman did one last act in his term as he was now running for re-election. He advanced civil rights farther than any President had before him when he desegregated the Armed Forces. Though Truman personally had his prejudices, having grown up in segregated Missouri, even using language that would have gotten him almost executed today, he also had an innate sense of fairness and decency. In other words, he was no Woodrow Wilson.

The order was met with resistance from the armed forces and wouldn't be fully implemented until the start of the Korean War and not truly finalized until the Eisenhower administration, but it was an important step in not only acknowledging that all of us are all indeed equal, but it also began a wave of African-American voters into the Democratic Party.

Of, course, with the Dixiecrats in control in the South, it would also cause a major rift in the Democratic Party that would never be repaired, but progress does have to take its lumps, sadly.

Election of 1948: Truman's prospects of winning re-election were mediocre at best and almost non-existent at worse. Yes, he won back the support of the labor unions and was popular with African Americans, but it was assumed he couldn't even get elected dog catcher in the South and the Republicans still had a decent hold on the North.

Because of Truman's liberal policies, there were some major rifts within the party to the point where The Mississippi and part of the Alabama delegations walked out. Truman accepted the socially liberal plank of Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota and at least one Dixiecrat, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, formed his own party and ran against Truman in the General election.

Yet despite all the rancor, Truman would be nominated for a term in his own right, but he would not have an easy road of it. Besides having to deal with Thurmond, he had a fourth candidate likely to take away votes. Henry Wallace was running as the Progressive Party candidate. Thus, Truman had competition from both the right and left wings of his party.

The Republicans, therefore, must have been salivating when they re-nominated Thomas Dewey paired with California Governor Earl Warren. With the acrimony surrounding the Democrats, the GOP, no doubt, saw an easy win with their two strong candidates. Dewey pushed some of the right buttons as he remained a progressive on some issues (though he now had some criticisms of the New Deal). He was also a staunch anti-Communist, definitely a winning issue in the Red Scare days of 1948.

But Dewey did have at least one drawback. While his policies seemed sound, he wasn't the most exciting candidate in the world. Truman wasn't known for his brilliant oratory either, at least when compared to FDR, but compared to Dewey, he was an absolute firebrand. He campaigned hard and seemed to expect a miracle to come through in the end. He also quietly had his collation of labor, minorities, and liberals, so it wasn't going to be a slam dunk for Dewey.

Or would it be? Thurmond was making waves in the South, and he would ultimately take four states plus an elector from Tennessee. And Wallace was siphoning votes from Truman as well.

So, on election day, the Chicago Tribune made the important announcement, DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN. Thomas Dewey was going to be the next President of the United States.

Only he wasn't. It appears that the pro-Republican paper was just a little premature. In fact, Truman won the election, and it wasn't even all that close. It was a plurality, but it was a large one, about three and half percentage points better than Dewey. More importantly, he scored a solid win in the Electoral College.

So, America would have four more years of Harry giving em' hell.

Second Term: Before he was even sworn in for his full term, President Truman introduced a series of bills that he called the Fair Deal as a compliment to FDR's New Deal programs. He wouldn't have the same success getting them passed, however, as the still Republican controlled congress would be much less responsive. He did get three of the bills passed, one with the help of Robert Taft of all people.

But most of his bills, including a proposal for national Health Insurance, fell to deaf conservative ears. Still, it was Truman who first pushed the idea of health insurance and future Presidents, notably Lyndon Johnson and Barack Obama, would get improvements in National health plans.

Truman had bigger problems to face in this term and it went beyond the Cold War. Actually, the Cold War had a very sinister effect at home thanks to an opportunistic, and possibly even evil, Senator named Joseph McCarthy. While there already was something of a Red Scare that actually dated back to Woodrow Wilson, McCarthy would make it full blown after he accused the State Department of harboring Communists. This hysteria spread to practically all professions and nearly devastated the movie industry. If you were called to testify at one of McCarthy's hearings, you could be sure you would be labeled a Communist, especially if you were asked the damning question, "Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist party." Thanks to the shenanigans of not only McCarthy, but of J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI, the late forties and much of the fifties would go down as one of the darkest periods in American History.

And who was a Communist exactly? Well, of course, anyone who was to the left of, well, Joseph McCarthy of course. President Truman would later condemn the House Un-American Committee in particular by calling it the most Un-American thing in the country.

Truman's biggest Achilles heel though would be the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. By now, the US was in a full-fledged war against Communism in general. Korea was in the throes of a civil war between the Communist North and the non- Communist South (South Korea wasn't exactly Democratic in those days either). The United Nations got involved and sent a multi-national force, led by the US, to battle the invading North Koreans, erroneously thought to be backed by Stalin.

As it turned out, and as we know now, North Korea was led by the wacky authoritarian Kim-Il Sung family and it was Kim Il Sung that initiated the invasion.

Since the US thought they were actually fighting the Soviets, they went all in. Meanwhile, the Soviets announced that they had the bomb, sparking the US to develop an even more powerful Hydrogen Bomb. The arms race was getting hot.

Douglas MacArthur, the scourge of the Bonus Army but the hero of the Philippines during World War II, was appointed to lead the troops in the Korean theatre. He, no doubt too, though he was fighting the Soviets.

But it was Communist China that would get into the act. With the war itself not going well for either side, MacArthur made a suggestion that the United States nuke China. That and some other ill thought out ideas irked Truman to the point that he fired MacArthur. Yes, he was right to do so, but it all but sealed his presidency to doom.

And, with his popularity at an all-time low, Truman decided not to run for a full second term in 1952. He would spend that year attempting, and failing, to negotiate a way out of the Korean War. He also famously seized the Steel Industry in an attempt to avert a strike. That also proved unpopular, and the Supreme Court even ruled it unconstitutional.

So, Truman left the White House an unpopular man. It would take the retrospective lens of history to redeem, perhaps, one of the most accountable Presidents in our history.

Post Presidency: Truman's post presidency proved to be much more popular than his presidency had been.  He was very vocal in his opinions on Presidential decisions in particular. He was not a fan of President Eisenhower and actively campaigned against him. He was also a booster of Adlai Stevenson who would run against Eisenhower twice. He wasn't really that big a fan of Kennedy either though he did support him in the 1960 election. He had a warmer relationship with Lyndon Johnson, however. And, of course, he absolutely hated Nixon.

Truman's last years, and he had many, were fairly comfortable for the most part. His standing in the history books was on the upswing and there was even a play about him called, Give Em' Hell Harry. The Buck Stops Here was a Truman slogan that now was standing the test of time. And, though he lived a quiet life for the most part, he no doubt reveled in the fact that his noted cantankerousness was making him more popular than ever.

Truman passed away right after Christmas 1972, at the ripe old age of 88.



Odd notes: Truman's middle name was S. The S stood for nothing.

His daughter, Margaret, was notorious for playing the piano- badly.

Final Summary: Okay, first the bad news. Harry Truman was definitely a flawed man.

Now the good news; he was the first person that would admit he was a flawed man. Yes, he was honest to a fault and, while he had his personal peeves, obviously, he didn't let that control his decisions. He had a knack for doing the right thing even if it meant losing the Presidency. It's why his legacy is so strong today.

He looks pretty good in my eyes too, especially when it comes to civil rights. Yes, I know, Lincoln freed the slaves and LBJ signed the Civil Rights Bill among other things, but Truman is right up there with them and, in some ways, even superior to Lincoln. I mean, Lincoln freed the slaves, but what else did he do? Truman forced white America to see blacks as equals, at least in the Armed Forces anyway.

Of course, he did make his mistakes, notably with Korea, but also with a few moments that could be construed as anti-union, probably not his intent, but certainly not popular.

But he was possibly the most stand-up President we ever had, and he also was one of the few who dared to stand up the scourge of McCarthyism when it was not very wise to do so. And why not? He was already unpopular in 1952 anyway.

So, what did he have to lose?



Overall rating: B+

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34. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (I Got dem Eisenhower Blues)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Dwight_D._Eisenhower%2C_official_photo_portrait%2C_May_29%2C_1959.jpg/640px-Dwight_D._Eisenhower%2C_official_photo_portrait%2C_May_29%2C_1959.jpg)


Born: October 14, 1890, Denison, Texas
Died: March 28, 1969, Washington, DC

Term: January 20, 1953- January 20, 1961
Political Party:  Republican

Vice President: Richard Nixon

First Lady: Mamie Doud Eisenhower

Before the Presidency: Dwight Eisenhower grew up in a farming community in Kansas. His mother was a religious pacifist who opposed war making it interesting that young Dwight was considering a military career from a very young age.

He joined the West Point Academy in 1911 where he played football until a knee injury ended his career. Known as a prankster, he didn't really distinguish himself and graduated in the middle of his class.

Eisenhower's lot improved over the years though as he began to take things more seriously. After various stints at a number of camps, mostly as a Second Lieutenant, he met George Patton at Camp Meade, Maryland. He and Patton both wrote articles advocating better use of tanks as an alternative to trench warfare. The Army responded with a threat of a court-martial (How dare he question the Army?).

At least Eisenhower wasn't alone. He was transferred to the Panama Canal Zone in the 1920s where he worked under General Fox Conner. Conner was impressed with Eisenhower's critical thinking, and he agreed with Eisenhower that the Army wasn't using its resources to the best of its ability. Conner mentored Eisenhower and arranged for his schooling at the General and Command Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas. Eisenhower was a prankster no more, and he graduated number one in his class. He subsequently would work for famous Generals John Pershing and Douglas MacArthur.

The years with MacArthur were stormy to say the least. The junior Officer certainly had a different approach to things than MacArthur (he of the Bonus Army massacre). Indeed, though he opposed it, Eisenhower's loyalty came first, and he helped implement the evacuation of the Bonus Marchers in 1932. Despite the bad taste in his mouth, Eisenhower would stay with MacArthur when he was transferred to the Philippines in 1935.

Eisenhower returned to the United States in 1939 just as World War II was breaking out in Europe. While training troops in Louisiana, Eisenhower's strategic skills were noticed, and he earned a promotion to Brigadier General. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Eisenhower was transferred to Washington, DC, to work on war plans. Eisenhower caught the eye of General George Marshall, and the General was promoted yet again. By November 1942, he was commanding Allied troops in North Africa under Operation Torch. With more successes, Eisenhower was appointed as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe in 1943.

Eisenhower was well liked as Supreme Commander. He knew how to build coalitions within the Allied ranks, and it made for great leadership as the Allies successfully invaded Italy in particular.

Of course, General Eisenhower's finest moment was the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944. It wasn't an easy decision; poor weather was predicted for that day and, indeed, if you see the film clips, you can tell it was kind of a nasty day. Eisenhower, though, knew time was of the essence (the Germans knew they were coming; they just didn't know where exactly). So, he simply said, "Okay, let's go." The rest, of course, is history.

After Germany surrendered, Eisenhower received a hero's welcome all over Europe, and in Washington DC. He was, perhaps, the most celebrated person in America and was now on the same level as other historic Generals like Washington and Grant. Eisenhower was appointed Commander of US Occupation Forces in Germany. There he had to make some difficult decisions such as firing his friend, George Patton, for basically being politically incorrect (not that hiring former Nazis on your staff was exactly smart). He also had to send Soviet citizens in the US occupation zone back to the USSR, even those that didn't want to go.

Eisenhower also wasn't without his own opinions, especially when it came to military matters. He was against the use of the atomic bomb worried that it would tarnish the US image at a time when the image was at an all-time high.

Eisenhower returned to Washington as Chief of Staff of the Army. For the next two years, he prepared the Army for what would likely be a long cold war. Afterwards, he left the command to become President of Columbia University, only to return as Supreme Commander of NATO of Europe in 1951.

Of course, there was a lot of political interest in the immensely popular Eisenhower as well. President Truman wasn't very popular as the 1948 election rolled around, and he tried to convince Eisenhower to run for President with Truman on the ticket. Eisenhower was no doubt flattered but he turned the offer down. He was a military man, after all, not a politician, in fact, he had never even voted. He also turned down offers from the Republicans as well.

Things would change in 1952 as the US was now mired in the Korean War and McCarthyism was now running amok. Truman wisely decided not to run again, but there had to be a voice that could steady the nation yet again.

Summary of offices held:

1915-1953: United States Army

1943-1945: Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (World War II)

1945: Military Governor, US Occupation Zone in Germany

1945-1948: Chief of Staff, US Army

1948-1953: President, Columbia University

1951-1952: Supreme Allied Commander, Europe


What was going on: The Cold war, Civil Rights movement, Elvis Presley and Rock n Roll, Army- McCarthy hearings, Suez Canal crisis, Interstate Highway system

Scandals within the administration: Richard Nixon Checkers speech, Sherman Adams scandal

Why he was a good President: He had a very calming influence. Even with the Cold War seemingly running amok, he had a way of letting people know things were going to be okay. He also started the space program, helped to enforce the civil rights legislation that existed at the time, and helped to keep the world safe for democracy. Most importantly, he was a very decent man.

Why he was a bad President: Yes, Eisenhower was a decent man, but he is also responsible for jacking up the nuclear arms race, supported less than noble means of influencing third world governments through the CIA, and avoiding the civil rights issue until he no longer could. Basically, when it came to foreign policy at least, Eisenhower was fairly secretive.

What could have saved his Presidency:  A stronger Civil Rights platform. He could have been LBJ without the Vietnam War if he had played his cards right. He also should have kept his nose out of the Middle East and especially the Latin American countries.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: War with China over Formosa, Heavier involvement in Vietnam, the war that destroyed LBJ's Presidency. If the nuclear arms race had proved disastrous.

Election of 1952: Both parties again tried to entice Eisenhower to run, and Eisenhower was now in a different state of mind. He was obviously being drafted and he realized he was being called to service again. But with what party?

Eisenhower, by now, was rather disappointed with Truman, particularly with the war in Korea. Eisenhower wanted to find a way out, so he ultimately went with the Republicans.

Of course, it was assumed that 1952 would be Robert Taft's year as he came in as the frontrunner. However, Taft was an isolationist at a time when the Cold War was getting hot. Republicans, therefore, were looking for someone popular who would still be active in defending the world against Communism and especially the Soviet Union. And there was only one man that could fit the bill.

It was Henry Cabot Lodge who initiated the draft Eisenhower movement in the GOP and Eisenhower finally threw his in his hat in January 1952.

Eisenhower won the New Hampshire primary easily and it was obvious the Republican voters wanted him as well, but there were still few primaries (the first truly full blown primary season wouldn't be until 1972) and it would ultimately be up to the delegates as to who they would go with, thus Taft still appeared the front runner.

But there were disputed delegates, and the Eisenhower camp was able to get them all. In the end, Eisenhower would win on the first ballot. Eisenhower would choose Senator Richard Nixon of California as his running mate (and boy are we going to have a field day with him in a few chapters). The young senator had already made his mark as an anti-Communist crusader and seemed like a good pick for the ticket.

With Truman out of the way, the Democrats went with the witty and articulate Adlai Stevenson of Illinois. By now, the Northern liberals were taking over the party and Stevenson's liberal cred pushed all the right buttons. This figured to be an interesting contest.

In the end though, Stevenson never really had a chance. Eisenhower campaigned almost flawlessly, surviving even a mini- Nixon scandal (we'll talk about that in his profile). He oozed assurance and voters truly felt comfortable with him. Stevenson, of course, wasn't a bad guy either and is still considered as one of the great statesmen in history. But how do get out from under the unpopularity of Truman, who Eisenhower chose to attack rather than Stevenson?

So, in the end, Eisenhower won in a landslide and Adlai Stevenson would join William Jennings Bryan as one of the Democrats' what ifs.

First term: President-Elect Eisenhower pledged to go to Korea during the election campaign and, indeed, he did go to Korea, even before he was inaugurated. Still, it didn't look there was a clear way out and there were certainly still some hawks that thought the US could win this war.

But Eisenhower wanted out and he secretly muscled China with threats of invasion and the use of nuclear weapons. The Soviets also wanted to end the war and Stalin's death strengthened their resolve even more.

So, Eisenhower got what Nixon never really did get with Vietnam, peace with honor. The two Koreas signed an armistice that more or less kept the borders the same as they had been before. It didn't end tensions between the two countries (even today, they technically remain at a state of war), but they do have an uneasy peace and the American troops were able to come home.

The Red Scare was still front and center on the domestic front as Senator McCarthy was swinging wildly accusing everyone of being a Communist and scaring the average American to death. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, meanwhile, became a cause celebre as they were convicted of spying and sentenced to death. Many people thought they were innocent (Ethel actually was, Julius, not so much). When they were executed, the public outrage was quite evident.

As for McCarthy, Eisenhower, for the most part, stay tight lipped despite his utter disgust of the man. For political reasons, he had to hold his tongue during a campaign stop in Wisconsin when McCarthy trashed his friend, George Marshall. Later, as President, Eisenhower remained quiet as McCarthy's popularity was reaching an all-time high.

Then came the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954. Now McCarthy was going after the United States Army; Eisenhower had enough. He instructed his staff to find information that would discredit McCarthy and it wasn't hard to find. Another way to thwart McCarthy was to invoke Executive privilege so his aides wouldn't be forced to testify in the McCarthy circus. And, while Eisenhower invoked it for all the right reasons, it would be abused by Presidents in the future, especially with Nixon and Trump.

Even with all the maneuverings in the Eisenhower White House, they weren't able to take McCarthy down, nor was respected newsman Edward R. Murrow able to eliminate this great scourge. No, as it turned out, the man who took McCarthy down would be a somewhat meek older lawyer named Joseph A. Welch. After McCarthy accused one of Welch's aides of having ties to a Communist organization. Welch was taken aback, but calmy responded with the famous words, "Have you no decency?" The Red Scare was over, and McCarthy was forever disgraced.

Now that people could live their lives with a booming economy and an increase in consumerism, Eisenhower could concentrate on other things. In 1953, he made what he thought might have been his biggest mistake when he appointed Earl Warren as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Warren, a Republican, would prove to be one of the most liberal justices in history, arguably even an activist, and it was he who authored and engineered the unanimous decision in Brown v Board of Education which declared the segregation of schools unconstitutional. That combined with the Montgomery Bus Boycott that launched Martin Luther King, Jr. into prominence sparked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement.

Eisenhower didn't really have a problem with that decision (it would be future Warren decisions that would get his goat), but he would have likely preferred to have things go on as usual. Nevertheless, he would act when the time came.

Eisenhower's forte, of course, was in foreign affairs and he had to deal with at least one major one when the Chinese Nationalists, led by Chang Kai-Shek, occupied the island of Formosa. Red China threated war over the island, and it would take a diplomatic tightrope (Eisenhower was willing to go to war as well) to prevent a full blown war from erupting. Formosa is now the independent nation of Taiwan and Red China still has designs on the island, only the threat of US intervention preventing the Chinese from an all-out attack.

On other matters, Eisenhower enhanced the power of covert tactics by the CIA and ramped up the production of nuclear weapons to deter would be attackers. He was a firm believer that it was preferable over conventional warfare as, by the nuclear bombs' destructive nature, there would be fewer wars to begin with. It's possible he would come to regret the nuclear arms race he helped to instigate later.

Health would become an issue for President Eisenhower as he would suffer the first of many heart attacks. He would survive, of course, but it did raise questions on whether he would run for a second term.

When he returned to the White House he also had to deal with another international crisis, this one involving Gamel Abdel Nasser of Egypt. He had a bit of a feud going with France, Britain, and Israel and he responded by closing the Suez Canal, an important waterway for trade through the Middle East. Israel responded by attacking the Sinai Peninsula. Eisenhower was furious as he though the attack would glorify Nasser. He urged the three nations to stand down and Nasser would eventually reopen the canal in 1957.

Eisenhower had one last domestic gem to introduce in his first term and it is probably the most important thing in his legacy. He had long been an advocate of an uninterrupted highway system that would make it easier to transport military equipment in times of war. With automobile travel being by now the easiest form of transportation, it made sense that the highway system could be used for civilian use as well.

So, on June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Highway Act which created the vast Interstate System that we have today. Indeed, parts of Interstate 70 (which happens to start in Baltimore) is known as the Eisenhower Interstate Highway.

So, even though it was the not very eventful fifties for the average American, it was an eventful time for President Eisenhower.

And even more was yet to come.



Election of 1956: Because Eisenhower was very adept at keeping things behind the scenes, letting Americans enjoy their television and tv dinners and the like, he was an immensely popular President by 1956 and his re-election seemed be to a foregone conclusion.

Of course, after his heart attack in 1955, there was speculation that he wouldn't even run again but he allayed the fears when he announced his intention to run in February 1956.

The real issue was then who would be Eisenhower's running mate. Nixon proved very capable running things during Eisenhower's convalescence, but he was also seen as partisan. Also, Eisenhower didn't like him very much.

So, Eisenhower tried to tempt him to take a cabinet post. Nixon twice refused. Eisenhower wouldn't dump him, however, as the party regulars liked him, so it would be Eisenhower-Nixon again at the August convention.

The Democrats knew they probably had a snowball's chance in Hell, so they went with Adlai Stevenson again with the esteemed Senator Estes Kefauver as his running mate. Kefauver beat out a young Senator John Kennedy for the VP slot.

Just as in 1952, Stevenson never really had a chance. He did score points with the concern that Nixon could be President if something happened to Eisenhower. But he sealed his fate when he proposed a nuclear test ban, something Soviet Premier Bulganin supported. This gave Eisenhower and Nixon the opportunity to gang up on Stevenson in a nation terrified of the Soviets.

Of course, in the end, none of it really mattered of course as Eisenhower would win in another landslide.

Second Term: As Eisenhower's second term began, the major issues were the strife in the Middle East, the Space race, and at home, civil rights. Eisenhower addressed the Middle east issue with what he called the Eisenhower Doctrine. This one dealt with the Middle east. With this doctrine Eisenhower promised economic and military aid to any middle eastern nation that rejected Soviet Communism. I imagine it didn't hurt that the Middle East was rich in oil reserves either. In any event, ever since then, the US, Europeans, Russians, Chinese, etc. have been overly involved in Arab affairs and their historical hatred of Israel, who the Christian leaning US blindly allies with, regardless of their politics (Israel has historically wavered from wanting peace to waging World War III on the Palestinians). It's a quagmire that we have yet to get ourselves out of, so thanks, Ike.

1957 was also the year the Soviets launched the Sputnik Satellite. This especially concerned the Administration, and the American people since it seemed to give the Soviets an advantage in the space race as well. This prompted Congress and the Eisenhower Administration to start its own space program. The US launched their first satellite in January 1958 and created the National Aeronautical Space Agency, or NASA, the following summer. Though initially intended for military use, it would prove to be the leader in space exploration for decades. We can thank Ike for that one too, sincerely this time.

The burning issue in 1957, however, was the Civil Rights movement.  In particular was the refusal of southern states to desegregate schools as per the order of the Supreme Court. Virginia responded by refusing to open schools at all.

But it especially got ugly in Arkansas when the Governor mobilized the National Guard to prevent the enrollment of African American students. President Eisenhower may not have been crazy about the Supreme Court decision, but he was a man who believed in the law and as such, would enforce the order. As such, he sent Federal Troops to Little Rock to ensure the students would be enrolled. It wasn't pleasant as the students were taunted and spat on by those friendly white Christians (yeah, I know, I'm showing my bias here), but they braved the insults and slowly but surely, not only schools, but mostly all institutions would become integrated.

Another milestone was the Civil Rights Act of 1957. It didn't have the teeth the more famous Civil Rights Act of 1964 would have, but it was nonetheless an important stepping stone in the quest for racial equality. Strom Thurmond knew this, and he did everything he could to block it. He performed with the longest filibuster in Senate history, for over twenty-four hours in fact. In the end, he failed, and the bill passed and would be signed by President Eisenhower.

The remainder of Eisenhower's term dealt mostly with foreign affairs with the exception of a scandal involving his Chief of Staff, Sherman Adams, forced to resign after accepting improper gifts. He also would lose his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, to cancer.

But again, Eisenhower would deal with mostly international issues. In 1958, Vice President Nixon went on a tour of Latin America and met with a somewhat violent reception. Eisenhower sent a thousand troops to the Caribbean in case the violence went beyond the egg throwing incidents (Fortunately, it didn't).

Closer to home, there was a revolution going on in Cuba, and the dictator, Fulgencio Batista, was overthrown by a revolutionary army led by Fidel Castro. At first, Eisenhower was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it soon became obvious the two had different priorities. By the time the Eisenhower Administration had ended, Castro was all but aligned with the Soviet Union and a decades long boycott was placed on Cuban goods. The Cold War was at our doorstep.

Vietnam too was now on our radar and Eisenhower was looking for ways to help the South Vietnamese as well. It clearly became more profound under Kennedy, but the long involvement started with Eisenhower. He had also backed a coup in Guatemala in 1954 on behalf of the United Fruit Company (Folk artists would later have a field day with this).

Of course, none of this mattered to the American public. They were happily watching Leave It To Beaver and keeping up with the latest fads. Indeed, the biggest problem in late fifties America seemed to be the scourge that was rock n roll. Whatever was going on, President Eisenhower gave Americans a sense of security. A false security? Maybe, but there was nothing sinister about it from Eisenhower's standpoint.

President Eisenhower left office in January 1961 but not before he gave a rather prophetic warning when he warned the public about the military-industrial complex.

And it wouldn't be very long for the American public to understand what he meant.

Post Presidency: General Eisenhower, as he preferred to be called as opposed to President, left office as one of the most popular Presidents in history. At seventy, he was the oldest President to date, and he decided to retire on his farm in Pennsylvania. Though retired, he was always available to give advice to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Though he was able to travel for a time (He visited Normandy with his wife for example), health issues kept getting in the way. He suffered a major heart attack in 1965 and never really recovered. He spent the last nine months of his life at Walter Reed Hospital where he would be visited by his former Vice President, now President Nixon. Eisenhower died peacefully on March 28, 1969.

Odd notes: Eisenhower named the Shangri-La retreat camp David after his grandson

Despite being the Commander of Armed Forces in Europe, Eisenhower never saw active duty

Final Summary: When I think of the phrase the road is paved with good intentions, Eisenhower comes to mind. He truly thought that the best way to keep Americans safe was to build enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world hundreds of times over. Even his penchant for covert actions (Kennedy initiated the Bay of Pigs fiasco but it started under Eisenhower), had the welfare of the United States in mind. Unfortunately, all it did was to encourage future Presidents to initiate their own misadventures, the Vietnam War only being the tragic tip of the iceberg.

Having said that, Eisenhower accomplished a lot of great things starting with the Interstate Highway System. NASA likely would have not transformed into the great reservoir for space exploration without him lighting the match. And, yes, he did drag his feet when it came to civil rights, but when he had to act, he did, and wouldn't flinch while doing it.

Because Eisenhower was undoubtedly the perfect President for the conservative, laid back fifties, his standing among historians have risen to the point where he is in some top tens. Of course, I can't rate him that high because of the covert actions mostly.

But when you compare him to the more recent Presidents, the man looks like George Washington. Why? Because he had the qualities that few Presidents have had but we have always wanted, Integrity, honesty, a certain confidence without being arrogant, and trust.

So, no, he certainly wasn't perfect, but for a General, he didn't do too bad.

Overall rating: B

https://millercenter.org/president/eisenhower (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/eisenhower%5C")

35. JOHN F. KENNEDY (Yes, we're going to have a wingding)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/John_F._Kennedy%2C_White_House_color_photo_portrait.jpg/640px-John_F._Kennedy%2C_White_House_color_photo_portrait.jpg)

Born: May 29, 1917, Brookline, Massachusetts
Died: November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas

Term: January 20, 1961- November 22, 1963 (assassinated)
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Lyndon Johnson

First Lady: Jackie Bouvier Kennedy

Before the Presidency: John Kennedy was born to a privileged family in Brookline, Massachusetts. His maternal grandfather was Honey Fitz Fitzgerald, a former mayor of Boston. His father, Joseph Kennedy, Sr., also came from a political family and had dreams of his oldest son, Joseph Jr., one day becoming President of the United States.

Jack, as John was called, was the second oldest and he suffered from various ailments as a child. Still, he was a Kennedy and he found ways to toughen up. He grew up not really planning a career in politics and yet, always felt in competition with his brother, something the father always encouraged.

The senior Joseph was something of an entrepreneur and it is said that he gained much of his fortune in the prohibition 1920s as he was involved in the rumrunning business. He was also smart enough to pull his money out of the stock market just before the crash of 1929. He also had political connections and would become friendly with Franklin Roosevelt, who appointed him to several posts, culminating with the Ambassadorship to England.

As for Jack, he studied at Harvard, and it was only there where he learned the devastating effects of the Great Depression. He really did have a privileged life.

In 1938, Joseph Kennedy became Ambassador to England and brought the whole family with him, nine in all. While in London, Jack wrote his Senior thesis which became the book, Why England Slept.

The Kennedys stayed in England until 1940. That year, Joseph would be recalled after a series of anti-Semitic remarks and tensions with the State Department (Joseph was against American intervention). It's safe to say the Brits weren't crazy about him either.

Joseph had actually hoped for a Presidential run in 1940, but he proved too controversial to even be considered by the Democrats (or Republicans for that matter). Thus, he turned his attention to his son, Joseph, Jr.

After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, both Joe and Jack signed up for the Navy with the elder Joseph's approval, knowing the political value it would bring both of them. Joe had an easy time of it and he would be flying bombing missions over Europe.

It was a tougher time for Jack though as he still had his health issues, mainly with his back. Still, he had connections and soon he was commanding a PT boat in the Pacific. Again, his innate toughness hid his obvious pain, and he earned the respect of his men because of it.

In 1943, Kennedy's PT boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. Lieutenant Kennedy proved to be a hero as he physically tugged a badly burned seaman with his teeth, leading ten men to a deserted island, where they languished for days before they were rescued. Despite some criticisms of poor seamanship (nobody was on watch when the destroyer hit), Kennedy was awarded the Purple Heart and Medal for Valor and was seen as a national hero.

Needless to say, brother Joe felt he had to top his brother's feat even though he was no doubt proud (though competitive, the two were actually quite close). In 1944, he flew a top secret mission. It was an experimental mission that would tragically fail. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. was killed.

So, with the oldest now dead, the elder Joseph's aspirations now lie with Jack. Like it or not, his political career had begun.

As it turned out, Kennedy proved to be a natural and he enjoyed the political game. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. He developed a reputation as a somewhat conservative Democrat and didn't really distinguish himself during the six years in the House. That would change in 1952, however.

For, in 1952, he was elected to the Senate, and it was there that he would make his mark, defeating the respected incumbent, Henry Cabot Lodge. Kennedy also met Jaqueline Bouvier that year; they would marry a year later, in 1953.

Not that the Senate was easy. Kennedy's health continued to struggle, and he was diagnosed with Addison's disease, then considered fatal. But like FDR, though, he was very good at hiding his ailments and he came off as a man with youthful vigor.

Kennedy spent one period of convalescence by writing another book, this one called Profiles in Courage (though accused of being ghostwritten by Theodore Sorenson, a loyal Kennedy aide). The book, profiling eight senators that took moral stands, won Kennedy the Pulitzer Prize.

Despite missing a lot of time in the Senate due to his health, Kennedy was nonetheless in the running for the Vice-Presidential nomination in 1956. In the end, the nod went to Estes Kefauver, but it put the young Kennedy in the national spotlight.

And some fortune came Kennedy's way as 1960 neared. Doctors were able to get Kennedy's Addison's disease under control and, while he would continue to have severe back pain, his health greatly improved. More importantly, Kennedy became a major player in the Senate as an influential member of the Foreign Relations Committee where he was critical of President Eisenhower on what he called the missile gap.

So, in 1960, Kennedy was ready to make his run for the White House, but he would have a lot of competition.


Summary of offices held:

1941-1945: United States Navy, Lieutenant

1947-1953; US House of Representatives, Massachusetts

1953-1961: US Senate, Massachusetts


What was going on: The Cold War, Civil Rights movement, Peace Corps, Cuban Missile Crisis

Scandals within the administration: Sex scandals that would come to light later

Why he was a good President: He had a youthful idealism that fit in well with the optimistic early sixties. He started the Peace Corps and beefed up the space program. He challenged NASA to go to the Moon and they took that challenge. He started the ball rolling for the definitive bill that would guarantee racial equality.

And, most important of all, because of his restraint without giving in, he likely saved the world from nuclear annihilation. It's hard to top that.

Why he was a bad President: Well, the other side of Kennedy was that he was probably a little narcissistic and even arrogant. He was a womanizer, and one doesn't know what really happened in the case of Marilyn Monroe (it is assumed she did, in fact, have an affair with Kennedy). Politically, though he did advance the cause of civil rights considerably, it took a lot of prodding from civil rights leaders and even his brother to get him to do it. Speaking of his brother, Robert Kennedy is absolutely one of my favorite all-time people, but you don't appoint family to an important administrative post, especially when he had next to no experience (luckily, Bobby turned out to be a damned good AG).

What could have saved his Presidency: Advocating Civil Rights from the onset. Telling Allen Dulles to stick it when he pushed the Bay of Pigs invasion. But mostly, cancelling the Dallas trip which not only would have saved his presidency (maybe) but also his life.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Not taking responsibility for the Bay of Pigs fiasco may have ruined his presidency from the get-go. Otherwise, the obvious answer is botching the Cuban Missile Crisis as that could have not ruined Kennedy's legacy, but just about anyone who was living in 1962.

Election of 1960: Kennedy did indeed have some competition starting with the Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, who also had his hat in the ring. His biggest competitor, though, was Senator Hubert Humphrey, a classic New Deal liberal from the Midwest. Kennedy did well in the primaries, but it was thought that he would hit a roadblock in the working class state of West Virginia. Kennedy was a Catholic and there was a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment in that state in particular.

Kennedy campaigned hard in that state, assuring West Virginians that he wouldn't be taking orders from the Pope. Thanks to the organizational skills of the Kennedy clan, JFK won the state and Humphrey was forced to abandon the race. That left Johnson as his main competitor. Kennedy won the nomination on the first ballot and tabbed Johnson as his running mate, not because he liked him (he didn't and brother Bobby loathed him), but because it would make Kennedy attractive to Southern voters. This irked the more liberal Midwest Democrats who preferred Humphrey or Stuart Symington, but in the end, Kennedy got his way, as would all major party nominees from then on.

The Republicans had an easier time of it, going with Vice President Nixon, the first sitting Vice President under the modern two party system to win the nomination in his own right (Humphrey, Bush I, and Gore would follow in Nixon's footsteps). Nixon also chose his candidate, Henry Cabot Lodge, the man Kennedy had defeated for Senate in 1952.

Kennedy and Nixon were friends, and they had a civil contest for the most part. Kennedy painted himself as a Cold War liberal and promised to lead America out of what he called the "conservative rut". He also, after helping to get Martin Luther King out of jail, won the support of African Americans, who have been staunchly Democratic as a whole ever since.

By now television was the main medium and Kennedy and Nixon staged four debates. Nixon, as a seasoned debater, had all the confidence in the world and experts who listened on the radio think Nixon won. But Nixon was not the most handsome of candidates. He refused to wear makeup and it showed. He looked like he hadn't shaved for two days, and he seemed stiff compared to Kennedy. And while Nixon may have had a better grasp on the issues, Kennedy had a much better delivery. When the debates were over, the polls were at a dead heat.

And it reflected the finally tally on Election Day as well. Kennedy won the popular vote by a razor thin margin, and he won the Electoral vote as well. But there were accusations of voter fraud in both Texas (Johnson territory) and Illinois (Richard Daley ran the Chicago machine like a dictator and he, of course, supported Kennedy). The Texas fraud is disputable at best but there is evidence that Daley may very well have pulled some mischief in Chicago. In any event, Nixon decided not to challenge the election and graciously conceded.

And one of the most storied Administrations was underway.


First term: After giving one of the most famous inaugural speeches in American history, President Kennedy went to work on his vision of a New Frontier. One of the first things he did was to establish the Peace Corps, an organization where Americans volunteer to help people in third world countries in areas such as education, agriculture, and other areas of importance.  It is a goodwill organization that is admired to this day.

Of course, Kennedy was indeed a Cold War liberal, and he was made aware of a clandestine operation in Cuba. The idea was that a group of Cuban freedom fighters, backed by the CIA, would invade Cuba, and ultimately topple Fidel Castro. Kennedy went along with the plan. That plan was called the Bay of Pigs operation and it was a disaster. When the press made the fiasco public, Kennedy admitted his error. He also learned a major lesson not to automatically listen to the hawks, something that would probably save the world a year later.

One thing Kennedy had going for him in the early stage of his Presidency was the space program. In May 1961, Alan Shepard, Jr. became to first American to fly in space. If Kennedy was an avid Cold Warrior, he was also an idealist when it came to the space program. As the space program met with more success with each liftoff, Kennedy made a vow that the United States would go to the Moon by the end of the decade. And, indeed, despite a couple setbacks (notably the Apollo 1 disaster in 1967), man would indeed land on the Moon in 1969.

The Bay of Pigs, meanwhile, while on the back burner for most Americans, was not for Soviet Premier Khrushchev, who erroneously saw Kennedy as a weak President. He decided to take a shot at taking Berlin once again. Of course, the talks failed, and he would build the infamous Berlin Wall, preventing East Germans from trying to escape into West Berlin and maybe isolating the American led enclave. Kennedy was cautious, not wanting war to break out obviously, but in the end, he dispatched a symbolic number of troops into West Berlin to assure that the US would defend them at all costs. As a result, the wall stayed up, and Khrushchev backed off on his other demands.

An even more major crisis would rear its ugly head and, if not for some strategic restraint, you might not have been here to read this. In 1962, it was discovered that Cuba was housing nuclear missiles sent by the Soviets. Cuba is ninety miles away from the US mainland (Florida to be exact). Needless to say, this did not go well with anyone in the Kennedy Administration and certainly not with the military. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba and for thirteen days, Soviet and American ships were engaged in a very tense standoff. The Americans were made aware of all of this by Kennedy himself and they were on pins and needles for the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, in the war room so to speak, military leaders were pressuring Kennedy to invade Cuba while aides were pushing for negotiations to get the missiles out of Cuba. Kennedy had learned a valuable lesson from the Bay of Pigs, and he wasn't going to get drawn into a nuclear war that nobody could win. And, as it turned out, Khrushchev felt the same way.

So, now realizing Kennedy had a lot more resolve than he thought, Khrushchev made a secret deal to get the missiles out of Cuba if the US removed their missiles from Turkey. That worked for Kennedy since they were obsolete anyway and Khrushchev was able to save face. The missiles were removed from Cuba, the world breathed a sigh of relief, and Castro threw a temper tantrum. But at least he didn't have to fear a US invasion anymore.

So, Kennedy had established himself as a very strong President when it came to foreign affairs, but what about the domestic front? Economically, things were going pretty well, and except for lowering taxes and standing up to US Steel when they wanted to raise prices, Kennedy didn't have to do much. Civil rights, on the other hand, was another matter.

By the time Kennedy became President, Civil Rights became a hot issue and Martin Luther King had a direct line to the President. But, despite the support from Black America, Kennedy was reluctant to do much more than enforcing existent laws, such as ensuring James Meredith would be enrolled at the University of Mississippi.

That all changed in 1963, however, after the legendary bigot police chief of Birmingham ordered the police and firemen to unleash firehoses on peacefully protesting African Americans. With the television camera on for all the world to see, Bull Connor inadvertently did more for the advancement of civil rights than Martin Luther King ever could.

Because President Kennedy saw it too, and so did his Attorney General brother, Robert (yeah, there was a little nepotism in the administration but at least Bobby was a good soul) and it was he who pushed his brother to finally do something.

And thus, the far reaching Civil Rights Bill was introduced which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, race, religion, or ethnic origin. Basically, it was designed to do away with Jim Crow altogether. Kennedy would push hard for this bill despite Southern opposition. Unfortunately, as most of you probably know, something tragic would get in the way.

In the meantime, 1963 was the year that Martin Luther King became about as well known as the President himself and Kennedy gave his blessing to the March on Washington in August 1963.

1963 was also the year that President Kennedy went to Berlin to a throng of cheering fans as he spoke bad German with the words, Ich Bin Ein Berliner. Not that they cared, mind you.

There was one more thing going on in the foreign theatre of course and that was Vietnam. Kennedy also inherited the issues of the Reds taking over the country and would increase US involvement by sending what were referred to as military advisors. It also turned out that South Vietnam wasn't exactly what you would call a Democratic paradise. Ngo Dinh Diem was nothing short of a dictator. So, the US backed an assassination attempt, which succeeded. What happened next would be up to the Vietnamese, or maybe President Johnson.

Because President Kennedy was not going to live to see the results of the Diem assassination nor of his civil rights bill.

Assassination: The 1964 election season was already underway in November 1963 and Kennedy decided on a goodwill political trip to Texas, accompanied by First Lady Jackie and Vice President Johnson. It was already assumed that Barry Goldwater would get the 1964 Republican nomination and the President made speeches that were critical of the potential candidate in San Antonio and Houston. Dallas was next after a speech in Fort Worth on the 22nd.

Kennedy had been cautioned not to go to Dallas by various people, especially United Nations Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, who had been heckled and assaulted in Dallas. Dallas authorities were also concerned, but Kennedy insisted on going to Dallas anyway.

On the morning of November 22nd, President Kennedy and the First Lady attended a breakfast at Fort Worth before embarking on the short flight to Dallas. There, at Love Field, he was greeted with a warm reception before occupying the Lincoln Continental Convertible with the top down with Governor Connally and his wife in the middle seats and the Kennedys in the back. The motorcade drove into downtown Dallas and there seemed not to be a hostile being in sight, just cheering crowds as the motorcade went by.

The motorcade turned on Houston and Elm streets. As the car was turning, Mrs. Connally remarked to the President, "You can't say Dallas doesn't love you."

Kennedy agreed. Then shots rang out. One bullet reportedly missed but another hit Kennedy in the neck (it is assumed it went through and also hit the Governor). As the President clutched at his throat, a third shot rang out. This one was a bullseye as Kennedy's head exploded. The motorcade rushed to Parkland Hospital but there wasn't really much anyone could do. The President was pronounced dead at one PM, Central Standard Time.

You would think that would be it after the funeral obviously, but the fun was just beginning. Vice President Johnson, at the protest of the Kennedy aides, had himself sworn in on Air Force One with a stunned (because of losing her husband, not because of Johnson) First Lady as a witness. It was a savvy move of course, but we'll talk about that more in his profile.

As for the investigation, the assassin had actually gotten away for a couple hours. Maybe he would have gotten even farther had he not been stopped by a Dallas police officer, who he shot and killed. Next thing you know, the world knew all about Lee Harvey Oswald and the Dallas Police spent the next two days parading him around for the press to see.

And that proved to be the biggest bonehead thing to do ever because, on Sunday, November 24th, and in front of live cameras, Lee Harvey Oswald would be cut down himself, by girlie club owner Jack Ruby, starting endless conspiracy theories that ranged from the Russians and Cubans to the Mafia and even the Vice President. None of the theories have been proven and while the Warren Commission, arranged by President Johnson, had what you could call a sloppy investigation (which was at least less sloppy than the autopsy), no one could prove anything other than Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone with no support from any entity.

So, John F Kennedy lives on as the greatest martyred President since Lincoln. It would be well over a decade before tales of affairs that would make anyone but Bill Clinton blush and a conspiracy that he had an affair with Marilyn Monroe and had a hand in her suicide in some way. And, of course, there were the Mafia rumors too (we didn't mention he was buddies with Frank Sinatra and Rat Pack member Peter Lawford was Kennedy's Brother-In-Law).

But whatever the truth may be, he goes down as one of the most idealistic Presidents in American history.

Odd notes: Kennedy's father, Joseph Kennedy, made much of his fortune running illegal liquor in the 1920s.

Then Senator Kennedy got into a car accident with a young Larry King (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/501318/25-fascinating-facts-about-john-f-kennedy (http://\"https//www.mentalfloss.com/article/501318/25-fascinating-facts-about-john-f-kennedy%5C"))

Final Summary: Jack Kennedy is not the first, nor the last President to have two different lives, one that was the President, and one that was, well, a scoundrel. No, Kennedy certainly wasn't the worst human being ever to reside on this Earth, even among our Presidents, but he no doubt felt a bit entitled because of his upbringing and, if I were to judge him on his character alone, frankly, he wouldn't rate very high.

But Kennedy the President is a different matter. He inspired us to be the best we could possibly be, and he always seemed to have a knack at doing the right thing such as when he finally found the courage to introduce the Civil Rights Act. When he did screw up, such as with the Bay of Pigs, he was the first one to take responsibility. He obviously took Harry Truman's buck stops here to heart. He inspired the space program, and the Peace Corps remains one of his greatest legacies. And it should also be noted that it was Kennedy, along with Khrushchev (and it probably cost him his premiership) that said enough of the nuclear arms race after the near miss of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and they were in the process of the first arms reduction treaty.

But there will always be one lingering question concerning Kennedy. What about Vietnam? Would Kennedy have escalated the war the way Johnson would? Or would he have found a way out? Yes, Kennedy was a Cold Warrior, but he was also a realist when he had to be. Maybe he would have seen the writing on the wall long before Johnson did. I'd like to think that given how he handled the Cuban Missile Crisis.

But thanks to a whack job in Dallas, we'll never know.

Overall rating: B+

https://millercenter.org/president/kennedy (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/kennedy%5C")

36. LYNDON B. JOHNSON (We're on the Eve of Destruction)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/37_Lyndon_Johnson_3x4.jpg/640px-37_Lyndon_Johnson_3x4.jpg)

Born: August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas
Died: January 22, 1973, Johnson City, Texas

Term: November 22, 1963- January 20, 1969
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Hubert Humphrey

First Lady: Lady Bird Taylor Johnson

Before the Presidency:  Lyndon Johnson was the oldest child of struggling farmer Sam Johnson. Sam wasn't much of a success as a farmer, but he gifted with the gift of gab, and he served five terms in the Texas Legislature before returning back to farming. The family moved to Johnson City when Lyndon was five. There, Lyndon seemed to want to follow his father's dreams and, at one point, told a classmate he wanted to be President of the United States.

Johnson's family struggled throughout his childhood, and it gave the young Lyndon a resolve that he wouldn't let farm prices drop to the point where working class families, like his own, were ruined. He graduated as President of his six member Senior class and his family managed to get enough funds together so Lyndon could attend summer courses at Southwest Texas Teachers' College. However, his grades were poor, so he was rejected.

So, he decided to sow his wild oats instead. He took off for California with some friends. He drifted a bit between California and Texas, working odd jobs along the way. It got so bad that he would be arrested in 1927. This woke Lyndon up, and this time, the teachers' college accepted him.

Johnson wasn't the best student, but he involved himself in extracurricular activities and excelled in his student teaching. He ended up being assigned to teach a small Hispanic school in a poor area. This was during the Great Depression. Johnson excelled in his position and did well financially considering the times, but he really yearned for a political career, so the teaching period was brief.

In 1931, he became an aide to a Congressman of Corpus Christi. There, in Washington, he proved to have a strong work ethic, answering every inquiry from the Congressman's constituents.

In 1934, while visiting Texas, Lyndon would find love when he met wealthy Claudia Alta Taylor. They would be married within three months, and she would be better known later as Lady Bird Johnson.

Still in Washington, Johnson was clearly a fan of President Roosevelt's New Deal and was able to procure an appointment as Texas Director of the National Youth Administration, which helped young people find employment. He excelled there as well.

Then fate stepped in. The congressman in his home district died in 1937 and Johnson jumped at the chance to run for his seat. With help from his wife's inheritance, and being a strong advocate of FDR's New Deal, he won election at the age of twenty-eight.

Congressman Johnson, due to his age mostly, was somewhat undistinguished at first though he was able to get some housing projects and dams for his district. He also was able to secure electrical power to his old Texas Hill country, something he would consider as his proudest achievement.

One of Texas' US Senators died in 1941 and Johnson tried for the seat. He was pitted against "Pass the Biscuits, Pappy" O'Daniel. Both were accused of fraudulent methods but O'Daniel proved to be better at it. Johnson returned to the House.

By now, the US was in World War II and Johnson persuaded FDR to give him an officer's commission in the Naval Reserve. Johnson was appointed as congressional inspector of the war progress in the Pacific which enabled him to keep his seat. He even went on a bombing mission and won a Silver Star. As such, Johnson was able to help out with the war effort and use his political savvy at the same time.

After the war ended, America had entered a different world. Now it was the Cold War against Communism. Johnson, as a New Deal liberal, seemed to be on the wrong side of politics by 1948. This was an issue for him as he went up against Texas Governor Coke Stevenson for the Senate seat.

Stevenson was considered a rather popular Governor due to his more conservative views. The two battled it out for the Democratic nomination, but this time, Johnson was older and wiser, and he knew all the tricks to get elected in Texas. Despite three suspicious vote tallies in South Texas, Johnson edged Stevenson for the nomination and easily defeated his Republican opponent. Lyndon Johnson was now a Senator.

And it was in the Senate where Johnson would truly make his mark and then some. Johnson's strategic skills made him one of the most powerful Senators in America by the end of his first term. Indeed, he was named the Majority Whip in 1951, after only two years in the Senate. later, when the Republicans took back the Senate, Johnson was named Minority Leader. He was now the most powerful politician in his party.

In 1954, the Democrats were able to take the Senate right back and Senator Johnson was now the Majority Leader. And few would have the power and influence that he had in the fifties. And, though he supported military preparedness, he preferred to use his clout when it came to domestic issues, particularly on spending bills that would help the less advantaged. Johnson was a populist, ultimately, though at least he tried to use it for good.

It is argued that Johnson may have been the most powerful Senate Majority Leader ever. No, he didn't manipulate the Senate the way Mitch McConnell would, but he knew how to influence other Senators to see things his way. It was called the Johnson treatment in which, basically, Johnson would lean over you as if he was stalking his prey. No one was better at the art of persuasion than Lyndon Johnson.

He also supported President Eisenhower where he could even though he was of the opposite party. As such, he helped push through the Civil Rights Act of 1957, managing to calm Southern nerves along the way. He also helped to get America into the space race after the Russians launched Sputnik.

Johnson's ambitions and hard work would come at a physical cost, though. In 1955, Johnson suffered a massive heart attack and was sidelined for a time. Like Eisenhower, heart issues would be a major health problem throughout his later life. Johnson did address it though by stopping smoking, lost weight, and tried to delegate some of his work.

By 1960, Johnson felt that he did all he could in the Senate and now it was time to go for the big prize, the Presidency.



Summary of offices held:

1937-1949: US House of Representatives, Texas

1941-1942: United States Naval Reserve, Lieutenant Commander

1949-1961: US Senate, Texas

1951-1953: Senate majority Whip

1956-1957: Senate Majority Leader

1957-1961: Senate Majority Leader

1961-1963: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Vietnam War, Civil Rights movement, the Beatles, Space program, the Great Society, the assassinations, student protests

Scandals within the Presidency: Bobby Baker corruption charges

Why he was a good President: Only FDR can boast of a stronger domestic agenda than LBJ. Because of Lyndon Johnson, we have the Civil Rights Act that criminalized discrimination, the Voting Rights Act (or at least the part that the Supreme Court allows), Medicaid and Medicare, the Fair Housing Act, and a few other things as well. If we judged LBJ on this alone, he'd probably get an easy A.

Why he was a bad President: One word: Vietnam. While almost a savior domestically, he stubbornly waged the war in Vietnam and over 35,000 American Servicemen would die on his watch alone (Another 20,000 would die under Nixon). He had to deal with protests at home and abroad and, while Nixon would handle them worse, Johnson couldn't have been prepared for the divide he was causing.

What could have saved his Presidency: Staying out of Vietnam is the easy answer of course. Without Vietnam, he could have been Teddy Roosevelt.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, Vietnam pretty much did, but it could have been worse had he reverted back to the old segregationist policies.

How he became Vice President: Johnson's Presidential ambitions dated back as early as 1952 when he tried to get on the ticket with Adlai Stevenson. He again would try in 1956. Now it was 1960 and this time, he was going to go for all the marbles.

But he faced long odds, on one hand you had the popular Midwest liberal, Hubert Humphrey (who would later be Johnson's VP), and, even worse for Johnson, there was that young charismatic idealist from Massachusetts named John Kennedy. All three were Senators.

This was not going to be Johnson's year either. Kennedy outmaneuvered everybody, even the crafty Johnson, and would secure the nomination. The only question now is who he would pick as his running mate.

Johnson and Kennedy weren't exactly buddies and Kennedy didn't expect Johnson to accept the bid for Vice President (Kennedy was pressured by certain Democrats, including some of his closest advisors as a way to attract the South).  To Kennedy's surprise, Johnson accepted, and he was on the ticket. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise as Johnson campaigned hard for the ticket. In fact, it may have very well been Johnson that made the difference in one of the closest elections in American History.

So, Johnson was Vice President, but he would be frustrated that the Kennedy Administration would keep him on the back burner. In fact, it would even be rumored that Johnson would be dropped when 1964 came around. Still, Kennedy nabbed him as head of the Space Program. He also was a key advisor on military affairs, and he also chaired the President's Committee for Equal Employment Opportunity. Overall, though, he was generally shunned by Kennedy aides, something that grew more frustrating as time went.

On November 22, 1963, Vice President Johnson accompanied President Kennedy to Dallas, Texas. It was a political trip (It looked like LBJ would be on the ticket after all), and Johnson was ready to shake some hands and secure some Texas endorsements, starting with Governor Connally no doubt.

Vice- President Johnson's car was two vehicles behind Kennedy's convertible as the motorcade started just before noon.

Two hours later, Lyndon Johnson was President of the United States.

First term: The events of November 22, 1963, are controversial for a variety of reasons and not just because of the assassination. One of them involved the new President, Lyndon Johnson, who insisted he be sworn in on Air Force One. This drew protests from the Kennedy camp, especially after he asked the still shocked first lady, Jackie Kennedy, to witness the proceeding which was also going to be a photo-op. He was sworn in by judge Sarah T. Hughes, a friend of the new President. More controversy occurred as the plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base as Kennedy's casket was hurriedly removed from the plane. President Johnson gave a quick speech lamenting Kennedy and the country and, while sincere, lacked the charisma of any Kennedy speech. People worried for the immediate future.

But after the mourning period of President Kennedy passed, the new President went right to work starting with the formation of the Warren Commission to investigate what happened in the Kennedy Assassination. That too would prove controversial as they never really had all the information they needed (probably more the fault of zealous Kennedy aides and a sloppy autopsy than anything Johnson did), and a slew of conspiracy theories would soon arise. One of the members of the Warren Commission happened to be Congressman Gerald Ford of Michigan, who would also become an accidental President one day.

One thing Johnson was determined to do was to finally get Kennedy's Civil Rights bill passed. Johnson had been something of a segregationist, being a product of the South, though not as blatantly racist as the likes of Strom Thurmond for example. But he knew that the African American vote was an important bloc and he always had sympathy for the less fortunate. So, the Civil Rights Bill became his priority in 1964.

Of course, it drew a lot of hostility from the Dixiecrats, and Johnson would later say that it probably cost the Democrats the South for a generation (as it turned out, a lot longer than that). Still, he felt it was the right thing to do and, with the use of his legendary Johnson treatment, he was able to get the groundbreaking bill that banned discrimination in most shapes and forms (the LGBTQ movement wasn't in play yet). Thus, in many ways the Civil Rights Bill is much more Johnson's legacy than Kennedy's.

The other issue he inherited, of course, was Vietnam and this would be the issue that would ultimately sink Johnson's presidency. Kennedy had been very involved in Vietnam of course, but he also used a bit of restraint even as he had hawks like Defense Secretary Robert McNamara who wanted to go all in. Johnson agreed with McNamara and felt that a quick military intervention was all that was needed to stem the tide of Communism in Vietnam.

Johnson needed an excuse though and he found it in what was called the Gulf of Tonkin incident. There actually was a confrontation between North Vietnam and covert operations in the Gulf, but the second confrontation, the one that sparked direct American involvement in the war, never actually happened. It would later be blamed on miscommunication. The Congress fell for it in any event and passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving the President authority to essentially wage war, which he would do after his inauguration the next year.

The Vietnam war was not to be blown sky high just yet and Johnson would go into the 1964 election with a lot of goodwill. The Civil Rights act along with Johnson's other domestic ideas were very popular and he would be very difficult to defeat in 1964.


Election of 1964: Johnson was all but coronated as the Democratic nominee in 1964. He had a lot of goodwill post-Kennedy and even with a strained relationship with his Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, who nonetheless supported him, there was absolutely no one that was going to try to deny Johnson his bid for a term in his own right.

It was a different story on the Republican side. Barry Goldwater remained the frontrunner, but he was said to have rather extremist views, something that concerned the more moderate members of the party. No one knew it then, but Goldwater had started a movement that would shift the Republican Party much more to the right and eventually give America the gift that was Ronald Reagan.

Of course, there were other candidates to consider. There was talk of a Nixon comeback, but he had been stung by his loss for Governor of California and he really wasn't ready for a comeback- yet. There was a stop Goldwater movement that lobbied for the nominations of either Nelson Rockefeller or William Scranton. As it was, Goldwater, who was ultimately nominated, would have to pick Liberal Republican William Miller as his running mate.

Goldwater's style of Libertarianism didn't sit well with American voters and his speech about Extremism in the name of liberty being no vice didn't help matters much. The Johnson campaign exploited this with a devastating TV commercial known as the Daisy girl ad which suggested Goldwater would lead us to nuclear war.

So, it was to no surprise that Johnson would win by the largest popular vote margin in history. Some white Southerners did vote for Goldwater given he opposed the Civil Rights Bill (though for libertarian reasons, not because of any hatreds), but for the most part, it was pretty much a rout with Goldwater carrying only six states, his own state of Arizona and five in the Deep South. Lyndon Johnson had a mandate.

Second Term: With the election behind him, President Johnson set on his ambitious domestic agenda that promised to be the most reaching since the New Deal. He pushed for what he referred to as his Great Society programs. First though, he needed to get through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that Martin Luther King was pressuring him to do. Johnson was concerned that getting a voting rights act through now might derail his domestic agenda in general, but again, dumb white racists made the decision for him.

For there was an incident in Selma, Alabama known as Bloody Sunday. A peaceful march across the Edmund Pettis bridge was halted by Alabama state troopers. The marchers did indeed halt, but it didn't end there. The troopers attacked the marchers with tear gas and nightsticks and, of course, the event was televised.

So, Johnson had his cause to act, and this time it wasn't manufactured. He made a speech imploring white Americans that the Black Americans' cause was theirs too. The bill passed with great bipartisan support, and it banned literacy tests among other things as well as allowing the Justice Department to intervene where discriminatory practices kept less than half of eligible voters from being able to do just that, vote. Yes, some of the bill would, decades later, be ruled unconstitutional simply because times had changed (and, of course, after George Floyd, we know that things haven't really changed at all, thanks, John Roberts). Some of the bill survives though and it is a great companion bill to the Civil Rights Act of the year before.

With the Voting Rights Act behind him, President Johnson began work on his other projects, starting with Medicare and Medicaid, something that would guarantee at least some health insurance to the elderly and the poor. Of course, the conservatives, whose idea of helping people is to let them starve, were freaking out (You should listen to Ronald Reagan's album, Ronald Reagan speaks out against Socialized Medicine, it's a comedy classic). The bill passed anyway, and the Supreme Court hasn't outlawed that as of yet (and, after okaying Obamacare twice, they probably won't), so, along with Social Security, older people have at least a little bit of security.

Lesser known, but equally important accomplishments in the Johnson Administration, include the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD for short, the National Endowments for the Arts, the National Endowments for the Humanities, the Public Broadcasting Act (PBS, if you're wondering), and the Consumer Protection Agency, and these are just the ones I can think of right off the bat.

These great accomplishments would put any other President in the far upper tier to be sure, but sadly, Johnson's foreign policy was a downright disaster.

For the Vietnam War was, to the doubt of no one, President Johnson's war. The US began to bomb North Vietnam in February 1965 and soon troop levels were increasing faster than today's gas prices. By the end of 1965, nearly 200,000 US troops were fighting in Vietnam. That number doubled by the end of 1966 and more than half a million troops were in Vietnam by the time Johnson left office.

And the war was going nowhere. Young American men had to live in fear of their lives being interrupted at best and maybe ended at worst. More and more troops were coming home in body bags and colleges were erupting in protests throughout the country. Even worse, there was still racial strife domestically as Martin Luther King was now getting resistance, first by a white mob in Chicago, then with more radical black activist groups such as SNCC and the Black Panthers that advocated violence instead of King's non-violent approach. King even alienated Johnson for a time when he spoke out against the Vietnam War.

And as such, the last two years of Johnson's presidency would end up in two of the worst years in American History. In 1967, despite some positive goings on such as the Summer of Love, there would be race riots in Detroit and Newark as well as more escalation in Vietnam. The ongoing war in Vietnam had an even bigger impact on the young as protests dominated throughout the year, some of them violent. The most notable protest however was very peaceful when protestors descended on the Pentagon in October 1967, remembered mostly for Allen Ginsburg's attempt to "lift the Pentagon."

1968 would even be worse as it wouldn't even have a summer of love. Instead, the year started out with the Pueblo Incident off North Korea where a US spy ship was captured, and the personnel were imprisoned for almost a year.

But that paled to what would happen in Vietnam the next month. In February 1968, the Vietcong pulled a surprise attack on what was called the Tet Offensive. By now, the Vietnam War was on the TV news daily the same as if you were watching a rerun of the Flintstones. So, it was to no surprise that the horrors of the war were seen by just about everyone, with a street execution shown as the exclamation point.

This was the last straw as Walter Cronkite publicly spoke out against the war on his newscast. This, along with the entry of Robert Kennedy in the Presidential Race drove President Johnson to this fatal announcement.

"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President".

(We'll cover the rest of 1968 in a special post before we get to Nixon)

Post Presidency: The few years of Johnson's post presidency were somewhat quiet as he retired to his ranch. His heart was failing, and he never really got over the guilt of sending thousands of young men to their deaths in Vietnam. Still, he wasn't a broken man as he kept busy writing memoirs and overseeing the building of his Presidential Library. He died in January 1973, just two days after the Paris Peace Accords officially ended US involvement in the Vietnam War.

Odd notes: Before the Presidency, Johnson was a noted segregationist

Johnson had a propensity to show off his scar from a gall bladder operation.

He grew his hair out after the Presidency

Final Summary: In some ways, you can compare Lyndon Johnson to Woodrow Wilson as something of a Jekyll and Hyde. Wilson of course did his own great things, but his blatant racism ruined his legacy. Johnson, on the other hand, did so many great things domestically and African Americans can actually congregate with White Americans freely (even if some of the whites don't like it much). Johnson is the one most responsible for that.

But then there is Vietnam and that's the Hyde side of LBJ. Believe it or not, as a Cold Warrior, he did it with all the best intentions, but he was too much of a cowboy President (I didn't mention it earlier, but he ordered Marines into the Dominican Republic in 1965 to protect American Citizens), and that was his downfall when it came to Vietnam. He also was easily hurt as he felt betrayed when Martin Luther King went against him on Vietnam.

So, like Wilson, it would be easy to give Johnson and A on domestic policy and an F on Vietnam, but somehow, I think because of the domestic gains, I think LBJ deserves a little better than that.

So, I'm giving him a few bonus points.

Overall rating: B-

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NOTE: Stay tuned as we post a special entry on Friday concerning the pivotal political year of 1968 that started the US on the slow descent that we enjoy to this day.

1968 SPECIAL (and it's not the Elvis Presley Comeback Special)


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"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President."

I'd like to say the troubles of the Johnson Administration ended there but, unfortunately, it was only the beginning.

The Presidential campaign was already underway as it had been obvious Johnson was not going to be coronated this time. Between Vietnam and the racial tensions, not to mention the anti-war protests at home, which was already sparking a law and order backlash, it was to no surprise that Johnson would have competition in this election.

And it came in the form of anti-war candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. His insistence to get out of Vietnam hit a note with younger voters and other liberal minded Democrats were attracted to his positions as well. And, with everything going on, Johnson had every reason to fear a rejection at the Democratic National Convention, especially after Johnson barely won the New Hampshire primary.

But Johnson was about to get an even bigger headache. For the good part of a year, there was a draft to get Robert Kennedy, now a Senator from New York, to run. Like McCarthy, he was a vehement opponent of the Vietnam War, but he also emphasized programs to help the poor and disadvantaged, even visiting an economically challenged town of white folks in Appalachia. He was also visiting African American towns in Mississippi as well and people could see the genuine emotion in his face as he visited these areas. After his brother had been assassinated, Kennedy took a reassessment of himself and out of it came a compassion that has rarely been seen in anyone in politics, quite frankly.

So, after the New Hampshire primary, and realizing he had the best chance to defeat Johnson, Bobby Kennedy announced his candidacy for President.

This was likely the last straw for Johnson. He had threatened to resign before but this time, with McCarthy and Kennedy running, and Cronkite now against him, Johnson decided he had enough and wasn't going to run again. Instead, he would back his Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, as he at least shared some of his Vietnam policy, even actively campaigning for his election.

So, as April began, it looked like a three way contest for the 1968 nomination while the Republicans were trying to figure out who would hold their banner. At this point it appeared to be between Michigan Governor George Romney and, guess who, Tricky Dick Nixon, who was ready for his comeback tour. As of early April, Nixon already had the decided edge.

Now, you may ask why I'm doing 1968 as a separate chapter. It's quite simple really; there were events in 1968 that frankly went beyond politics and, in some cases, even the political events went way beyond just some mention in a Presidential bio.

For just four days after Johnson's announcement that he wouldn't run, Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis. King had been there to support a garbage workers' strike and had made an inspiring speech at a church the night before pledging that "We will get to the mountaintop." He also admitted that he likely wouldn't get to the mountaintop with them. It proved to be tragically prophetic.

Because King was now dead, and the inner demons of anger rose. Cities like my own city of Baltimore erupted in violence. Forty-three people were killed, thousands were injured, even more thousands were arrested, and there was enormous property damage in what was seen as the worst violence since the Civil War. President Johnson sent in Federal troops to quell the violence as he needed to do but worried that local authorities would use unnecessary force. He was even reported to say, "What did you expect? I don't know why we're so surprised. When you put your foot on a man's neck for three hundred years, and then you let him up, what's he going to do? He's going to knock your block off." Legislatively, Johnson was able to respond by getting the Fair Housing Act passed, the last of his many great domestic accomplishments.

By May, the riots had passed, and it was back to Vietnam and the primaries. Kennedy was doing well at first, but hit a roadblock when McCarthy pulled an upset win in Oregon. It was assumed that if Kennedy had any chance of winning the nomination, at this point being reserved for Humphrey's to lose, he would have to win the California Primary in June.

Meanwhile, there was now an attempt to finally try to get the US out of Vietnam as the Paris Peace talks were getting underway. Long story short, the talks would never get very far, and it is even rumored that Nixon may have meddled in an effort to improve his own election chances. In any event, the talks failed, and the war went on.

By June, Bobby Kennedy's campaign was beginning to take flight. It had been an idealistic campaign to be sure as he was still remembered for his comforting speech in Indianapolis the night Martin Luther King was killed. Yes, he lost in the Oregon primary, but it looked like he had a fighting chance in both California and South Dakota. The primaries were on June 4 and Kennedy had won both. At the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Kennedy gave what would be his last speech finishing with the words "It's on to Chicago and let's win there."

As Kennedy as his entourage were exiting through the kitchen, shots rang out. After the melee was over and the assassin being held on the floor as a reporter screamed, "Get the gun," Robert Kennedy lain on the floor with a bullet wound to the head, barely conscious as a busboy tried to comfort him. Kennedy was rushed to Central Receiving Hospital. By then he lost consciousness. He then was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital where they operated on him, listing his condition as grave as to life.

On June 6 at 1:44 AM, Robert Kennedy was pronounced dead and the idealism that in some ways started with the Kennedys died that day as well.

The summer of 1968 contrasted with the positive vibes of the previous summer. We were still mired in the Vietnam War, and we just went through two major assassinations, what else could possibly go wrong?

Well, your friendly neighborhood mayor Richard Daley of Chicago was happy to give the answer. For, the Democratic National Convention to coronate Hubert Humphrey was underway and Daley wasn't going to let a bunch of unkempt hippies ruin Chicago's week in the spotlight.

Of course, those unkempt hippies were in Chicago to protest the war and planned peaceful, if vocal protests in Lincoln Park. Daley, of course, had a problem with that and a violent confrontation between the Yippies, as they called themselves, and the more than willing Chicago Police took place.  This and a few other skirmishes set up what would become a night where the whole world was watching.

On the night of August 28, protestors marched in front of the Convention Center. The police responded the best way they knew how, with violence. Tear gas was thrown, protestors were beaten in front of a live audience. Word of the violence got into the convention as well as Senator Abe Ribicoff of Connecticut accused Mayor Daley of using Gestapo tactics. Even more telling, as a reporter was being roughed up by Daley's security, Walter Cronkite called the security personnel a bunch of thugs. By the time Hubert Humphrey came on for his acceptance speech, he was reduced to making a desperate plea for harmony.

The rest of 1968 was relatively calm as Humphrey ran up against Nixon and his Law and Order campaign (more on that with the next post) and a third party bid by traditional segregationist, George Wallace, who would have some success in the South. Needless to say, with the damage done in Chicago, Humphrey was not to be the next President which is a shame for a couple of obvious reasons, but also because he was, even with his support of the war, a basically decent guy. In any event, after 1968, the United States would never be the same.

And not for the better.

RICHARD M. NIXON (Here's to the State of Richard Nixon)

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Born: January 9, 1913, Yorba Linda, California
Died: April 22, 1994, New York, New York

Term: January 20, 1969- August 9, 1974 (resigned)
Political Party: Republican

Vice President(s): Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford

First Lady: Patricia Ryan Nixon

Before the Presidency: Richard Nixon grew up in a small town in California. He was the son of an odd mix of parents. His father was a bit of a boor while his mother was, as he would famously put it, a saint. Young Richard was ambitious from the start and excelled at school and would excel at Whittier College and Duke University law school. Even with his impressive academics, however, he couldn't get into the FBI when he applied in 1937.

Nixon settled in Whittier, California where he met and married Pat Ryan, destined to be his long suffering wife. The Nixons moved East as opportunities began to present themselves. Nixon got a job with the Office of Price Administration in Washington.

After Pearl Harbor, Nixon enlisted in the Navy. It wasn't an especially distinguished stint, but he left with an Honorable Discharge in 1945. When he got home, his political career started when he was approached by a group of Southern California Republicans.

Nixon learned the art of negative campaigning and dirty tricks from the get-go, and he set his eyes on Jerry Voorhis, the Congressman from California's 12th District. Voorhis was a New Dealer who was also an avowed anti-Communist. No matter, Nixon's men was able to come up with a document linking him to a PAC, not a Communist backed PAC mind you, but enough to scare the votes enough to go with Nixon. Richard Nixon was going to Washington.

This was the period of the Great Red Scare and Nixon would exploit it as hard as he could. Next in his crosshairs was Alger Hiss, a prominent employee at the US State Department. He was under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee in which Nixon was a member. Nixon went after Hiss like a pit bull, all but destroying his career (though later documents suggest that Hiss was, in fact, passing information to the Soviets). Nixon had reached National prominence.

Buoyed by the success in the Hiss case, Nixon then went for the Senate seat. This time the victim was Helen Gahagan Douglas. He came up with a "pink sheet" that compared Douglas to a Communist Party member, calling it the Douglas-Marcantonio Axis. This not only won Nixon the Senate seat in 1950 but also the derisive moniker, Tricky Dick. Yes, Richard Nixon was a despicable man even in the early days, but in the paranoia days of the early fifties, he was the next best thing next to Joe McCarthy.

And as such, he was being touted as a possible Vice Presidential candidate in 1952. Eisenhower would go with Nixon after Nixon guaranteed some California delegates. Eisenhower may have regretted it though as it wasn't much long before Nixon became the news in not a good way. A news article accused Nixon of taking illegal gifts and Eisenhower was ready to dump him. Nixon knew this too.

So, with TV now the rage, he arranged what we would now call an informercial that we know now as the Checkers speech. Here, Nixon highlighted his dog, explaining that Checkers was a gift given to him for his daughter and he wasn't going to give the dog back. It was pure manipulation at its best as Nixon came off as a warm family man. Nixon saved his place on the ticket.

And, despicable as Nixon was, he did have a soft spot for his family. His wife was devoted to a fault and his two daughters adored him. This would come into play later when his political career came to a spectacular end.

Eisenhower won the election easily and Nixon was the youngest Vice President in history. As Vice President, Nixon would become an expert in foreign affairs, visiting dozens of countries. There were two notable trips in particular. On the Latin America Trip in 1958, Nixon was met with protests and a mob in Caracas stoned his motorcade. This only made Nixon more popular.

The incident that gave him real glory happened in 1959 though when he met Nikita Khrushchev in the Soviet Union. There the two staged what was called the Kitchen Debates as they traded words about the merits of their two respective countries. Both parties looked quite positively, and it gave Nixon a reputation of being able to stand up the big boys.

Nixon even had some Presidential experience when he had to fill in as Acting President when Eisenhower suffered his heart attack in 1955. Nothing major happened and, for all extensive purposes, Nixon didn't do anything to embarrass Eisenhower when he returned.

So, when 1960 rolled around, Nixon was a prime candidate for President, and he would be nominated by the Republicans. Nixon wouldn't be ready for the glamour that was Kennedy though and this time, the same TV that saved his political career would now be his Achilles hell. The two candidates, who were also personal friends, decided on four televised debates. Kennedy was a handsome man and was able to show his charm in front of the cameras. Nixon, on the other hand, looked like he hadn't shaved, and while he may have had a better grasp of the issues than Kennedy, his delivery seemed off and people were turned off by his general appearance. As such Kennedy won the debate.

And, despite some controversy, Kennedy also won a close election. It's true Nixon could have contested it, and no one could have really blamed him, especially in the case of Illinois, but Nixon decided not to contest the election and conceded gracefully. Nixon figured he'd just try again in 1964.

But first, he would try a stab at California Governor in 1962 after writing his book, Six Crises. Nixon ran as a moderate against the staunch conservative, Joseph Shell, in the primary, and won the nomination easily. The general election was a different matter though as the Democratic Governor, Pat Brown, was quite popular. Nixon felt the press liked Brown a little too much too and, when Nixon lost big in the general election, he announced that they wouldn't have Nixon to kick around anymore.

Nixon instead spent the bulk of the sixties campaigning first, for Goldwater, then for Republicans in the 1966 midterms. For somewhat who had been supposedly retired from politics, he seemed to be ready for another Presidential run in 1968

Summary of offices held:

1942-1946:  United States Navy, Commander

1947-1950: House of representatives, California

1950-1952: United States Senator, California

1953-1961: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Vietnam War, The Apollo Space program, Kent State, relations with China, Energy Crisis, Watergate

Scandals within the Presidency: Agnew tax fraud trial, and, um, Watergate

Why he was a good President: He was surprisingly strong on the environment, creating the EPA among other things.  It took him long enough, but he did finally get us out of Vietnam. And the space program flourished under him. Plus, he handled the inflation issue about as well as anyone could have in the early seventies. And, of course, he was very adept at foreign diplomacy, forging relations with China and signing the SALT nuclear arms agreement with Russia.

Why he was a bad President: Well, Watergate of course, but his paranoia sometimes would go amok as he wasn't afraid to curtail the civil liberties of those who protested his policies, particularly when it came to Vietnam. Plus, who remembers his infamous enemies list?

What could have saved his Presidency: A lot less paranoia and more of where he did best, with foreign diplomacy and moderate domestic policy. Oh, and a little more honesty and openness wouldn't have hurt either

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Oh, I don't know, maybe a political scandal? You know, like, WATERGATE????

Election of 1968: Nixon came into 1968 as the Republican front runner with George Romney and Nelson Rockefeller on the left and Ronald Reagan on the right. Reagan, at this point was a former actor who was now Governor of California (he did what Nixon couldn't do, defeat Pat Brown). Reagan had taken the mantle of Goldwater conservatism and it was he who would transform the United States into the wonderful wasteland it is today. For now, though, he was just beating up hippies in California.

Despite the loyal competition, Nixon's nomination never really was threatened. Romney dropped out after he turned against the Vietnam War and Rockefeller was way too liberal for these Republicans. On the other hand, Reagan's conservatism scared the pants out of them. They much preferred someone close to the center, in other words, Nixon.

So, Nixon was up against Humphrey in the general election (see the 1968 chapter for the fun on the Democratic side). A third candidate also had his hat in the ring. Mr. Segregation Now himself, George Wallace, was running on the third party American Independent ticket, and he would indeed make some noise, though he probably would hurt Nixon more than Humphrey.

As for Nixon, he ran on a law and order campaign, essentially a reaction to both the civil unrest of recent years and the student protests that were getting out of control, such as in Chicago. He also had a secret plan to get out of Vietnam (he didn't but people are pretty gullible sometimes). And, oh yeah, he also had as his running mate, Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland. Great, so Nixon would not only embarrass himself a few years later, his Vice President would embarrass my home state as well (In 1973 for sure but one can argue he started to embarrass us in 1969).

Anyway, even though Humphrey was gaining on Nixon in the days before Election Day, it was too little too late. Nixon won with a razor thin plurality (yep, yet another plurality), though he fared a little better in the Electoral Vote with Wallace gaining most of the Deep South. Nixon took the rest of the South which fulfilled LBJ's prediction from four years earlier. Hatred doesn't die very easily.

First term: Buoyed by the support of his "Silent Majority," President Nixon embarked on the first of his international trips, the first one being to Europe. Back at home, Nixon would concentrate on two things in his first year, scaling back the war in Vietnam, though not ending the involvement, just that fewer men would have to go. He also had to deal with the political unrest at home as young protesters were now being attacked by groups that called themselves Hard Hats. When you say Hard Hats, think of a lot of violent Archie Bunkers on steroids. Nixon, not a fan of the protestors, was certainly favoring the Hard Hats, at least in secret.

When it came to foreign policy, Nixon was a hands-on President, keeping his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense out of the loop. He had a group of trusted aides around him from Chief of Staff HD Haldeman to security advisor Henry Kissinger. As such, he was often commanding the Vietnam War from the White House.

Domestically, things started out well, but inflation was becoming a major problem. By 1971, and despite Nixon's best efforts, it had spiraled out of control to the point that Nixon ordered Wage and Prize freezes over the next year in hopes to get the inflation under control. It didn't really work though as domestic policy really wasn't Nixon's forte, but he would sign off on the Environmental Protection Agency and signed the Clean Air act.

Nixon was President when NASA had its greatest moment. John Kennedy's dream of a man on the moon before 1970 had been realized as Neil Armstrong took the first steps off Apollo 11 in July 1969. More moon missions would follow throughout Nixon's first term.

But like Johnson before him, Vietnam was ultimately Nixon's Achilles Heel. Even though Nixon was now slowly withdrawing troops from Vietnam, there was still a draft, which was now a televised lottery (Congratulations to those born on September 14th, you win a free trip to Vietnam), and the withdrawal was much too slow for not only the young, but for middle America as well as many of them had now turned against the war (The 1968 Tet Offensive being the turning point for many). On top of that, Nixon replaced troop withdrawals with bombing missions in North Vietnam. By 1970, it had spread to Cambodia and Nixon announced that US planes had bombed that country as well.

College campuses all over the country erupted in protest over the Cambodia bombing and it reached a boiling point when National Guardsmen fired on protestors at Kent State University in May 1970. Four people were killed, two of whom were only observing the protests in between classes.

Nixon, to his credit, didn't overreact as now colleges were shutting down in the wake of the Kent State tragedy (another shooting incident also happened at black college Jackson State later that month). Instead, he tried to talk directly with a group of anti-war protestors at the Lincoln memorial. Yes, it was as bizarre as it sounds, and Nixon was no doubt feeling out of place as he tried to get with it.

Nixon ultimately was quite the paranoid, especially when it came to Vietnam. He had the Oval Office secretly bugged as a way to use it against those that may oppose him. Needless to say, that backfired spectacularly. He also would go back into his bag of dirty tricks as the Pentagon Papers were being published in 1971. His Attorney General, John Mitchell, was something of a pit bull and he would be used to discredit people and, in the case of Daniel Ellsberg, even try to prosecute. Mitchell also would take initiatives on his own as when he tried to deport John Lennon in 1972.

Even with all the fun and games going on around him, Nixon still had a bit of political capital going into 1972, and his trip to China would prove to be the most lasting achievement of his administration.  He struck a diplomatic relationship with Chou En Lai and Americans were seeing Red China in a positive light for the first time. Critics called it Ping Pong diplomacy, but it worked. Nixon would also have talks with Brezhnev later and he would be credited with toning down the rhetoric of the Cold War quite a bit.

1972 was, of course, election season, but it was also the year of the Paris Peace Accords. Henry Kissinger even went as far to say that pace was at hand, though that proved to be premature. North Vietnam, having the upper hand really, was still playing hardball, so Nixon ordered more bombings of North Vietnam as 1972 ended, after all Nixon was already re-elected, what could they do to him now? In the end, North Vietnam signed the accords, and the US was finally getting out of the war as Nixon's second term began.

(https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2016%2F04%2Fnixon-elvis.jpg&q=60)


Election of 1972: Despite the problems with inflation, everything else seemed to be going quite well and President Nixon was relatively popular. After his goodwill trip to China his popularity swelled even more and there didn't seem to be much doubt he'd win re-election.

But Nixon was also, arguably, the most insecure President in history as well, at least before Trump, anyway. So, his campaign group, the Committee to Re-elect the President, or CREEP for short, went back into their bag of dirty tricks.

And the biggest victim was Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine. The former Vice Presidential candidate was considered the Democratic frontrunner in February 1972. So, Donald Segretti and Ken Lawson forged a letter, known as the Canuck letter, that suggested Muskie was prejudiced against French Canadians. This was printed in the Manchester Union Leader and Muskie was forced to respond. He was a bit emotional as Americans learned the important lesson that you're not allowed to cry in politics, or you'll be considered a loony bird. Muskie never recovered from the dirty trick.

Muskie did hang on until May, though, as other candidates vied for the Democratic nomination such as George Wallace, Shirley Chisholm, Hubert Humphrey, and George McGovern. The Nixon camp badly wanted the liberal, but flighty, McGovern as he seemed to be the easiest candidate to beat in November. The Democrats knew this too as they tried to do everything they could, short of a stop McGovern movement, even trying to deny him the California delegates that would have put him over the top.

Before the fun and games at the Democratic Convention though, a couple of matters of significant importance occurred. In Laurel, Maryland, George Wallace, still pushing his law and order against blacks mantra, was shot, and paralyzed by a weirdo not unlike John Hinckley really. Wallace would win the Maryland and Michigan primaries, but his presidential aspirations were over (and, on the positive side, a lot of that hateful racism was too).

The other major event didn't get a lot of press at the time, but it would ultimately lead to the downfall of Nixon. On June 17, 1972, five men connected with CREEP were caught breaking in to the DNC offices at the Watergate Hotel. Nixon, through G. Gordon Liddy and others, tried to cover the incident up with mixed success, but enough to get them past November. This, of course, marked the beginning of the Watergate scandal.

But back to the election. After McGovern won his court battle, he was awarded the California delegates and he won the nomination. He then picked Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri as his running mate- for a week. Seems that he had been treated for depression in the past which is another lesson learned: Never see a psychiatrist or people will think you're a loony bird, just kill yourself instead. The nervous nellies of the Democratic Party dumped Eagleton as a result and went with Sargent Shriver as the running mate instead. Shriver was a Kennedy in-law so what could possibly go wrong there?

As it turned out, nothing, but it didn't matter. Nixon won in the biggest landslide to date with more than 60% of the popular vote, McGovern winning only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

So, America went with Nixon, and they got what they wanted, whether they liked it or not.

Second Term: The second term started out promisingly enough for President Nixon as he signed the Vietnam Peace Accords. There would still be some non-combatants in Vietnam for the next two years, but the fighting part of the war was over for Americans. Plus, the POW's were all coming home.

The glad handing that the Vietnam War was over didn't last very long, however, because after the Watergate burglars were sentenced to prison, the press, then Congress, began to jump on the scandal that was now becoming full blown. Several aides were connected to the break-in including Chief of Staff Hadleman and Attorney General (now former AG) Mitchell. Nixon too got involved by trying to cover up the cover up. He invoked Executive Privilege, ostensibly to protect his aides, but really, to protect himself. When that didn't work, he threw his aides under the bus, notably his White House lawyer, John Dean, who was willing to tell the truth about the whole mess.

And, indeed, as the Senate held their Watergate hearings, it would be John Dean that would expose the scandal for what it was as he told the committee that he told Nixon that it was a cancer on the Presidency. Even worse, it was confirmed that Nixon had been taping practically everything in the White House. By now a special prosecutor had been assigned to the Watergate case and there was a battle between Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, Congress, Judge John Sirica, and the White House, for rights to hear the tapes. Needless to say, the White House was stonewalling.

Meanwhile, Watergate wasn't the only crisis brewing. In 1973, Israel was at war with Syria and Egypt again, this time in the Yom Kippur War. Again, Israel won out, but this time, the Arab nations decided they were going to stop selling gas to the West, thus, the Energy crisis had begun.

And yet, there was another scandal in the Administration, and it had nothing to do with Watergate. You see, Vice President Spiro Agnew of Maryland (don't remind me), was being investigated for taking kickbacks from when he was a County Executive. As a result, he pleaded Nolo Contendre and resigned as Vice President.

Now, after Kennedy had been assassinated, they pushed through an Amendment giving the President the right to pick a new Vice President upon confirmation by the Senate. Nixon got to be the first President to do just that, but he also had to have the approval of the Democratic controlled Senate, so he wasn't going to get one of his buddies in, that was for sure.

So, upon the advice of fellow Republicans, he made what may have been the best decision of his Presidency. He chose House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan, a conservative to be sure, but also a man of impeccable character. He would win confirmation easily.

Now back to Watergate and the beginning of the end. Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox was still demanding the tapes and Nixon continued to stonewall to the point that Cox took him to court. Cox was also defying Nixon's orders to basically lay off and drop the subpoena.

So, on October 20, 1973, Nixon ordered his Attorney General, Eliot Richardson, to fire Cox. Unfortunately, for Nixon, he appointed an honest man and Richardson refused and resigned. Likewise, so did his deputy AG when he was ordered. Finally, he got Robert Bork to do the dastardly deed. This act even outraged some Republicans and for the first time, serious talk of impeachment was on the table.

And impeachment hearings were the rage in 1974. The House now had their own special committee. Hillary Rodham was actually one of the aides. They were spirited hearings to say the least as the Republicans were split between Nixon loyalists and the ones more outraged at his behavior. Even the Democrats had a couple of Southern sympathizers (Nixon still held some popularity in the South).

After some back and forth between Nixon and the courts, the Supreme Court finally ordered Nixon to give up the tapes. He did, but not before the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment. It was a foregone conclusion he would be impeached.

And, after hearing the tapes, it was pretty obvious the Senate was going to remove him from office as well as not only did most of Nixon's defenders turn on him, but Senator Goldwater also told Nixon that there were only  four Senators that would vote to acquit him- he was not one of them.

So, on August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced he would resign the Presidency the next day. As such, he became to first President to truly leave the White House in disgrace.


Post Presidency: After leaving Washington, the first thing people wondered was if he would be prosecuted. A pardon by President Ford would answer that question and, after a serious bout of phlebitis, Nixon set on his way to redeem his image. In 1977, he did a series of interviews with David Frost where he infamously said, "It's not illegal when the President does it" Still, he was reluctantly accepted as an elder statesman and often would be asked about international issues, sometimes by the President of the day.

Though never fully regaining his dignity, Nixon would die less broken than he had been twenty years before.

Odd notes: Nixon had a bowling alley installed under the White House

Nixon almost won Charles Manson a mistrial

Nixon was in a photo op with Elvis Presley



Final Summary: Okay, this one is a little tough. It would be easy to give Nixon an F just for Watergate and the enemies list alone, but he does have some foreign policy accomplishments. He did do things to make the environment a little better (the first Earth Day was during his Presidency).

Still, even without Watergate, I don't seem him rating better than a C (conservatives will probably disagree with me on this). He was paranoid to a fault, and it did affect how he ran the White House (it's also probably why we got Watergate to begin with). He encouraged secret files on those he didn't like, and he did play dirty when it came to politics, just ask Edmund Muskie.

But it is ultimately Watergate that not only brings Nixon down as a President, but as a man. And, really, when you rely on destroying people's lives to get what you want rather than relying on your own strengths (which he actually had in abundance, he just never trusted himself), you just come off as a little man.

And, in the end, that's what Richard Nixon was, a little man.

Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/nixon (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/nixon%5C")

38. GERALD FORD (I beg your pardon...)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Gerald_Ford_presidential_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-Gerald_Ford_presidential_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg)

Born: July 14, 1913, Omaha, Nebraska
Died: December 26, 2006, Rancho Mirage, California

Term: August 9, 1974- January 20, 1977
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Nelson Rockefeller

First Lady: Betty Bloomer Ford

Before the Presidency: Gerald Ford was born as Leslie King, Jr., in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a wife beating alcoholic and the mother moved to Grand Rapids Michigan when Leslie was three. There she met Gerald Rudolph Ford who raised young Leslie as if he were his own son. He only learned as a teenager that the elder Ford was not his biological father. It didn't matter to him, though, and he would change his name to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.

Ford excelled well in school, starring in football, and finishing in the top five percent of his class. He worked his way through college, majoring in economics. He was also one of the better football centers in the country and it won him a scholarship to the University of Michigan. He excelled at football and both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions offered him a contract. He turned them both down because he wanted to enter law school. He ended up being an Assistant Coach at Yale so he could attend law school there. He graduated with honors in 1941. While at Yale, Ford became acquainted with a who's who of future politicians including Robert Taft, future Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, and future Secretary of State Cyrus Vance among others.

Ford returned to Michigan in 1941 to open a law practice. Of course, this was also the time World War II broke out in the Pacific and, like most of the Presidents of his generation, he joined the Navy. He proved to be a dependable officer, being involved in a handful of naval battles with the Japanese. He was awarded ten battle stars and came away with the notion that the US must stay engaged in international affairs.

When Ford returned home, he got involved in politics. He met and married Betty Bloomer and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948.

Ford was a popular congressman within his own district as he would be re-elected twelve times. He also gained importance in the House as the years went, first becoming a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He was a staunch anti-Communist and supported both Republican and Democratic Presidents that hoped to contain Soviet and Chinese power.

Congressman Ford also developed a reputation for being able to work with both parties. He was known as a hard worker with a lot of integrity and gained the trust of his congressional colleagues. Of course, he was a Republican and he supported the Presidential bids of Eisenhower and Nixon. Ford, in fact, was one of Nixon's biggest defenders when Nixon was embroiled in controversy in 1952.

Heavy losses in 1962 and 1964 meant changes in the Republican Party and Ford would benefit from it. As one of the most respected people in Congress he served on the Warren Commission that investigated the Kennedy Assassination. In 1965, he won the election for House Minority Leader where he quickly became one of President Johnson's biggest critics on his Great Society programs. A moderate conservative, he endorsed George Romney for President in 1964 but happily switched to Goldwater when he procured the nomination.

Ford also supported the Vietnam War, his biggest criticism being that Johnson didn't prosecute the war vigorously enough. Ford, of course, and like most Republicans, supported Nixon's bid for President in 1968 but the Nixon White House viewed Ford as an intellectual lightweight (and they should know, right?). Ford, nevertheless, supported Nixon's policies, notably, Nixon's initiatives for welfare reform. He also supported the détente with the Soviet Union and stronger relations with Red China.

Ford won his last election in 1972 and had decided he would serve two more terms then retire in 1977.  He had served Congress as honorably as one could, and he had nothing else to prove.

But Spiro Agnew got in the way.

Summary of offices held: 1942-1946, United States Navy, Lieutenant Commander

1949-1973: House of Representatives, Michigan

1965-1973: House Minority Leader

1973-1974: Vice President of the United States.




What was going on: Post-Watergate, Fall of Saigon, Swine Flu vaccine fiasco, Energy crisis

Scandals within his administration: Earl Butz racist comments

Why he was a good President: He healed the country after Watergate, pure and simple.

Why he was a bad President: Though he certainly meant well, he made some tactical errors, plus he was very reluctant to open the purse strings making one think in another time, he could have been Herbert Hoover.

What could have saved his Presidency: A stronger economic backbone maybe. He failed at getting the US out of a recession just like Nixon and later Carter.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: He could have been Spiro Agnew

How he became Vice President: Watergate was the dominant news event of 1973, of course, but another scandal was also emerging. This had to do with Vice President Spiro Agnew. He resigned as part of a deal to avoid prison for accepting bribes as County Executive, Governor of Maryland (I could have a field day with corrupt Governors of Maryland), and Vice President. Under the 25th Amendment, the President could appoint a new Vice President with confirmation by the Senate and the House. Of all the men on Nixon's short list, Ford was the only one that a majority of both houses would deem worthy, so, he was tabbed as the new Vice President with an overwhelming majority of both houses confirming him. He took the oath on the House floor.

As Vice President, he would at first vigorously defend the President, but as more information came to light, he would temper his remarks. As it was, Ford was able to stay distant from the Watergate controversy itself. Ford, in fact, was one of those who urged Nixon to release the tapes. He finally broke with Nixon days before his resignation noting it was impossible for Nixon to claim it wasn't an impeachable offense.

Ford, now seeing the writing on the wall, spoke with his advisers in anticipation of becoming President upon Nixon's resignation or removal. On August 8, 1974, Nixon announced his resignation.

And, on August 9, Gerald Ford was the 38th President of the United States.

First term: As Ford was sworn in, he announced that, "Our long national nightmare is over." Deep inside, he knew he had only one job to do, and that was to restore faith in American Government. In some ways, he got off to a rocky start, however, when he decided to pardon Nixon. This especially upset the Democrats and they held hearings to determine if something improper had been done. President Ford himself testified before the committee, the first President to ever do so, and he acquitted himself quite well, saying that the country had to heal. It was easily his most controversial decision, and some think it may have ultimately cost him the presidency in 1976.

Nevertheless, Ford was able to get Watergate into his rear view mirror, and he was able to address the immediate needs of the country. For starters, the US was still in an energy crisis and he, along with Congress, found ways to alleviate the pain by keeping Daylight Savings Time throughout the winter for example. Ford also granted a limited amnesty to draft evaders on the condition they perform alternative service. Unfortunately, not many would take that olive branch and it would be his successor, Jimmy Carter, that would make amnesty more palatable.

Ford, like Nixon before him and Carter afterwards, struggled with inflation. He was no more successful than Nixon had been with his Whip Inflation Now program and by the time he left office in 1977, the United States would be in the throes of a recession.

Other domestic issues that Ford failed to address included busing, and the racial violence that surrounded it and the New Yok City bailout, which Ford opposed to the point that one paper's headline read: PRESIDENT FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD. Ford would eventually relent, however, and New York City was saved from default.

President Ford fared better when it came to foreign affairs. He favored détente with the Soviet Union and signed the Helsinki Accords in 1975.  Like Nixon's pardon, it grew plenty of criticism, this time from both parties, but it did put us another step away from nuclear war.

A bigger headache though would be Vietnam. Yes, the American troops were home, but the US was still economically supporting South Vietnam's military, though on a limited basis. By 1975, the North Vietnamese were making its final drive on Saigon. Ford asked Congress for more military assistance, but they offered humanitarian aid only.

It wouldn't have mattered anyway; Saigon fell in late April 1975 and the US was out of Vietnam once and for all. A month later, the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia seized the cargo ship Mayaguez, creating an international incident. Ford ordered a commando raid to free the crew and 40 Americans died as a result, but the Khmer Rouge did ultimately release the vessel.

While President, Ford learned that the CIA was not quite the squeaky clean organization that he thought. He appointed Vice President Rockefeller to do an investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate had a select committee of its own. In no real surprise, Rockefeller cleared the CIA while Senator Frank Church more or less condemned them. Ford took the middle road, firing director William Colby and replacing him with George Bush.

In popular culture, Ford garnered quite a bit of sympathy. He seemed clumsy at times, tripping on the Air Force One steps for example, and Chevy Chase in particular, savagely lampooned him. Ford took it in stride, however.

In more serious notes, Ford would survive two assassination attempts in September 1975 and even be involved in an auto accident the following month. It seemed like the poor guy was cursed. But he took it in stride; he knew how to be the President when it really mattered.

Ford's last year in office had him partly busy with battling Reagan and Carter for the Presidency but it was also the year of his last political blunder, that of the Swine Flu vaccine. There was a bit of a scare with the swine flu virus and President Ford, well to be fair, everyone really, was pushing for everyone to take the new Swine Flu vaccine. Unfortunately, it had some pretty severe side effects and 32 people died before the vaccinations were stopped.

So, it wasn't the luckiest two and half years for President Ford, but he did manage to bring trust and integrity back to the office. That has to count for something.



Election of 1976: Ford, wanting to be elected in his own right, announced his candidacy in late 1975. One would have though the Republicans would have been behind him since he essentially followed their policies, albeit with not a lot of success.

But Ronald Reagan, who we're going to hear a lot about from now on, decided that maybe 1976 was his time. Indeed, he had a lot of backing from conservatives who disagreed with Ford's détente policies as well as his economic policies (their mantra was, America, drop dead). It promised to be a rough and tumble contest.

In the end and after a closely fought primary season, Ford narrowly won the nomination, but Reagan left with quite a bit of clout as he okayed Ford's pick for Vice President, Bob Dole of Kansas (Rockefeller had more or less been pushed out).

We'll cover the Democratic side a little more when we cover Jimmy Carter, but he would prove to be a formidable opponent. Carter was not really a liberal, actually he was more like a born again moderate but, like Ford, he oozed with integrity. And America needed a fresh face after the Hell that was Watergate.

It was a civil but hard fought campaign on both sides. Both sides also agreed on debates, starting a tradition of sorts as there have been debates in each election cycle since then. For the most part, the debates were draws, except for the one gaffe Ford is always remembered for when he asserted that there was no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. Of course, he later recanted that comment, but he never really got out from under that gaffe. And that, along with the pardoning of Nixon, likely was the difference as he lost a relatively close election to Carter.


Post Presidency: Ford was more or less retired after leaving the White House in 1977, which had been his original plan as a congressman anyway. He stayed publicly active, however, lecturing on college campuses and even doing commentary for NBC briefly. In 1980, he was boosted as Ronald Reagan's running mate, but the deal went sour when Ford insisted on a stronger presence. Reagan rejected that and went with George Bush. Ford, nonetheless, remained a respected elder statesman in the GOP. He also served on various commissions and corporate boards. He also would make occasional appearances with former President Jimmy Carter, who he would ultimately become friends with.

In 1999, President Clinton gave Ford the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "binding the nation together after the nightmare of Watergate." He died in 2006 with no one ever questioning his sense of basic decency.

Odd Notes: He once locked himself out of the White House (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/548853/facts-about-gerald-ford (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/548853/facts-about-gerald-ford))

Chevy Chase doesn't look a bit like him.


Final Summary: Honestly, Ford isn't remembered for a lot of personal accomplishments. He obviously wasn't an economic wizard. He had to sit idly as helicopters were dumped in the South China Sea. There were other things he seemed powerless to accomplish as well.

And, yet he wasn't an ineffective President. He made the controversial decision to pardon Nixon, not because he deserved it, or he owed him somehow. But it was because it was the right thing to do. He was desperate to heal the country whatever it took and, while it seemed to divide the country more at first, healing was exactly what it did. Even Ted Kennedy, perhaps his biggest detractor, acknowledged that Ford did the right thing.

And Ford was self-depreciating at a time when it was needed. We didn't get much of that out of Lyndon Johnson and we got none whatsoever from Nixon. But most importantly, he brought a sense of integrity and decency back to the White House not seen since, quite frankly, Eisenhower.

I caught a TV show on the Presidents where Ford had hoped he would leave the country in better shape than when he entered the presidency. So, I guess the question is, did he leave the country in better shape in the end, putting politics aside, of course?

Absolutely.

Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/ford (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/ford%5C")

39. JIMMY CARTER (Smile, though you're heart is aching)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/JimmyCarterPortrait2.jpg/640px-JimmyCarterPortrait2.jpg)

Born: October 1, 1924, Plains, Georgia
Died:  At 98, he's still with us albeit on hospice. The oldest ex-President in American history

Term: January 20, 1977- January 20, 1981
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Walter Mondale

First Lady: Rosalyn Smith Carter

Before the Presidency: James Earl Carter was the son of a peanut farmer. He grew up in the small town of Plains, Georgia where he learned the value of a hard work ethic from his father, who was a successful businessman. His mother, Lillian, was trained as a nurse and counseled poor African American women on health care matters at a time when whites and blacks were not allowed to mix.

Young Jimmy knew the value of hard work and saving money at a young age. He sold produce from the family farm as early as age ten. At age thirteen he was able to buy five houses that were sold on the cheap. The family then rented the houses out.

Teenage Jimmy became enamored with joining the Navy after receiving letters from his uncle. In 1941 he submitted an application to the United States Naval Academy. That same year, he graduated at the top of his small high school class.

Though World War II had broken out, Carter had to wait two years before being admitted into the Naval Academy. Three years later, he would graduate in the top ten percent of his class.

Carter, now married to Rosalynn Smith and with family, had figured on a career in the Navy. Lieutenant Carter served in the submarine service. An incident in Bermuda gave a glimpse of Carter's character when British officials offered a party invitation to white crewmembers only. Lieutenant Carter refused the invitation and his crewmembers followed suit, giving a glimpse at both the respect he garnered as well as his basic support of civil rights, something that seemed unusual for a Southerner.

Carter later worked under the famed Admiral Hyman Rickover. Rickover was something of a brutal taskmaster, but Carter came to admire him, even comparing him to his own father (stern but loving basically).

Carter's naval career was cut short due to tragedy in the family. His father was dying of cancer and the fam was in decline. Carter resigned from the Navy so he could help on the family farm.

Carter returned to Georgia at a critical time in civil rights history. Brown v. Board had been decided by the Supreme Court in 1954 and the Montgomery Bus Boycott would begin over a year later. Times were changing in the South, whether the whites liked it or not. Carter was one of the few whites that actually did like it. As such, he was the only businessman in town to refuse to join the White Citizens Council and it cost him quite a bit of business as he was boycotted. But he stuck to his guns and the boycott slowly fizzled out.

With the farm back up and making a profit, Carter was able to serve on local boards for hospitals and the like. In 1962, he decided on politics and ran for the Georgia State Senate. He initially lost until it was discovered that Carter was the victim of fraudulent voting. A court overturned the election and Carter was in the Georgia Senate.

During his two terms, Carter was known as a hawk when it came to wasteful spending. He also voted with his convictions as a born again Christian as he helped to repeal discriminatory laws against African- Americans. He went even farther as, while his church in Plains voted to keep African Americans out almost unanimously. It was the Carters and a third person that prevented the vote from being totally unanimous.

In 1966, Carter was considering a run for Congress. He opted to run for Governor instead. By now, there was a large white backlash and Carter would lose the nomination to the controversial Lester Maddox. Carter, though, gave it another try in 1970. This time, he knew he had to get some segregationists to vote for him if he was going to win and he distanced himself from African Americans to the point that the Atlanta Constitution called him a racist. It's something of a sad commentary that you had to be labeled a racist to win in Georgia, but it worked. Jimmy Carter was now the Governor of Georgia.

And imagine the surprise of the segregationists when it turned out Carter wasn't a racist at all. He called for an end to segregation at his inaugural speech, making national news as a result. He was seen as the symbol of the New South, a much more tolerant version that rejected groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Carter was definitely a progressive as blacks were much more prominent in state government under him. He also hated wasteful spending as he streamlined a number of state agencies. It wasn't perfect, as he often clashed with the State Legislature. Indeed, Carter was also seen as a bit arrogant among his peers, but the intentions were always good, and he still was able to make great strides in the environment and education.

Carter would develop National ambitions as he studied the George McGovern campaign in 1972. He was saddened that McGovern had been successfully labeled as an extremist and realized that a new Democrat would be needed in 1976 with maybe more views closer to the center but still nowhere near the right.

And maybe Jimmy Carter was that man.

Summary of offices held:

1946-1953: United States Navy, Lieutenant

1953-1961: United States Navy Reserve, Lieutenant.

1963-1967: Georgia State Senator

1971-1975: Governor of Georgia


What was going on: Energy crisis, Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, Iranian Hostage Crisis, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Begin-Sadat peace talks

Scandals within the administration: Bert Lance banking scandal, Debategate

Why he was a good President: Like Ford before him, he brought honesty and integrity back to the White House. His ideals on energy and human rights remain timeless to this day. And, of course, there were the Camp David Accords

Why he was a bad President: He was in over his head with Iran. He also had a rocky relationship with Congress. And maybe he was a bit too hands on for his own good.

What could have saved his Presidency: A successful end to the Iranian Hostage Crisis a little earlier might have been enough.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A failed Camp David Accords. He could have turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Election of 1976: Jimmy Carter came in as a dark horse for the Democratic nomination. The Democrats had held out hope that maybe Ted Kennedy would give it a run, but he wasn't ready quite yet.

So, the field was ripe with favorites such as Frank Church of Idaho and Henry Jackson of Washington. By now, the parties depended on voter primaries to nominate the candidate, though they were often fixed to favor the preferred candidate or for whoever had the power at the time (such as Hillary Clinton in 2016). And the voters were trying to run away from Watergate, still fresh on peoples' minds, as far away as they could. They saw in Jimmy Carter, a sense of honesty and decency, almost as if he were an innocent really, and he proved to be a major candidate once the primaries started. His outsider status scored him victories in the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary, perhaps the two most important primaries in any election. Carter campaigned hard as the others slowly dropped out, his only real opponent at the end was the maverick Governor of California, Jerry Brown, and he was a latecomer.

Carter didn't have enough delegates to win the nomination going into New York City but by now the super delegates were sold on him and he won nomination on the first ballot. He would choose Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate and Mondale, along with a close working relationship with Carter, would revolutionize the Vice Presidential position by making it much more than just being a stone's throw away from the Presidency.

After a bitterly fought campaign on the Republican side, Carter would square off with the incumbent President, Gerald Ford. It was, for the most part, a civil campaign on both sides as both candidates were beyond reproach. Of course, as in any election, they had their criticisms of each other, but Ford had to carry the burden of Watergate giving Carter a decided edge.

That edge disappeared though as Carter was also pretty adept at making missteps. In one, he admitted having lust for women in a Playboy interview. That only brought the polls to a dead heat. Ford then made his famous gaffe about no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe.

Then there was the October surprise when Carter's church denied entry to an African American minister despite Carter's pleas to allow him in (Carter later nearly left the church over the incident).

It was a close election, the closest since 1960, in fact, but when it was over, Carter would win. The future seemed bright with large Democratic majorities in both houses and the Republicans still trying to recover from Watergate.

And, of course, they would.

First term: President Carter started out with a lot of good will. He had planned on accomplishing a lot during his Presidency and started by unconditionally pardoning Vietnam War draft evaders. The US was still mired in an Energy Crisis and Carter was having his own version of fireside chats, urging the American public to turn down their thermostats.

The honeymoon didn't last very long. Carter would have difficult relations with his own party in Congress as they expected the pork barrel projects to continue while Carter railed against wasteful spending. No, he wasn't about to slash welfare benefits or anything like that; he just wanted to know where the money was going.

Carter's popularity slipped rapidly among the public and Congress took advantage of it by shooting down programs they would have ordinarily supported such as a Consumer Protection Bill. They obviously wanted to get rid of Carter that bad (and they asked so hard in 1980, they got it, the dummies).

That didn't mean Carter didn't have his accomplishments. Despite dealing with low poll numbers and a political scandal involving his budget director, Bert Lance, he was able to make the US less dependent on foreign oil. And even with his struggling relations with Congress, he was able to get many of his initiatives through, even more than LBJ had in fact, but because of Carter's basic modesty, he got very little credit for it and publicly came off as a rather inept President.

There was controversy within his family too. His sister, Ruth Carter Stapleton, was a well-meaning evangelist who thought she could somehow convert porn king Larry Flynt into a devout Christian. This drew more than a few laughs.

A bigger problem for him would be his n'eer do well brother, Billy Carter. He, needless to say, was not an evangelist. Indeed, he was everything his brother Jimmy was not, a beer drinking good ol' boy. Carter cringed wondering what would come out of Billy's mouth next. Billy became something of a celebrity and was marketing his own beer known as Billy Beer. In the end, Billy would step over the boundaries too far and he would be under investigation for his business dealings with the Libyans (he would later be cleared).

President Carter, for the most part, managed to stay above the family fracas and he would make his greatest accomplishment in 1978. For decades there were wars in the Middle East involving Israel and the other Arab states, notably Egypt and Syria. But by 1977, Egypt's President, Anwar Sadat, had enough, and offered an olive branch to Israeli PM Menachem Begin. Though a staunch war hawk, Begin accepted the offer and the two began negotiations. Of, course, both sides were far apart and there were accusations from both sides in the press. Sadat, by then, had a bit of a diplomatic relationship with President Carter and he and Begin both asked for his help. Carter, being something of a peacenik, gladly accepted.

And President Carter more or less took charge, practically locking the two leaders in a cabin at Camp David until they could reach an agreement. And, in September 1978, an agreement was reached. The Camp David Accords was the result and, while not perfect (Israel still has skirmishes with the Palestinians in particular), there has been a lasting peace between Israel and Egypt and Middle Eastern wars in general (Save Iran and Iraq maybe) have been in decline. Begin and Sadat would share the Nobel Peace prize in 1978 but many, including Sadat, thought the prize should have gone to Carter.

If the Camp David Accords signaled the Carter administration at its peak, then it was all downhill from there. Carter did have some success when he returned the Panama Canal back to Panama (a pretty controversial issue at the time), but other world events would signal doom for the Carter Presidency in 1979 and 1980.

For decades, the United States had supported the right wing regime of the Shah of Iran. By the late seventies, the Iranians had enough of the Shah and was hell bent on overthrowing him. Their leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini, returned to Iran from exile and the writing on the wall was for all to see, including the Shah.

Carter was no big fan of the Shah, but he felt obligated to honor the commitments of previous Presidents, so when the Shah fled from Iran and was diagnosed with cancer in Mexico, Carter allowed the Shah to enter the United States for treatment. This enraged the fundamentalist Islamists that now ruled Iran, and, in November 1979, a throng of Iranian students stormed the US Embassy in Tehran and took sixty-six Americans as hostages.  They demanded the return of the Shah, all assets that the Shah had taken, and an apology from the nation they were referring to as, "The Great Satan."

Carter did no such thing, of course. Instead, he froze all Iranian assets while staging secret negotiations. Meanwhile, the press had jumped on the hostage crisis like never before and Nightline, an ABC news program, began a running total of days the hostages were held in captivity. 

And it got to the point where the incident that probably proved the nail in the coffin took place. Frustrated, Carter went along with a plan for a helicopter rescue of the hostages in 1980.  It was not a well thought out plan to begin with and the mission was aborted after the helicopters were well inside Iran. It should have ended there, but one of the helicopters suffered mechanical problems and crashed, killing eight soldiers. After the incident, Iran moved and dispersed the hostages making it virtually impossible for another rescue. Worse, for Carter, it solidified his reputation as an inept President.

Carter had a little better success with the Soviet Union. Taking a page out of Lyndon Johnson, I guess, the Soviets thought they could prop up a Communist regime in Afghanistan, so they invaded the country. This drew international outrage and President Carter called for an Olympic Boycott (the 1980 Olympics were being held in Moscow). It drew a mixed reaction from Americans and a slew of protests from the athletes themselves, but Carter stuck to his guns and the US would not participate in the Olympics that year. And, while it didn't get immediate results, The Soviets would take an economic hit and when they boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, their ploy would backfire spectacularly. More to the point, Afghanistan became the Soviet's Vietnam, and they would finally withdraw with their proverbial heads between their legs in 1988.

Despite some accomplishments, Carter's popularity was rather low. By 1980, the US was in another recession, there was international embarrassment from the ongoing hostage crisis, even as Carter continued to negotiate, and there was a feeling of malaise, as Carter put it in an infamous address in 1979. Re-election did not seem to be in the cards.

But he was going to give it a try anyway.


Election of 1980: Before the election season even started, President Carter would suffer the humiliation that few incumbents had suffered, a credible challenge within his own party. Senator Ted Kennedy had been coy for years about running for President and, with two brothers having been assassinated, you could understand the trepidation. But Kennedy saw the weakness in Carter and saw 1980 as his opportunity at last, so he entered the race. Carter reacted by saying he'd whip his ass. The Democrats were split between the two factions and the New York press seemed giddy when Ted won the state. Indeed, it was a closely fought contest throughout, but in the end, Carter would wind up with the nomination.

Carter's weak renomination (he had to give up a lot to Kennedy's platform) contrasted negatively to the practical anointment of Ronald Reagan for the Republicans. Of course, the Republicans had their factions too and one, liberal Republican John Anderson, would break off to run as a third party candidate. Of course, we'll have a lot more on Reagan (and Anderson) later.

Carter never really had much of a chance as the economy and the hostage crisis kept his poll numbers low. He didn't do himself any favors either when he boycotted the first debate because he didn't want Anderson on the podium. When he did get to debating Reagan, it was more or less a disaster as Reagan kept going, "There You Go Again."

And so, in no real surprise, Carter got thumped in the general election, winning all of six states plus DC. Ronald Reagan was to be the next President of the United States. The Democrats finally got Carter out of the White House and now they had to uh, reap the rewards?

One more note about Carter to show you what kind of man he was. A one term President may have more or less coasted his way out, but Carter didn't do that. Instead, he was determined to get the hostages out of Iran, and he worked for their release up to the morning of Reagan's inauguration. And, though the Iranians timed the release for the inauguration as a way of humiliating Carter, history doesn't work that way. In some ways Carter's efforts at getting the hostages out was as important as the Camp David Accords had been.

And Jimmy Carter left with his dignity intact.

Post Presidency: I like to talk about dual personality Presidents but up to now that was basically a good vs. evil dynamic. Carter is a little different, for while you can argue Carter was a bad President, he was never certainly a bad person.

What he was, and is, though, is a great ex-President, maybe the greatest ever. For Carter didn't pack his bags and retire to his peanut farm, which no one would have blamed him for.  Instead, he put his Christian values where his mouth was and started what became known as Habitat for Humanity. This was an organization where volunteers, including Carter himself, would build houses for the poor and underprivileged. He was often seen on television, and it helped to promote the cause of helping the less fortunate.

He also stayed active with foreign affairs in ways other Ex-Presidents didn't dare venture. Everyone has an opinion, but Carter actually went to work. He often monitored elections in nations known for their fraudulent practices. When monitoring the Nicaraguan elections in 1990, Daniel Ortega was legitimately defeated. One wonders what may have happened had Carter not been there, but Carter, now a respected elder statesman was, and Ortega accepted his defeat graciously.

Carter would also mediate between countries with their own axes to grind, sometimes at the request of the State Department, sometimes on his own, and sometimes with rebuke from a sitting President such as with Clinton with North Korea for example where he briefly was able to ease nuclear tensions with the rogue nation.

In 2002, Jimmy Carter finally won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Odd notes: Carter was once attacked by a swamp rabbit

Carter has consistently insisted that he has seen a UFO.

Final Summary: If I could judge Jimmy Carter as just a human being, he'd be an easy A. Few ex-Presidents, if any, have been as exemplary as Jimmy Carter. He took advantage of his elder statesman status like no other, using his status to improve the lives of people rather than to try to improve his own personal standing (like Nixon for example).

Even if I were to rate him on just his Vice President, Walter Mondale, who strengthened that office and truly became a partner of the President (See Gore, Cheney, and Biden on that note), he'd get an A.

But, alas, I have to rate Carter just for his presidency and, let's face it, the guy was in way over his head. There is no doubt he truly wanted to do good, but he learned the hard way, that if you want to make it in Washington, you're going to have to grease some palms.

When he was able to do good, he could do it spectacularly such as in the Camp David Accords. But the late seventies probably wasn't the right time for Carter with some of the things going on such as Afghanistan and Iran as well as the Three Mile Island disaster back home. He couldn't figure out the economy either, to be honest.

But even saying that, the decency that is Jimmy Carter still goes a long way. Maybe he wasn't exactly Abraham Lincoln, but he wasn't James Buchanan either. And he sure wasn't Richard Nixon.

And even if the country wasn't necessarily a better place because of Carter, the President, the world certainly is because of Carter, the ex-President.


Overall rating: C+

https://millercenter.org/president/carter
 (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/carter%5C")

Postscript: On February 20, 2023, it was announced that Jimmy Carter was put on home hospice care. Prayers have been forwarded as the man appears to be dying. Will update as warranted.

40. RONALD REAGAN (Da Doo Ron Ron)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981.jpg/640px-Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981.jpg)


Born: February 6, 1911, Tampico, Illinois
Died: June 5, 2004, Bel-Air, California

Term: January 20, 1981- January 20, 1989
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: George Bush

First Lady: Nancy Davis Reagan

Before the Presidency: Ronald Reagan was born in an apartment in rural Illinois. His father was an alcoholic, though not an especially abusive one. He also came from a family of Democrats and he himself started out as a New Deal liberal. His father, in fact, was named as director of the local WPA by FDR. Reagan noted that his father also forbade his children to see Birth of a Nation and he was very tolerant of other races and religions. Reagan's mother was known as a do-gooder and was a devout Christian. Reagan admired her so much that he moved her to Hollywood after his father died.

Reagan was rather athletic growing up, playing football and basketball in High School. He also was the Student President. He worked as a lifeguard for six summers and reportedly saved 77 swimmers from drowning. He later attended Eureka College in Illinois. An average student at best, he stayed active with the extracurriculars, excelling in sports as well as joining the drama club, editing the college yearbook, was member of the debate club, and was Student Council President. He also washed dishes at his fraternity to earn his keep.

After graduating college, Reagan landed a job as a radio sportscaster in Davenport, Iowa. He learned much of his speaking skills there and would be hired at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa where he announced recreations of Chicago Cubs games and where he was also a staff announcer.

In 1937, the acting bug hit the handsome Reagan and he moved to Hollywood to start his acting career in films. He found luck when he was hired by Warner Brothers where he would enjoy a substantial twenty year movie career. While never the big box office success of say, Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne, Reagan still enjoyed a successful career in films such as Knute Rockne-All American and King's Row. Reagan was considered a competent actor known for his punctuality and was very good at memorizing his lines. A man who was good at self-depreciation, Reagan jokingly referred to himself as the Errol Flynn of B- movies. He knew he wasn't the greatest actor, but he knew how to perform within his limitations.

Reagan was drafted during World War II, but he was nearsighted, so he stayed stateside. He had been a reservist for the US Army Calvary, and he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He helped to produce and appear in propaganda films for the war effort. He also narrated training films for new recruits during his three year stint.

Reagan had always had an interest in politics, starting out as a New Deal Democrat, but he would become more conservative, staunchly conservative, in fact, as he got older. By the late forties, it was alleged that he was ratting out alleged Communists within Hollywood for the FBI, this while he was President of the Screen Actors Guild.

Reagan had been married to actress Jane Wyman until they divorced in 1948. Four years later, Reagan met another actress, Nancy Davis. The two were married and she would go on to be, perhaps, one of the most devoted first ladies in history.

By 1954, Reagan's movie career had fizzled somewhat, and he gave TV a shot. He narrated and occasionally acted on General Electric Theatre. He would later become one of the hosts of the Western Anthology, Death Valley Days.

Reagan was a staunch Anti-Communist but even he was concerned about the tide of McCarthyism. He worried that innocent lives were being affected. Though he was responsible for the blacklist that the SAG came up with, he made pains to keep names out that he felt were innocent.

Though now a conservative by the 1950's, he continued to campaign for Democrats including Helen Gahagan Douglas who ran against Richard Nixon. He changed horses by 1952, however as he supported Eisenhower as a Democrat for Eisenhower. He stuck with the Republicans in the 1960 election, supporting Nixon (though he personally despised him). He finally switched parties in 1962 when he supported Nixon when he ran for California Governor in 1962.

Reagan truly came to the forefront from a political standpoint in 1964 when he campaigned for Barry Goldwater in 1964. Reagan embraced Goldwater's arch-conservative policies, maybe out of a sense of greed (Now affluent himself, Reagan somehow compared having to pay higher taxes and a loss of personal freedom as the same thing). Goldwater was crushed in the election that year, but he, and Reagan, would succeed in the long run as the Conservative movement had just begun.

And it was that conservative movement that landed Reagan his first office when he upset Governor Pat Brown of California. Reagan was quite the controversial Governor, being somewhat hostile to student protestors in particular. He was also something of a pragmatist, however, and he worked with Democrats to push the most important aspects of his agenda such as cutting domestic spending. He was re-elected in 1970 and he made most of his accomplishments in that second term. In 1971, he got the Welfare Reform Act which tightened eligibility requirements but increased benefits. He also got some property tax relief passed (though the radical Prop 13 movement would make all that moot some years later).

Reagan would have some Presidential aspirations and he first was a factor in the 1968 campaign. That was Nixon's to lose, however, and Reagan was content to get some more experience as Governor.

By 1976, however, Reagan was a free agent, and he gave President Ford a serious run at the nomination. Indeed, as both candidates stumbled from time to time, the nomination was still in doubt by the time of the Convention in Kansas City. Reagan tried one last hail mary when he picked liberal Richard Schweiker as his running mate but by then, Ford had just enough delegates to put him over the top. The Reagan Revolution would have to wait for 1980.

And by then, they were loaded for bear.

Summary of offices held:

1947-1952, 1959-1960: President, Screen Actors Guild

1967-1975: Governor of California


What was going on: The cold war, AIDS crisis, Challenger Explosion, War on drugs, War on terrorism

Scandals within the administration: HUD scandal, Wedtech, Savings and Loan scandal, Sewergate and, of course, Iran- Contra

Why he was a good President: Reagan was a very persuasive President, and he had a knack of comforting the public during times of tragedy, such as when the Challenger exploded. He also helped to speed up the end of the Cold War.

Why he was a bad President: His policies in general. By his success at shifting the center to the right, he didn't anticipate that the right would be shifted closer into fascism. He also wasn't the most tolerant when it came to freedom from religion.

What could have saved his Presidency: A more moderate approach to domestic issues. He certainly should have done more to address the AIDS crisis, but he was betrothed to the Moral Majority, I guess.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: In some ways, the Democratic Congress saved Reagan from himself when it came to Contra Aid. One wonders if he would have gone full blast with American troops in Central America. That would not have gone well. Also, if his rhetoric against the Soviet Union had backfired and we would have had another Cuban Missile Crisis.

Election of 1980: Reagan came in as the favorite to win the nomination despite some trepidation about not only Reagan's age (He was 69 in 1980), but his views which seemed to be a bit out of the mainstream. As such, Reagan had some stiff competition from liberal Republican John Anderson, who would later run as a third party opponent, and Senator Howard Baker among others. But his toughest opponent would be George Bush of Texas, who came off as a moderate conservative. Bush upset Reagan in the Iowa caucuses and was seen as an alternative to Reagan's occasionally right wing positions.

Nevertheless, the Conservatives won the day, and Reagan would be nominated on the first ballot. He had impressed Republican voters with his stands against what was being seen as the establishment such as when he insisted that all the candidates be allowed on a debate podium at an event his campaign paid for. There, he famously and sternly said, "I paid for this microphone." This combative side of Reagan would do wonders for him not only in political campaigns, but as President as well.

Reagan won the nomination easy, then asked the more moderate Bush to be his running mate. This proved to be a solid combination.

Not that it was necessary. Reagan was facing a very unpopular incumbent, Jimmy Carter. The United States was in the middle of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the nation was in yet another recession. Carter didn't do himself any favors when he refused to participate in a debate with both Reagan and Anderson (Carter wanted a one on one with Reagan). Reagan went on to debate with Anderson and both candidates basically jumped on Carter.

Carter did manage to close the gap as Reagan was seen by some as too extremist, not unlike Goldwater in 1964. But when Carter did get his one on one debate with Reagan, it would prove to be a disaster for him. While Carter came off as tense and grim, Reagan seemed genuinely affable, not charming like a Kennedy, but more like a kind grandfather. And he had his ammo ready by responding to Carter's attacks with, "There you go again." The big moment came when Reagan simply asked the American Public, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" This would also prove to be a successful ploy for Clinton, Obama, and even Biden as well. But Reagan did it first.

And because America wasn't better off than it was four years before, Reagan ended up winning in a landslide. The United States would never be the same.

First term: The impact of the Reagan Revolution began on practically the first day. The Iranian Hostages came home during Reagan's inauguration speech, and he was able to announce the good news.

And he had plans to reverse what he saw as a too permissive course. The first things he did was to advocate increased defense spending and to push for massive tax cuts as well as cuts in domestic spending. There was a time he considered maybe even doing away with Social Security until he was convinced by aides that messing with Social Security was political poison.

Reagan's crusade to cut programs designed to help the poor (a criticism of the Democrats) was put on the back burner briefly. After an appearance at a DC hotel, shots were fired at Reagan's entourage, one bullet severely injuring Press Secretary James Brady. President Reagan was hit in the chest and was rushed by limo to a local hospital. Reagan, with bravado, was able to walk in on his own before he collapsed on the hospital floor. He regained consciousness soon after and never lost his composure as he cracked jokes such as, "Honey, I forgot to duck," to a worried Nancy and, to the doctors that operated on him, "I hope you're all Republicans." The warm side of Reagan came out through this ordeal, and he was granted a lot of goodwill when he returned to the Oval Office.

And off to work he went. Though known, sometimes derisively, as a part time President (he didn't really work long hours), he knew what he wanted to accomplish. So, he worked with the Democratic majority in Congress to score compromises on his budget mainly.

Of course, Reagan was something of a strike buster as well. In the summer of 1981, the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike. Reagan threatened to fire them if they didn't return. When they defied his order, Reagan did, in fact, fire them; few would get their jobs back. It started a trend of union busting and Unions, in general, would have less clout as the years went on.

There was also a Supreme Court vacancy in President Reagan's first year and he fulfilled a promise to put a woman on the court. He went with conservative Arizona judge, Sandra Day O'Connor. As a justice, she was probably a little closer to the center as she supported abortion rights for example.

Abortion was a major issue in the Reagan Administration. During the 1980 campaign, Reagan had courted the Moral Majority, led by Jerry Falwell. Reagan had promised that he would find a way to get Roe vs. Wade reversed as well as letting the Equal Rights Amendment ratification process expire. Needless to say, Reagan was not popular with the socially liberal set.

On the foreign front, President Reagan was scaring just about everybody. He took a hard line against the Soviet Union, even referring to them as the Evil Empire. In 1983, he sent US troops to Beirut to have a presence in the war torn region. It proved disastrous as two bombings left nearly 300 Marines dead.

Indeed, Reagan was something of a cowboy President, especially when it came to fighting Communism. He was sending aid to Contra Rebels in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and he ordered troops into Grenada to overthrow a military government that had just overthrown a US backed government.

Reagan's first two years were not his most popular, politically speaking, though people liked him personally. But the economy improved greatly in 1983 and the President's popularity rose with it. By 1984, re-election looked like it was Reagan's to blow.

Election of 1984: There was no doubt as to the renomination of Reagan and Bush as Reagan was now seen as very popular, especially among conservatives and independents and even some of what were known as "Reagan Democrats." The only question being, how big would his victory be in the general election.

The Democrats would reluctantly go with Walter Mondale, who had the baggage of having been Carter's Vice President. He did have some competition with upstart Gary Hart of Colorado and activist Jesse Jackson, but the nomination was really Mondale's to lose.

With not the most popular of candidates, the Democrats needed something to spruce things up. In the end, it was decided that it was time for a woman to be on the ticket and they went with Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro of New York. This may have not been the best choice as her husband would be under investigation for a variety of issues.

But the election was all about Reagan. Economically the country was in the best shape in years, maybe even decades, and only a Reagan stumble in the first debate gave Mondale any hope. That was eradicated in the second debate however when Reagan, now 73, responded to a question concerning his age that he would not exploit Mondale's youth and inexperience. The audience responded favorably to the joke and even Mondale laughed, but Mondale knew it was all over after that.

And, indeed, Reagan would win in the largest electoral landslide in history, Mondale winning only his home state of Minnesota and DC.

Second Term: President Reagan would make a lot of history this term as the Soviet Union was in a bit of an upheaval. After three consecutive deaths in the early eighties, the Soviets finally went with youth and they nabbed the reformer, Mikhail Gorbachev, as its new Premier. Gorbachev would implement economic reforms as well as Glasnost, or openness. He also wanted to improve relations with the United States, and Reagan responded to the olive branch. The two would hold two spirited summits, one in Iceland which ended in no agreement, and a second one in Moscow, this one much friendlier, and they made an agreement to notify each other before performing ballistic tests as well as some economic agreements. Reagan now considered Gorbachev a personal friend and the Cold War had thawed considerably.

Reagan's other moves though were more controversial. He bombed Libya after Gadhafi backed a terrorist act that downed a plane in Lockerbie, Scotland. Even more controversial was the support of Contra rebels in Nicaragua still. By now, Reagan had a Republican Senate but even they didn't really want to go along with more aid. Reagan was also overridden when he vetoed a bill imposing sanctions on Apartheid South Africa, Majority Leader Bob Dole announcing on the floor that Reagan was wrong.

But Reagan's biggest crisis would be the Iran-Contra scandal. In what was the biggest political scandal since Watergate, Reagan aides were implicated in an arms for hostages deal with Iran as a way to support the Contras. Hearings were held and there was bi-partisan criticism on how the situation was handled. Oliver North became something of a rock star for conservatives as a result of these hearings, but he, like several other people implicated, would later face criminal charges. Worst yet, this also affected prominent cabinet members even though they actually opposed the deal, notably, Secretary of State George Shultz, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, and even Vice President Bush, the latter two who would be investigated by a special prosecutor during Bush's presidency. As for Reagan, he said he didn't recall though he admitted that as President, he should have known.

Reagan had another justice to appoint after the retirement of Lewis Powell. First, he managed to get William Rehnquist elevated to Chief Justice. Then he appointed the controversial Robert Bork to take Rehnquist's spot on the Supreme Court. Bork was the guy who followed Nixon's orders to fire Archibald Cox in the Saturday Night Massacre. He also had views that were even to the right of Reagan and there was some fallout even from a few Republicans. In the end, Bork would be rejected by the Senate by a surprisingly large margin.

So, Reagan went with another conservative, Douglas Ginsberg. He too was headed for a rocky confirmation hearing, but he would withdraw when it was discovered he had smoked marijuana. In the end, Reagan abandoned his determination to nominate a justice who was just as conservative and settle for the more moderate Anthony Kennedy.

Reagan would also have to deal with other domestic issues of the day such as the AIDS crisis, which he largely ignored, and a brief economic crisis when the stock market crashed in 1987 (it would quickly recover). But all in all, Reagan left as one of the most popular Presidents in history.

At least for some, anyway.


Post Presidency: After the Presidency, Reagan retired to his home in Bel Air, California. He often would visit his ranch in Santa Barbara. For the most part, he stayed out of the public eye except for a controversial speaking engagement in Japan where he was paid two million dollars. After that incident, he no longer gave foreign speeches.

In 1994, Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. After a heartfelt letter where he sympathized for what his wife, Nancy, would have to go through, Reagan disappeared from the public eye for good, his name only being brought up by Conservatives who thought he was the Greatest President of all time. Reagan died at the age of 93 in June 2004.


Odd notes: Reagan once starred with a chimp. Anyone hear of Bedtime For Bonzo?

Reagan once was a sportscaster who broadcast Chicago Cubs games out of Iowa.

Final Summary: This is a tough one, as my politics are totally opposite to Reagan's and many of his policies are still with us today and not for the better in my opinion. Reagan was obviously very strong in his convictions, and it showed in both his rhetoric and his actions. On the bright side, he did engage in talks with Gorbachev, and it really did thaw tensions between the two nations.  I can even overlook some of his economic policies including the ridiculous trickle down theory (If you give rich people more money, they're just going to keep it, stupid, even David Stockman knew that).

But his social policies, his refusal to address the AIDS issue both medically and socially and some policies that were detrimental to minorities in general (though he didn't really reverse the clock; he merely stalled it). I can't give him a good grade, I just can't.

Yes, Reagan did have a way with words and I'm sure he was a very nice guy outside of politics. Anyway, I'm pretty sure the average Conservative will give him a much better grade than I will, and liberals like Batty will probably give the guy an F.

But I have to try to be at least a little objective so, with points off for not being moderate enough for my tastes...

Overall rating: C-

https://millercenter.org/president/reagan (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/reagan%5C")

41. GEORGE HW BUSH (Watch out for that tree)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/George_H._W._Bush_presidential_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg/640px-George_H._W._Bush_presidential_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg)


Born: June 12, 1924, Milton, Massachusetts
Died: November 30, 2018, Houston, Texas

Term: January 20, 1989- January 20, 1993
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Dan Quayle

First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush

Before the Presidency: George Bush was born into a wealthy family. Though wealthy, his parents insisted on modesty and public service. In fact, George's father, Prescott Bush, would become a well-known Senator from Connecticut.

As a teenager, Bush attended a boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts. There, he excelled at soccer and baseball and was the Senior Class President. Upon graduation from the school on his eighteenth birthday, Bush signed up for the United States Navy.

Bush became a Navy pilot in 1943, earning the distinction as the youngest pilot in the Navy. He flew fifty-eight missions and was even shot down by Japanese fire. Luckily, he was recovered by a submarine and would be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Back home and still in the Navy, Bush married Barbara Pierce. They would raise six children including sons George W. and Jeb, both of whom would follow in their father's footsteps. After his discharge from the Navy, Bush entered Yale University where he majored in economics. At Yale, Bush captained the baseball team and was a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society.

Bush was an adventurous sort and he moved to Texas in 1948. Two years later, he would form an oil company with a friend of his. By 1954, the company had expanded into Zapata Off-Shore Company. Buoyed by the success, Bush moved the family to Houston.

In Houston, Bush started his own political career as the chair of the Harris County Republican Party. Bush was a conservative and he had a way of working with people. In 1964, Bush ran for the Senate against incumbent Senator Ralph Yarborough, but he couldn't escape the carpetbagger tag and Yarborough would be re-elected.

Bush fared better in his run for a House seat in 1966. Running as a Moderate Republican, he would be elected to two terms. He could have been elected to a third, but Bush thought he could beat the very liberal Yarborough in the 1970 Senate election. But the Democrats thought so too, and they nominated Conservative Lloyd Bentsen instead. Bush was going home.

He wasn't home for long though. In December 1970, President Nixon appointed Bush as US Ambassador to the United Nations. He wasn't very effective as he wasn't part of Nixon's inner circle (luckily for him in retrospect) but he was able to make friends and connections on his own and he proved to be quite adept at his position.

Nixon removed Bush as UN Ambassador in 1973 and asked him to be Chairman of the Republican National Committee, mainly because he was what Nixon wasn't, honorable and with great integrity. Bush tirelessly defended Nixon throughout Watergate until the tapes were released. It was then Bush who advised Nixon that he had lost the support of his own party. Though not the final straw (that was likely Goldwater), it did eventually help Nixon on his decision to resign in 1974. Bush, subsequently, resigned as RNC Chairman soon after.

Bush's career was far from over, however. President Ford quickly appointed him as the US Envoy to China. Bush was in his element there as he absorbed the culture especially. The liaison position would be short lived, however, as President Ford had a new position for him, CIA Director. The CIA was in desperate need for reform and Bush was seen as someone that could bring integrity back to the organization. Bush's tenure there wouldn't be long either as Ford would lose the 1976 election to Carter. So, the Bushes returned for Houston.

But the political career wasn't over. He was already eying the 1980 Presidential nomination and he announced his candidacy in May 1979. Though considered the underdog to Reagan, he was seen as the more moderate (and thus, more electable) alternative. And, as a dark horse favorite, he surprised everyone by winning the Iowa Caucus and would be Reagan's toughest competitor in the 1980 primaries.

In the end, though, it was Reagan's nomination to lose, and he clearly didn't. But Reagan was also a pragmatist in his own way, and he asked Bush to be his running mate. Bush accepted and the rest is history.

Bush proved to be a loyal Vice-President to Reagan as his own positions began turning to the right, especially on the abortion issue, something that put him at odds with his pro-choice wife. He also became a personal friend of Reagan's and the two had weekly lunches. The Vice President also traveled widely and was on a number of task forces. He also was involved in foreign discussions and could be influential on such matters.

He also, though likely inadvertently, got tied up in the Iran-Contra Affair. And though there was never any proof, there were suspicions that he was not out of the loop as he insisted, and he would be investigated by a Special Prosecutor during his own Presidency.

In the meantime, Bush was getting ready for a Presidential run of his own.

Summary of offices held:

1942-1945: US Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade

1963-1964: Chairman, Harris County, Texas Republican Party

1967-1971: US House of Representatives

1971-1973: US Ambassador, United Nations

1973-1974: Chairman, Republican National Committee

1974-1975: Chief of the US Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China

1976-1977: Director, Central Intelligence Agency

1981-1989: Vice President of the United States


What was going on: Invasion of Panama, Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Gulf War, recession, end of the Cold War

Scandals within his Presidency: Post Iran- Contra investigations and subsequent pardons

Why he was a good President: He can get some credit for the end of the Cold War as most of the Communist nations fell during his administration. While it is questionable whether we had a right to go to war with Iraq in the first place, he did show some restraint at the end. And there is also the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Why he was a bad President: He was a social conservative for the most part, and the Clarence Thomas nomination for the Supreme Court is now having some pretty chilling effects on basic freedoms today, all over the abortion issue basically. He also didn't have a clue on how to handle the economy and seemed standoffish when people told him they were hurting.

What could have saved his Presidency: More of the kinder gentler conservative that he yearned to be at the GOP convention. A better grasp of the economic situation that he seemed to be ill prepared for.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: If the Gulf War turned out to be a disaster. Like it or not, the Gulf War is Bush's lasting legacy and it saved him from being less than average.

Election of 1988: It was a foregone conclusion that Bush would run for the Presidency in 1988 but the nomination wasn't etched in stone like it had been for Reagan. For one thing, he had to contend with the strong Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, and he would launch an aggressive campaign against Bush, who had been seen by some as a softie. Evangelist Pat Robertson was also making a quixotic run for the nomination but, realistically, it was between Bush and Dole.

With the help of James Baker, a Chief of Staff of Reagan's and one of Bush's closest advisers, and down and dirty campaign manager, Lee Atwater, Bush overcame a slow start and was the clear choice by the time the Republican Convention took place in New Orleans. He picked the youthful conservative, Dan Quayle of Indiana, as his running mate and it would prove to be his only blunder in the general campaign. Bush also hoped to blunt out the harsher aspects of the Reagan Administration as he called for a kinder, gentler, nation. He also made the ill-fated pledge, "Read My lips: No new taxes."

In the meantime, the Democrats seemed ready to take back the White House and close to a dozen candidates had their hat in the ring ranging from Jesse Jackson to Tennessee Senator Al Gore to Colorado Representative Pat Schroeder among others. Even a young Joe Biden was in the race briefly.

But it was former Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis who had the edge. He was a traditional liberal, but he was also seen as kind of bland. He certainly didn't have the charisma of Jesse Jackson in particular or even the nerdy appeal of Illinois Senator Paul Simon. But he was strong as a policy wonk and, after what ended up as a three way race between, he, Jackson, and Gore, Dukakis emerged as the Democratic Candidate.

The general campaign was perhaps one of the nastiest in recent memory, not on Dukakis' end so much, but on Bush's. They successfully painted Dukakis as an extremist liberal (and, in many ways, a long political war against liberalism was beginning), and Bush famously confronted liberal newscaster Dan Rather in a TV interview.

The lowest point though was the Atwater led advertisement depicting the story of Willie Horton. He had been released under a Dukakis furlough program. Horton went on to rape a woman in Maryland. The Bush campaign jumped on the story and aired a commercial that clearly had racial overtones. It hurt Dukakis badly, but it also set race relations back a bit, even as Bush himself had African Americans in his inner circle.

And Dukakis didn't do himself any favors either. After an Ill-advised photo op in a tank to prove he'd be tough on defense, he stumbled on a debate question about what he would do if his wife had been murdered. This was asked because Dukakis was an opponent of the death penalty. Dukakis didn't give a straight answer, he simply iterated his opposition to the death penalty. It proved to be his death knell despite Dan Quayle's screw up in the Vice Presidential debate when he tried to compare his experience to that of John Kennedy. Lloyd Bentsen, Dukakis' running mate, pounced on the misstep when he declared that Quayle was no Jack Kennedy. Democrats afterwards wondered if Bentsen should have been their candidate instead of Dukakis.

But, alas, he wasn't, and Bush would win an easy election in November.



First term: The first year of Bush's term was very much a transformative year from a global standpoint as there were pro-democracy protests in China that Bush supported and the planned reunification of Germany which saw the Berlin Wall come down late in 1989. He also came up with a bailout plan during the back end of the Savings and Loan crisis that started in Ohio and Maryland in 1986 but by now had gone national. Another issue would be the ballooning deficit from the Reagan years that Bush had to decide how to handle.

But it would be foreign affairs and how to use the military that dominated Bush's term, or at least the first half of it. By 1989, it was obvious that strongman Manuel Noriega of Panama was using his power to sell illegal drugs to cartels in the United States. Bush wanted to capture and try Noriega on drug charges in the States but that would mean violating International Law. No matter, just before Christmas 1989, The United States invaded Panama and Noriega would surrender just two weeks later. He would be tried in the States and convicted in 1992. He remains in prison to this day.

The most famous, or arguably infamous, period of Bush's term would concern one Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Neighboring Kuwait was rich in oil reserves and Hussein decided he wanted the reserves for himself and Iraq. So, in the summer of 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.

The Western World, and Bush in particular, were against the invasion, mainly because they thought it would affect oil prices in general but also because Iraq clearly violated international law. But the US only used invasion of Iraq as a veiled threat while forming a coalition that included not only most of Europe and a Soviet Union in transition, but also some key Arab states. Hussein responded by holding the British Embassy hostage and even, in a sinister way, stroke the head of some poor diplomat's kid that outraged the British and Americans to no end. Invasion seemed inevitable.

And after one last demand for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait was denied, the Coalition invaded Iraq in what became known as the Gulf War. Bush was able to convince Israel to use restraint if attacked (and Iraq would attack the country with SCUD missiles in a vain hope that Israel would retaliate, and the other Arab countries would join him. Israel didn't retaliate and the Arab countries didn't turn towards Saddam). As for the war itself, it was over in a month and Saddam agreed to withdraw the troops from Kuwait. It was the high point of Bush's Presidency, and he enjoyed record popularity numbers that were even higher than Reagan's had been.

There was an argument on whether the US should have kept the war going until they had captured Hussein, but Bush and most of his advisors argued against that noting they would then have to win the peace if they actually occupied Iraq. A truly prophetic conclusion in wake of what Bush's son would do a decade later.

In 1991, Bush's numbers were at an all-time high, but all good things have to end. If Bush was a master at handling foreign affairs, he was all but a disaster when it came to the economy. He had already reneged on his no new taxes pledge when he signed a tax hike later in 1991. Even worse, the economy was taking such a hit that by 1992, the US was in yet another recession, the biggest since the early eighties. The war hero Bush was now seen as out of touch with the American Public and, despite signing the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act and seeing the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Bush's election chances were not all that high.

Election of 1992: Bush had no trouble winning renomination but there were rumblings from the right wing of the party, who supported Nixon-era firebrand Pat Buchannan. Buchannan, in fact would prove to be a bit of an annoyance to the Bush family for years.

A bigger problem for Bush though would come from the maverick billionaire, H. Ross Perot, who decided to run as an independent. He formed the Reform Party and was gaining popularity as a tell it like it is centrist.

And, of course, the Democrats had their own candidate in former Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. Clinton was a charismatic sort who had a knack of feeling empathy with the average voter while Bush came off as a bit unfeeling and even cold. It was something that was obvious in the three way debate between Bush, Clinton, and Perot as the differing personalities were front and center in front of a national audience. While Perot confused people with his down home slogans and Clinton looked like he almost wanted to hug people in pain, Bush stuck to his platform instead of empathizing and kept looking at his watch. It didn't make for good optics. And Quayle, as usual, wasn't much help either as we learned he couldn't spell potato and he condemned a fictional character for being a single mother (guess she should have had an abortion then?).

We'll never know how big a loss it would have been for Bush or if he would have been able to make the election closer thanks to Perot's strong third party showing, but in the end, Clinton would score a fairly solid victory. President Bush was a one term President.


Post Presidency: After the Presidency, the Bushes returned to Houston where they lived quietly for the most part. That's not to say Bush didn't stay active, however. He stayed involved with various boards while also spending time at their Kennebunkport, Maine home.

Bush also would get involved in politics again as two of his sons were now pursuing political careers. Son Jeb seemed to be the one with the brighter future and the elder Bush aggressively campaigned for him in his quest for Governor of Florida, which he would win. George W., in the meantime, was running for Governor of Texas and Bush campaigned for him as well. Soon, he would have two sons as State Governors.

And in 2001, one of those sons would become President after a controversially close election. And though the younger Bush's policies were sometimes conflicting with the elder's, the Elder Bush let his son make his own mistakes.

Bush also teamed up with former President Bill Clinton with a campaign for relief after the Tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004. Bush also had an organization known as the Thousand Points of Light Foundation that specialized in humanitarian endeavors.

In the end, Bush 41, as he was now called, became about as respected an elder statesman as one could possibly be, even going against the Republican tide when he acknowledged voting for Hillary Clinton instead of Trump in 2016.

George HW Bush died on November 30, 2018, at the age of 94.

Odd Notes: George Bush notoriously threw up on the Japanese Prime Minister.

Bush met Babe Ruth while playing baseball at Yale.

Final Summary: Again, I have to admit my liberal bias here, but socially, Bush would not lead my list of favorite Presidents. I'm also not a warmonger, so Bush doesn't get many points on that score either.

But even if he acted indifferent in the public arena, he really did have a heart of gold. The Americans With Disabilities Act is enough proof of that plus some of his post presidency endeavors. No, he wasn't exactly Jimmy Carter, but he didn't just rest on his laurels either. Even when it came to race, as despicable as the Willie Horton ad was (and it may be partially responsible for the civil divide we have today), Bush himself wanted a diverse administration and he was especially close to his Security Advisor, Colin Powell. And he did raise taxes when he knew he'd take a big political hit. With him, America really did come first.

I just wish he had been a bit more moderate.

Overall rating: C

https://millercenter.org/president/bush (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/bush%5C")

42. BILL CLINTON (Stand by your man)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Bill_Clinton.jpg/640px-Bill_Clinton.jpg)

Born:  August 19, 1946, Hope, Arkansas
Died: Still out there trying to promote himself

Term: January 20, 1993- January 20, 2001
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Al Gore

First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Before the Presidency: William Jefferson Blythe was born without a father, who had been killed in an auto accident just months before he was born. He and his mother lived with his stern Grandmother. When Bill was still young, his mother married Roger Clinton, an abusive alcoholic, and they all moved to Hot Springs. Bill was then adopted by Clinton. It was a volatile marriage and Bill often had to play the mediator in their battles.

Clinton excelled in high school and had an interest in politics early on. He also mixed church with sowing some wild oats so to speak and he was an excellent saxophone player as well.

Clinton attended Hot Springs High School where he got the attention of Principal Johnnie Mae Mackey. She saw his passion for politics, and he was one of two students chosen as an Arkansas delegate to Boys' Nation. He got to go to Washington where he shook hands with President Kennedy. Clinton was a convert and politics would be his calling from then on.

Clinton entered Georgetown University in 1964 as an International Affairs major. Coming from modest means, he took advantage of scholarships and took part time jobs to support his way through college. Not being a Catholic in a Catholic school, he drew the ire of the elite part of the student body, but he had such personal charm that he would be a major player in Student Government, being elected as President of his Freshman and Sophomore classes. His college political career ended when he was crushed in a race for Student Body President. One of Clinton's flaws, trying to please everybody and thus pleasing no one, was the major factor.

Since Georgetown was in Washington, Clinton found work as a clerk for the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was there where he formed his opposition to the Vietnam War. Later, he won a Rhodes Scholarship and would attend Oxford University in England for two years. Clinton, of course, was eligible for the draft after he lost his college deferment, but the Arkansas Draft Board allowed him to go anyway.

While at Oxford, Clinton was, in fact, drafted, but he managed to get out of it with the help of Senator Fulbright (a very vocal dove) and Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Clinton returned to Oxford but made himself available for the draft when he returned in 1969. Clinton would ultimately be saved when his birthday came up late in the Draft Lottery. Clinton then proceeded to become something of an anti-war activist though hardly in the sense of a radical like Abbie Hoffman for example.

In 1970, Clinton entered Yale Law School. It was there that he met Hillary Rodham, an ambitious young woman with a bright political future ahead of her. In fact, she would find herself working on the Nixon impeachment committee as a clerk just a few years later. Meanwhile, Clinton worked on a pair of political campaigns including the ill-fated George McGovern campaign as Texas Campaign Manager.

After graduation from law school, Clinton returned to Arkansas and entered his first political race in 1974. He ran for the House against a Republican incumbent. He lost, but he did well enough to be considered a rising political star and, two years later, Clinton would be elected as State Attorney General.

In 1978, thirty-two year old Bill Clinton was elected Governor of Arkansas, but he would be way in over his head. He was inexperienced at this point, and it showed as he mishandled a riot by Cuban Refugees at Fort Chaffee and drew the ire of the timber industry while also raising auto license fees to pay for road construction. As a result, it cost him as he lost re-election.

But, if nothing else, Clinton was a savvy politician. He admitted his mistakes in his 1982 run for Governor and the voters gave him another chance. This time, he didn't fail them, and he would be elected again in 1984, 1986, and 1990.

Governor Clinton ran Arkansas as a Centrist, appointing his wife, Hillary, to an education committee. Education reform was a hot button issue for Clinton, and he even advocated the reforms on National TV (On a personal note, this is how I was introduced to him). Clinton called for teacher competency tests (yes it was controversial to the unions) as well as other reforms. As a result, dropout rates declined, and college entrance exam scores increased dramatically.

Clinton also was an advocate of the death penalty, another divisive issue among Democrats. He was an early advocate to what would later be labelled as Workfare. On the liberal side, he also supported Affirmative Action and he appointed more African Americans to state boards than all the previous Governors combined.  Indeed, he would prove to be especially popular among African Americans as both Governor and President.

Governor Clinton also had a penchant for looking at the polls to see which issues were most popular, thus, his penchant for always going with the political wind, sometimes as if he had no political convictions of his own. It was a play his political consultant, Dick Morris, was good at, and it worked.

After five terms as Arkansas Governor, Clinton was able to boost his national Profile. Indeed, he was a rising star on the National Stage, and he was chosen as the Keynote Speaker at the 1988 Democratic Convention. He fumbled with his overlong speech, however. Still, it was just a misstep and Dukakis was doomed anyway.

Meanwhile, Clinton finished out his Gubernatorial era by leading the National Governors Association for a time. He also led the Democratic Leadership Council, a group of moderate Democrats basically that called for Government help when needed but it was ultimately up to the individual to take care of himself. In other words, the government would boost you and help you, but it wouldn't support you necessarily. Clinton would call this and other Centrist ideas a New Covenant.

So, 1992 was just around the corner, and with a reputation as a "New Democrat", less New Deal, tough on crime, but very pro-civil rights, Clinton would be a formidable candidate in 1992.

Summary of offices held:

1977-1979: Arkansas Attorney General

1979-1981: Governor of Arkansas

1983-1992: Governor of Arkansas


What was going on: Contract with America, War in Kosovo, Somalia war, war on terrorism

Scandals within his administration: Whitewater, Paula Jones, the Monica Lewinsky affair

Why he was a good President: Like Reagan before him and Obama after, he had a way of communicating with the American public. He was a policy wonk and he managed to accomplish things like the Family Leave Act and the Assault Weapons Ban (though it would only be good for ten years). He also helped negotiate peace between the Irish factions as well as with Israel and Palestine (though he couldn't do anything about Hamas).  And whatever his flaws and his penchant for feeling the political wind, he basically meant well.

Why he was a bad President: Because he did have a penchant for feeling the political wind. He all but betrayed the gay community with his Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, because the military wasn't ready to accept gays as of yet. In a way, he betrayed women too, not with his legislation, but with his own actions. The guy really couldn't keep it in his pants. And, while it would be a mistake to blame him entirely, he did promote and sign the 1994 crime bill which would have a very negative effect on relations between police and the minority communities (To be fair, a lot of heads rolled on that one including one Joseph Biden)

What could have saved his Presidency: All he really needed to do was to keep it in his pants, but he also could have shown more political bravery and stuck with his convictions more instead of worrying about his political career.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, the Monica Lewinsky affair nearly did. Otherwise, maybe staying more on the sidelines. To his credit, Clinton was a very involved President.

Election of 1992: Clinton came in as the front runner as the primaries got underway but his penchant for having affairs proved to be a hinderance in his campaign. First, there was the Gennifer Flowers affair where she insisted she had an affair with Governor Clinton. This is where many Americans got to meet Hillary when she announced on TV that she was no Tammy Wynette by Standing By her Man, this in defense of her husband, mind you, but also a poor choice of words as she probably lost the Tammy Wynette fan club vote.

Clinton also had to deal with rumors that he had smoked marijuana (of course, by 1992, who hadn't?). Clinton responded that he did try it but didn't inhale. So much for feeling the political wind.

In the end, people didn't really care if Clinton was even a serial killer. They wanted someone who could emphasize with them, and Clinton pressed all the right buttons when it came to that. So, despite a worthy challenge by the other major candidate, Paul Tsongas, Clinton won the nomination easily and the Democrats would be stuck with the Clintons for a long time.

The general election, by comparison, looked like a cakewalk. By now, President Bush was about as popular as herpes and people were ready for a change after twelve years of the Reagan Revolution.  In fact, Bush was so unpopular, he had to deal with a third party challenge by the eccentric billionaire, Ross Perot, who even looked like he had a shot at making history as the first third party Candidate to win the Presidency.

Clinton had little to worry about, however. Every time Perot withdrew or re-entered the race, it always seemed to hurt Bush more than Clinton in the polls. Besides, he had such a crack team behind him like campaign manager James Carville, whose mantra was, "It's the economy, stupid!" Clinton never wavered from that assessment, and he pounded hard on the economy throughout the campaign.

The final straw occurred at the debates between the three candidates where Bush seemed out of touch and Perot was acting a bit erratic. Clinton won the debate easily just by gently telling a questioner that, "I feel your pain."

And, in the end, Clinton won by a two to one margin in the Electoral College.

And the Slick Willie era began.

First term: The first two years of the Clinton administration was a bit rocky to say the least and it didn't help that the corruption of his own party, in power of the House for well over four decades, became too much for the public to bear. Minority Leader Newt Gingrich would pounce on the scandal and the ineffectiveness of the Clinton administration to build his Contract With America and the Republicans would take over the House in the 1994 elections.

Meanwhile, President Clinton managed to get the Medical Leave Act signed and Hillary started a task force in a drive for National Health Insurance, an initiative that the insurance industry would successfully shoot down by scaring the public with their Harry and Louise commercial spots.

Clinton also had inherited a few foreign policy issues that involved some military intervention. There were still the sanctions against Iraq, of course, but there was also a genocide going on in Kosovo that NATO was dealing with. On top of that, the US was in the middle of a civil war conflict in Somalia. The Somalian campaign, though well meaning, would not end well. The scourge that was Slobodan Milosevic in the former Yugoslavia would eventually have a happy ending, but it would take years.

But it would be two domestic tragedies that would dominate Clinton's first year, first six months actually, in office. First, there was the World Trade Center bombing that killed six people.

Then there was the siege at WACO. A Branch Davidian sect led by someone who called himself David Koresh was surrounded by a Federal force known as the ATF. There was a standoff for about a month before Attorney General Janet Reno okayed a raid on the complex. The ATF probably got a little zealous and no one really knows what exactly happened, but in any event, the house was torched, possibly from the inside and maybe by Koresh himself, seventy-five people, including Koresh, were killed and Reno took the hit for the disaster.

Clinton, who had won the support of the gay community during the campaign, initially had allowed gays in the military, but there was such blowback by the military as well as America not being quite ready to accept gays as people (it takes time for the inhuman to allow people into the human race), Clinton took out his political barometer again and came up with his Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, a policy that the military would manipulate quite well until even they became enlightened and Obama would repeal the ridiculous edict.

Clinton also would have to deal with a major political scandal known as Whitewater that would hound him throughout his Presidency. It started with the suicide of his deputy counsel, Vince Foster, and Republicans, who had a personal hatred of both of the Clintons, would doggedly pursue the matter, uncovering a lot more (though not necessarily illegal) than they had bargained for.

During the first two years, Clinton also signed into law the controversial NAFTA trade agreement that was supported by Bush and Perot as well. And, while it did have its flaws, it did improve trade between Canada, the US, and Mexico, and especially was helpful to Mexico (though arguably at the expense of American jobs).

If Clinton's numbers were abysmal in 1994, they took a turn for the better in 1995 as the Oklahoma City Bombing would be handled much better than the debacle in Waco.  168 people would be killed in this tragedy, but the culprits would be captured, and Clinton proved to be as adept at comforting the public and, more importantly, the surviving victims, just as well as Reagan had a decade before.

The Bosnian war ended under Clinton's watch and a deal was brokered in Dayton, Ohio. Called the Dayton Peace Accords, this was a document signed by Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia in Paris and President Clinton would send 20,000 American troops (part of a larger NATO deployment) to enforce the cease fire followed by free elections.

The best news for Clinton, however, was domestic as the economy was again booming. Because he had a hostile House, and a particularly hostile Newt Gingrich, he was able to broker deals he couldn't with his own party. It didn't help Gingrich that a Government shutdown he engineered backfired on him, his party receiving the blame for that miscalculation.

So, though Clinton's first term would be a mixed bag overall (He also pushed his workfare program through as well as a controversial crime bill though popular at the time), and despite his personal foibles (The Whitewater investigation was now gaining steam and he had former mistresses coming out of the woodwork), he would be a tough incumbent to defeat in 1996.

BILL CLINTON (PART 2)


(https://cdn.media.amplience.net/i/partycity/482210?$large$)


Election of 1996:  With the economy recovering, Clinton's chances at re-election were considerably better than it had been two years earlier when the Republicans took back both the House and Senate. As such, Clinton and Gore won renomination with no real push back.

On the Republican side, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole had the inside track to the nomination, but he did have some challengers, such as maverick businessman Steve Forbes who introduced his flat tax proposal. For about fifteen minutes Forbes was almost as popular as President Clinton with the young, but he never did indicate whether he wore boxers or briefs. He also had less serious competition from Former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander and the always controversial Pat Buchannan. Nevertheless, when the Convention hit the stage in San Diego, Dole had the delegates and he was all but anointed, the highlight being a speech by wife Elizabeth Dole, who came off as a conservative Phil Donahue.

Dole was behind in the general election from the start and another third party bid from Ross Perot didn't help. Perot didn't have the same clout that he had in 1992 and ended up with less the half the vote he received in 1992. Still, he would be a factor.

The campaign itself was a bit exaggerated though not especially smear worthy as Clinton warned that Dole would do away with Social Security and Dole jumped on Clinton's personal flaws, promising the Republicans would make life miserable for him if he were re-elected. Needless to say, that wasn't a good strategy and while Dole played up his World War Two record (He would be the last candidate to have served in World War II), it didn't make up for his occasional gaffes and his tendency to be a bit too blunt, even bordering on mean. And, despite the one good idea the ticket came up with (VP Candidate Jack Kemp's Urban Enterprise Zones, something he came up with after the LA riots in 1992), Clinton had no problem winning re-election.

But Dole kept his promise because, for the next four years, the Republicans would make Clinton's life a living hell.

Second Term: The Newt Gingrich led Republicans began their war on Clinton as soon as he was inaugurated a second time. The Senate voted unanimously to investigate some fund raising discrepancies from the Clintons primarily but also from some members of Congress. Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr was investigating the Whitewater scandal. On top of that, Clinton was being sued for sexual harassment by former Arkansas State Employee, Paula Jones, who had the backing of Republicans basically out to get Clinton. They even paid for her nose job to make her look more sympathetic, but she couldn't prove anything had happened and the judge would summarily dismiss the case. In retrospect, Jones was victimized twice, once by Clinton, who did indeed sexually harass her, (this was exposed during the Lewinsky affair), and by the Republican groups that exploited her in their zeal to destroy Clinton.

So, while Hillary Clinton (who likely had one eye on her own political ambitions by now), was complaining about the right wing conspiracy, a new scandal erupted. This one involved a young aide named Monica Lewinsky. It was alleged that Clinton had an affair with Lewinsky while Hillary was out of town. Kenneth Starr (who couldn't find enough legitimate dirt evidently) decided to exploit this instead. Lewinsky stayed quiet and one had to feel sorry for the gullible young woman, but Clinton responded rather nastily by stating that he did not have sex with that woman, Monica Lewinsky.

Now despite Clinton's reputation as a cad, basically, he did have a pretty decent record when it came to women's issues, most notably, with his Family Leave Act, so women's groups were quick to defend the guy as hypocritical as it looked (A few years earlier, they sent Liberal Republican Senator Bob Packwood out on a rail for less transgressions after having even done more for women than even Clinton had- but he was a Republican- right?). Anyway, Starr went after Clinton like a pit bull, and it culminated in a deposition where he ultimately admitted the affair. Now it was off to the races and Speaker Gingrich pushed for an impeachment hearing. Not because of some Tenure of Office Act or covering up some political malfeasance, no this was for lying about having an illicit affair. No doubt if Gingrich could have gotten away with it, Clinton would have been impeached for littering.

Anyway, though Clinton had indeed embarrassed the office and I personally would have liked to have seen him resign, it was hardly impeachable. But, hey, that's me. They did impeach Clinton, but it would cost Gingrich his seat. Yes, he won his re-election but only barely and he realized his effectiveness as Speaker was gone after his party lost six seats in the 1998 midterms. So, he resigned, and Bob Livingston of Louisiana was pegged to replace him.

But wait! It turned out Livingston had an affair as well and he fell on his sword and resigned. They ended up settling on Dennis Hastert of Illinois who later would be nailed for having sex with minors in the 1960s. Boy were those Republicans on a roll.

The impeachment trial took place in January 1999 and in no real surprise, Clinton was acquitted by a 50-50 vote. The last two years of Clinton's Presidency would be relatively quiet.

Despite the Hijinx that was the impeachment process (and almost every President has been threatened with impeachment by the opposing party since then), Clinton did manage some pretty serious accomplishments in his second term. For one thing, he accomplished what no one had done since the 1920's; he balanced the budget. He also was able to get an assault weapons ban passed after the Columbine School shooting in 1999. Clinton also was able to broker peace between the warring factions in Ireland in what was known as the Good Friday Peace Accords. He also mediated the Rye River agreements between Israel and the PLO, still led by Yasser Arafat.

But there would be some warning signs on the horizon for the next President, not all of it Clinton's fault. NATO had to bomb Serbia when Milosevic though he could be Hitler again. Milosevic would finally be toppled and would be at large come the next Administration.

But the bigger issue maybe started with the explosion on the USS Cole. This was initiated by a would be freedom fighter named Osama Bin Laden. Clinton responded by bombing the bejeebers out of his compound, but the fun was just beginning, and it would be President Bush II that would pay the price.

In the meantime, The Clintons made plans to move to New York so Hillary could carpetbag her way to Senator. The Clintons would be out of the White House, but they sure weren't done yet.

Post Presidency: While Hillary was padding her resume as a Senator from New York, Bill Clinton opened an office in New York City, maintaining an active speaking schedule. He teamed up with Former President Bush on a couple of humanitarian initiatives and they became friends. He also stayed very involved in politics becoming something of a respected elder statesman. Even a heart surgery in 2004 couldn't slow him down. He could still be controversial as he helped Hillary in her 2008 and 2016 Presidential campaigns but, all in all, he has managed to come out with more integrity than he ever had as President.

Odd Notes: After a morning of jogging, Clinton was known to frequent the local McDonalds.

Hilary Rodham Clinton served on the Watergate Committee

Final Summary: And what have we learned? We learned that there is more than one meaning for the word, is. We also learned what not to do with a cigar.

But basically, when you look at the whole picture, Clinton was a pretty good President. Not that I'd invite him for Sunday dinner, I think his character has a lot to be desired. But he was quite adept at getting legislation passed even with a very hostile Congress hell bent on removing him from office. I think he may have been more effective in his troubled second term than he had been in the first. Maybe having an adverse Congress was good for Clinton.

Pity I wouldn't be able to say the same for future Presidents.

Overall rating: B-

https://millercenter.org/president/clinton (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/clinton%5C")

43. GEORGE W. BUSH ( When the President talks to God)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/George-W-Bush.jpeg/640px-George-W-Bush.jpeg)


Born: July 6, 1946, New Haven, Connecticut
Died: Still kicking it on his ranch in Texas

Term: January 20, 2001- January 20, 2009
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Dick Cheney

First Lady: Laura Welch Bush

Before the Presidency: George W. Bush was part of the Bush political dynasty. His grandfather, Prescott Bush, had been a Senator from Connecticut and his father, George HW, would follow in those footsteps after the family moved to Texas.

After a family tragedy when he lost his sister to leukemia, the younger George became closer to his mother, and it is said that he got much of his impulsive personality from her.
Bush, coming from an affluent family, attended private school as a teenager. He wasn't crazy about the rigid structure that goes with a private school, and he struggled a bit academically. He was terrified of disappointing his parents however and would stay up at night studying. He fared better at making friends and would enjoy a full social life for quite a time.

Because of family tradition, Bush would attend Yale University. At the same time, his father made his first run for the Senate and Bush helped out where he could. This was his first real foray into politics.

Like his father and grandfather before him, Bush was a member of the secretive Skull and Bones society. He played athletics, but really wasn't the baseball player his father had been, thus, he played rugby instead. He majored in European and American studies and was a lover of history in general.

Bush graduated from Yale in 1968. Vietnam was raging at the time and Bush, knowing his father was a pilot in World War II, knew he had to join the military in some capacity. He joined the National Guard where he too would become a pilot. As a result, there were accusations that he was able to get out of Vietnam because of political connections. Whether that was true or not remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Bush obtained his MBA in Business Administration at Harvard and returned to Texas where he got into the oil business in Midland. Bush, like his father, became a success at the business and developed a reputation of treating his employees well.

Bush was known as a hard partyer in his youth but found religion in the 1980s. He was heavily influenced by Bill Graham and began to read the Bible very seriously. It was through this that he developed his Conservative Christian values tempered with a compassion for those who may have felt left out. He quit drinking on his fortieth birthday.

Bush's true political career started in 1978 on an unsuccessful run for the House. It was on this campaign where he met the political strategist Karl Rove. He also had help from his father's circle of friends. He enjoyed campaigning even though he wouldn't be successful, but he stayed out of politics for a time after that.

So, he concentrated on his business while working for his father's Presidential campaign, often acting as a sounding board for him. In 1989, he, along with a group of investors, purchased the Texas Rangers baseball team. Bush became nationally known as a result and was considered a fairly popular owner. By the time he sold the team in 1998, he would make a $15 million profit.

After his father lost to Bill Clinton in the 1992 election, the younger Bush decided to get back into the ring again. In 1993, he challenged incumbent Texas Governor Ann Richards. He had hoped to make improvements in education as well as tort reform. Of course, he also touted his conservative Christian values in a state that seemed to be heading in that direction. Bush won the election and Texas hasn't voted for a Democratic Governor since.

Governor Bush earned a reputation of being able to work with the opposing party and had a positive relationship with Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, a Democrat. Bullock even endorsed Bush for re-election and though Bush failed at tort reform, he made great strides in welfare reform and juvenile justice reform. After he was able to accomplish that, Bush went to his most important issue, education. An advocate for school choice, he pushed for legislation that encouraged school choice and competition as well as trying to ensure that every child could read. And, as a typical Republican, he lowered taxes. He also pushed for faith based initiatives, providing social services through churches and other private institutions.

As Governor, he's also famous for the Karla Faye Tucker episode. Tucker was a convicted murderer who was on death row and was up for execution. While on death row, she became a born again Christian and drew the sympathy of famous evangelists such as Pat Robertson as well as Newt Gingrich. Governor Bush, a born again Christian himself but also a proponent of the death penalty, wrestled with this dilemma himself, but in the end, he refused clemency and Tucker was executed.

By re-election time in 1998, Bush easily won another term as Governor. His brother, Jeb, also won as Governor of Florida; the Bush political dynasty was thriving.

And there was a campaign to get George W to run for President in 2000. Bush wrestled with that idea and, through prayer, came to the conclusion that he should run.

And, like it or not, the rest is history.


Summary of offices held:

1968-1974: Texas Air National Guard, First Lieutenant

1989-1994: Owner, Texas Rangers (Major League Baseball)

1995-2000: Governor of Texas


What was going on: 9/11, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, the Great Recession

Scandals within the Presidency: Scooter Libby perjury scandal, Lawyergate, Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, the Valerie Plame affair

Why he was a good President: Whatever his flaws, he had a moral compass that his predecessor had lacked. He also managed to make life just a little easier for immigrants that were in the US illegally.

Why he was a bad President: He forgot the edict of Separation of Church and State for starters, but ultimately, it was his handling of the Iraq War that was his downfall. The truth is, he never should have invaded in the first place.

What could have saved his Presidency: Sticking to just Afghanistan and staying out of Iraq. Also, he should have acted like the President of the United States and not the Protestant Pope.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: Well, Iraq and Katrina ultimately did, didn't it?

Election of 2000: After winning re-election as Texas Governor easily, Bush was pushed to make a run for President and, after a church service that convinced him he was destined, Bush put his hat in the ring.

It wouldn't be a coronation though. Bush faced stiff competition from Moderate Senator John McCain of Arizona. McCain was known as a maverick not afraid to go against the party line and that proved attractive in the New Hampshire Primary. Bush took responsibility for his loss and regrouped. He already had the evangelical vote in hand as vehemently opposed abortion rights and was against gay rights in general. But it was his reputation as someone who could work across the aisle that proved to be the trait that put him over the top. Bush would win the nomination and McCain would have to wait another eight years.

It was a little more cut and dried in the Democratic Party. Vice President Al Gore was the clear favorite and although he did get some competition by New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, there was never any doubt Gore would win the nomination.

The general campaign would be a closely matched contest. Gore, like Bush, came from a political pedigree and checked all the requisites, including a stint in Vietnam as an Army reporter. But, as with Clinton in 1992, it was about the economy, stupid and, since that was still going well, it became a contest of philosophical differences instead.

Both candidates stumbled at the debates, and they were considered a push as was the Vice Presidential debate between Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman. And it would reflect in possibly the most controversial Election Day in American History.

For the election would be the closest in American History, Gore winning the popular vote by the skin of his teeth. Third party maverick Ralph Nader wasn't much help to Gore either and he may have cost him not only Florida, but New Hampshire as well. Indeed, those four electoral votes in New Hampshire alone would have been enough to give Gore the Presidency, making the circus that was about to unfold in Florida irrelevant.

Because there was no clear cut winner in Florida. It was initially called for Gore but a controversial "chad" style voting system in Dade County sent votes Bush's way. The election was then called for Bush until Gore's numbers started to close in yet again. Ultimately, there would be a number of recounts despite interference by Florida Secretary of State Kathryn Harris, who had her own political ambitions. It didn't make Bush look very good when the infamous Brooks Brothers riot was initiated. In any event, both sides would go to court over the course of nearly two months before the Supreme Court more or less said enough and awarded Florida to Bush. Even that was controversial since the court tended to lean conservative, but liberal justice Stephen Breyer had sided with the majority 5-4 vote, so that could be argued.

So, for perhaps the first time since 1880, the United States had a President that half the country didn't see as legitimate.

First term: The first eight months of Bush's term was essentially a domestic agenda. He signed executive orders banning international abortion aid and deregulating religious charities. He also pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol meant to reduce global warming emissions.

Later in the year, President Bush had to deal with what was known as the Hainan incident. There, an American Spy Plane collided with a Chinese aircraft and was forced down on Hainan Island. An international incident was created as the Chinese refused to release the personnel and insisted on keeping the spy plane. The incident continued for ten days before China agreed to release the personnel.

The other big domestic issue was stem cell research. Evangelicals opposed the use of said cells for conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease because they felt it would encourage abortions. President Bush essentially agreed but he would allow funding of existing research but would ban the extraction of stem cells for future research. This was a controversial decision that earned the wrath of even some Republicans, notably Nancy Reagan, whose own husband was suffering from Alzheimer's.

Meanwhile, the summer of 2001 seemed to be obsessed with more trivial things such as the Gary Condit scandal and the sudden plague of sharks like in the movie Jaws.

Then September 11 happened.

The Bush administration and, indeed, the United States, changed forever after two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. After another plane crashed into the Pentagon, it was obvious that George W. Bush was about to become a wartime President.

Bush's popularity soared in the days after 9/11 as he rallied the Firefighters while visiting what was now being called Ground Zero. It was quickly determined that Osama Bin Laden was behind the terrorist act, and he was being backed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. As such, we were now at war in Afghanistan and only recently would we pull out, a decade after Bin Laden had been killed. Bush also started the Department of Homeland Security and signed the controversial Patriot Act which allowed the Government to access confidential information and subvert search warrants.

People didn't care about losing a few civil liberties as long as they could feel safe though. Bush remained popular in 2002 as he pushed through the No Child Left Behind Act requiring standardized math and reading tests but also giving states flexibility when using federal funds for education.

The Emperor's clothes would come off in 2003, however. Allegedly because of bad intelligence it was assumed that Saddam Hussein held weapons of mass destruction. For months, the US tried to build a coalition to topple Hussein, who Bush saw as a terrorist (and in Iraq, at least, he was). But weapons of mass destruction were never found.

Still, on March 19, 2003, the Iraq war began. The US bombed Baghdad with the same fervor it had in 1991, this time the press calling it, "Shock and Awe.". Within weeks, Hussein had been toppled and a US backed interim government was put in place. President Bush even landed by parachute on an aircraft carrier to declare mission accomplished.

But the mission wasn't accomplished. Bush missed the lesson of his father, who was smart enough to withdraw so the US wouldn't have to try to win the peace. The younger Bush didn't see that far ahead, and Iraq would be a headache for him for the rest of his administration and his poll numbers would suffer as a result.

And it only got worse. By the end of 2003, Chief US Weapons Inspector David Kay, a proponent of the war, announced that no weapons of mass destruction had been found. And in 2004, the biggest scandal of the Iraq War was exposed as a few wayward soldiers were photographing Iraqi prisoners in various stages of abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison. This shocked even the most fervent supporters of the war and Bush took quite the black eye over it.

Indeed, as the 2004 election came around, it seemed obvious that the Democrats would really have to screw it up to lose this one.

And guess what? The Democrats screwed it up.




Election of 2004: Despite the lowest numbers of his Presidency so far, Bush renomination was all but certain, the only question being who he would face in the general election.

The Democrats had an interesting slate of candidates starting with the experienced Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. He faced stiff competition from the likes of General Wesley Clark and Populist Senator John Edwards of North Carolina among others.

But it was the maverick Governor of Vermont, Howard Dean, that piqued the nation's interest. He was the initial front runner but seemed to have a nervous breakdown after losing in Iowa as he celebrated with the infamous Dean Scream. Dean never recovered from the incident and Kerry would get the nomination, picking Edwards as his running mate.

Kerry was easy to paint as a waffler as Bush exploited his initial support of the Iraq War until he was against it (He said that almost literally). If that wasn't bad enough, Kerry had been touting his success as a Vietnam War veteran and a Conservative Group called Swift Vets and POWs for Truth more or less called Kerry out as something less than honorable. It was all politically motivated, of course, and people knew it.

But Kerry really did waffle on the Iraq War spectacularly and that definitely hurt him. In the end, Bush won another close election and, despite a desperate attempt by the Democrats to challenge the controversial Ohio vote (A controversy with the voting machines more so than the vote itself which clearly went to Bush), there was no doubt Bush won re-election.

So, Bush got the distinction of being the least popular President to win re-election.


Second Term: And if you think Bush was unpopular in 2004, get a load of what happened in 2005. For that was the year of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans was devastated, and people suffered in flooded houses for days on end. FEMA was unprepared for this disaster and Bush's response in support of the beleaguered director was to say, "Way to go, Brownie." Bush never really recovered from this disaster and how it was handled.

It wasn't all bad for Bush, however. Bush was a lot of things but being a racist wasn't one of them. Indeed, he even developed a rapport with the Muslim community after 9/11. He also enjoyed, arguably, the most diverse administration in American History, a pretty neat feat for a Republican. This all played into his one truly great accomplishment, the Path to Immigration. The idea was that it would strengthen the border between the US and Mexico while giving illegal immigrants a way to earn citizenship in the United States. This proved unpopular with his own party, but the Democrats, now in control of Congress, responded positively to the most humane response to the immigration problem yet.

In the end, though, as the economy finally collapsed into what became known as the Great Recession in 2008, Bush essentially governed a failed administration and while he was still liked personally, he would go down as one of the least successful Presidents in history.

Post Presidency: Bush, one of the least popular Presidents in history, happily retired to his ranch in Texas only making public appearances for his brother Jeb when he would run for President in 2016. Bush made it a point not to criticize his successor, Barack Obama, knowing that he would have enough pressures to worry about. He tried to do the same with Donald Trump, but it eventually got to the point that he could be silent no longer. Like others, including a few brave Republicans, he saw Trump as a threat to Democracy. Still, Bush is mostly content with an occasional public appearance. And he has since admitted his mistakes in handling the Iraq War.

Odd notes: Bush stopped drinking after he turned 40.

President Bush famously survived after choking on a pretzel

Final Summary: Bush may very well have had the best of intentions but his policies, especially on the foreign front, were mitigating disasters. Indeed, for a long time, there were people that were rating him as the worst President ever. Of course, that's pretty unfair in retrospect.

But he was certainly a below average President, especially for someone who served two terms. He let his religion get in the way of what was best for all and not just some. He was clearly ill prepared for Hurricane Katrina. And, by the end of his two terms, we were mired in two wars with seemingly no way out. He couldn't even capture Bin Laden.

But, despite the ill-advised Patriot Act, and the support of the controversial practice of waterboarding (basically a torture method to get prisoners to talk). He still believed in a Democratic Nation, something a future President obviously wouldn't.

And when compared to that future President, George W. Bush frankly looks like George Washington.

Overall rating: D

https://millercenter.org/president/gwbush (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/gwbush%5C")

44.BARACK OBAMA (Yes we can,can)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/President_Barack_Obama.jpg/640px-President_Barack_Obama.jpg)

Born: August 4, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii
Died: He's still with us on a TV screen near you

Term: January 20, 2009- January 20, 2017
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Joseph Biden

First Lady: Michelle Robinson Obama

Before the Presidency: Barack Obama was the first President to be born outside the Continental United States. He would also be the first person of African American heritage to become President as his father was born in Kenya. His mother, who was white, more or less raised Barack after his parents broke up when he was young. She would remarry another foreign student at the University of Hawaii and Barack would spend time in Indonesia where he attended Catholic and Muslim schools. Obama learned about different cultures at a very early age.

When Obama was ten, his mother, concerned about his education, sent him to live with her parents where he could attend regular school. His grandparents raised him from fifth grade until he graduated high school. He was a typical teenager of the late seventies, dabbling in drugs and alcohol, but he also played basketball and was an above average student.

Obama left Hawaii to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. Two years later, he transferred to Columbia in New York City where he majored in political science. He soon found work as a researcher with a global business firm before accepting an offer from Chicago to become a community organizer for Chicago's poor and black South Side. Barack Obama found his calling.

Obama excelled as a community organizer, launching the church funded Developing Communities Project and organized residents to demand improvements to a poorly maintained public housing project. Obama, however, would be frustrated with the city bureaucracy and felt he needed a law degree to give him some ammunition to play with.

So, Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988, this time excelling as a student, and graduating Magna *** Laude. While at Harvard, he was elected President of the Harvard Law Review for the 1990-1991 academic year. This despite being a liberal among a group of conservatives. Obama learned the values of being a good politician as he was able to persuade the conservative voting bloc he'd treat them fairly, and indeed, that's what he did. He drew some media attention as the first African American to head the law review and he would ultimately write a highly acclaimed book about his struggles as a black man trying to find his identity titled. "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance."

After Harvard, he returned to Chicago with his wife, Michelle, where he organized a voter registration drive. He worked with a civil rights law firm while lecturing at the University of Chicago.

And in 1996, Obama made his first forays into public office. He ran to replace Alice Palmer as Illinois State Senator (she was running for the US House and had endorsed Obama as her replacement). Palmer, however, changed her mind and tried to run for her own seat. Obama wouldn't yield and, because Palmer was too late to get her name on the ballot, Obama won the seat.

The State Senate wasn't a pleasant time for Obama. It was a Republican controlled body for starters, and he was all but shunned by the black caucus over his harsh treatment of Palmer. But he managed to form friendships anyway, working well with both sides of the aisle, and even found a mentor in Democratic Leader Emil Jones, Jr., also a black from Chicago.

In 2002, the Democrats retook the Illinois Senate and Obama was able to thrive as a leading legislator, helping to pass 300 bills aimed at assisting children, the elderly, labor unions, and the poor.

Obama had tried to win a seat in the US House in 2000 with an unsuccessful run against the popular ex-Black Panther Bobby Rush. Fortunately, he was still able to keep his seat in the State Senate and that would be a springboard for his 2004 campaign for the US Senate. It was a controversial race from the Republican end as the favored Jack Ryan was caught up in a scandalous divorce with a famous TV actress. Ryan was forced to withdraw from the race and Obama would be pitted against a carpetbagger from (guess where? Maryland) named Alan Keyes, a controversial black conservative, who had made two unsuccessful runs at the Presidency.

And as if Obama needed any help, he was pegged as the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Convention, If John Kerry made people cringe with his own Mike Dukakis moment (he announced he was ready for service), Obama wowed the crowd with an electrifying speech as he concluded there was not a liberal America or a conservative America, there's the United States of America. Obama's call for a united country rang positively and from that point on, he was on peoples' minds as a possible candidate in 2008.

Summary of offices held:

1997-2004: Illinois State Senator

2005-2008: US Senator, Illinois


What was going on: The Great Recession, mass shootings, The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

Scandals within the administration: Veterans Administration scandal, IRS targeting controversy, David Petraeus sex scandal

Why he was a good President: Let's start with the Affordable Care act. Maybe not quite the healthcare version of Social Security but it does ensure that all Americans will be insured, regardless of health issues. Bin Laden was captured on his watch, and he found ways to enact progressive policies without the help of Congress. Plus, he was without a doubt one of the most persuasive Presidents in history.

Why he was a bad President: Well, he was black, wasn't he? I'm sure that's what some of the Trumpsters were thinking at least. Okay, to be serious though, he was a little skittish when it came to enforcing edicts overseas such as with Syria (on the other hand, he did deal with an incident involving Libya and stood up to Putin as best he could). He also was unable to work with the opposition though, frankly, I lay that more on the opposition.

What could have saved his Presidency: A quicker handle on the Russian election meddling might have helped. I also think he should have distanced himself from Hillary Clinton and encouraged Biden to run for President instead. It might not have saved the country but at least it would have saved us from Trump.

What could have destroyed his Presidency: A war with Russia which seems inevitable anyway, more realistically, if the economy had withered into a depression, Obama would have been the black Herbert Hoover.

Election of 2008: Already the highest African American office holder in the country, Obama formally announced his candidacy in February 2007. He tapped David Axelrod as his campaign manager, and they started an effective internet campaign.

Of course, 2008 was not supposed to be Obama's year for this was the year Hillary Clinton expected to be coronated Queen of the United States and she began her campaign as if she was entitled to be the first woman President in history. She had a large contingent of mostly women, some who even threatened to vote Republican if Hillary was not nominated. Obama also had to contend with former VP Candidate John Edwards as well as another quixotic run by Joe Biden, a well-respected Senator, but never popular as a Presidential Candidate.

But it would be Mrs. Clinton that would give Obama the most headaches. She led early in the polls, and it looked like her coronation was inevitable. But Obama had developed a strong fundraising campaign and the fruits of his labor began to show as 2008 began. Obama won the Iowa caucus while Clinton took New Hampshire, and it was obvious that it would be a two way race.

Obama gained momentum in the South Carolina primary as he more or less took the African American vote away from the Clintons, who didn't take the supposed betrayal very well. Mrs. Clinton ran a fairly mean spirited campaign for the most part, seeming more desperate every time Obama inched closer to the nomination to the point that she brought up the possibility that Obama could be assassinated much like RFK in 1968. The shocking suggestion was likely the final nail in her coffin.

Not that Obama himself didn't have his slip ups. The same man who chastised Hillary Clinton by suggesting that silly season is over, proverbially shot himself in the foot when he suggested that when there is no hope, people cling to guns and religion. It likely lost him Pennsylvania in the primary.

But he won the big state of California, giving him enough delegates for nomination. Even then, Mrs. Clinton wouldn't concede until California Senator Dianne Feinstein arranged a meeting where a deal may have been made. Obama would later appoint Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

There was considerably less drama on the Republican Side. The Maverick Senator from Arizona, John McCain, came in as the front runner and easily beat back competition from moderate Mitt Romney and evangelist Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

But McCain had a lot of work to do. By now, President Bush was about as popular as raw sewage and he had to balance a line between not losing favor within the party (There were some who didn't think he was conservative enough on social issues) and losing independent voters who were especially sour on Bush. McCain also didn't necessarily have the best campaign team as they seemed more focused on attacking Obama's character and not his positions, something McCain himself found disgusting.

Perhaps McCain's most cynical move was to nominate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Palin was certainly a likeable young woman with lots of energy, but her inexperience in national politics showed when people got beneath the folksy exterior to find she wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to international affairs.

McCain's nail in the coffin though would come when the economy crashed in mid-September. Obama was able to address the crisis that would become the Great Recession while McCain, much better at international affairs than domestic, could only say that the fundamentals of the economy are sound.

And it didn't help (though maybe it should have) that McCain, possibly one of the most honorable candidates ever to run for President, found himself defending Obama when a McCain supporter accused Obama of being an Arab. McCain tried to assure the woman that Obama was simply a man he disagreed with; he was just as American as he was.

In the end, Obama with his message of hope won the day and the election while McCain returned to the Senate but at least could hold his head high.

First term: The first Obama term began the way Bush's second term had ended, with a financial crisis to deal with. Bush, against his own philosophy and with the help of both Obama and McCain, signed a bill to bail out the banks. President Obama would later direct TARP funds to bail out the struggling auto industry with the promise that the government would be paid back. The loans were successful though people were left thinking it was a bailout for the wealthy, especially in the case of the banks.

Obama also inherited two of Bush's wars, the one in Afghanistan which kept plodding along, and the one in Iraq where Obama pledged to finally get out of (He had always opposed the Iraq war). He kept his promise though it would be a slow withdrawal. By 2012, the troops were finally out of Iraq.

Afghanistan would be another matter. Instead of withdrawing, Obama stepped up the military presence there hoping it would ultimately speed up the withdrawal much like Bush's troop surge in Iraq ultimately helped the withdrawal there. Unfortunately, it didn't, and the US would be mired in the conflict until Biden controversially sent the last troops home in 2021.

Obama's pet project though was finally adapting a national health care plan for all. But, as usual, Americans don't want to hear about health care costs until it is too late. He got absolutely no support from the Republicans and realized he would need all the Democrats to get what would become the Affordable Care Act in place. And there were a few Democrats, beholden to the insurance industry, who weren't willing to go for what essentially would be universal health care. So, Obama negotiated with the insurance industry because, frankly, he had no choice, and they got a very comprehensive bill that would make health care much more affordable to most Americans. Obama enjoyed a Democratic House and Senate his first two years in office and despite the right wing alarm bells warning of death panels, Obama was able to make affordable health care, or Obamacare as the Republicans derisively called it, become the law of the land, with the conservative Supreme Court twice upholding it.

Though Obama had some accomplishments in the bank already, there were suspicions about how the ACA would affect Americans in the future. Meanwhile, there was a right wing movement that called themselves the Tea Party which basically was a faction of Obama haters and angry whites in general. The liberals laughed at them, referring to them as tea baggers, but they wouldn't be laughing when they swept into the House in the 2010 midterms. These "tea baggers" would make life miserable for Obama, and at times, the whole country, for the next six years.

The second half of Obama's term would be dominated by the use of executive orders since the Republican House more or less refused to work with him. He also had to deal with something called the birther movement which falsely claimed that Obama was actually born in Kenya.

Despite the obstacles though, Obama still added some accomplishments such as rescinding the controversial Don't Ask Don't Tell provision for gays in the Armed Forces. By now, the top brass was willing to accept gays in the military and, with a little prodding from Vice President Biden, Obama agreed.

He also scored the major military victory that George Bush was unable to achieve. In May 2011, a special ops mission ended in the killing of Osama Bin Laden. He was also President during the Arab Spring uprisings, meant to make the Arab countries a little more democratic but ultimately with mixed results. President Obama supported the concept, however.

It would be nice to say Obama's first term ended with more of a bang than a whimper (though he scored points with his quick assistance after Hurricane Sandy blasted New Jersey, even earning praise from Republican Governor Chris Christie), but again, he wasn't getting much help from the opposing party. The country was divided, and it was only going to get worse, tragically worse after Obama.

But all in all, Obama had maybe a 50-50 chance at re-election and did have better numbers than George Bush at the same time. The only question then being, would the Republicans be smart enough to go with another John McCain or would they go back into the Bush playbook again.

Election of 2012: There was no doubt Obama would win re-nomination and it was thought he would have a decent chance to win the general against the Republican nominee, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. Romney, a moderate Republican not unlike McCain, had no trouble winning the nomination but still had to deal with infighting from the more conservative elements like Newt Gingrich which, by now, had the most control over the GOP.

And Romney, despite having come from a political family, had his own drawbacks. He twice made major gaffes, once in the primaries and once in the general. During the primaries, his manager made the mistake of admitting he would change his language to a much more moderate tone in the general election but had to sound like a religious conservative (Romney is, in fact, a Mormon), in order to get nominated. Thus, Romney came off as ingenuine.

The bigger gaffe came in the general campaign though in his infamous 47% speech. There, he essentially accused 47% of the electorate of expecting entitlements. This was more or less the nail in the coffin for Romney.

And, despite a near disastrous first debate, Obama recovered with the next two and Hurricane Sandy proved to be the October Surprise New Jersey certainly didn't want, but it paid great dividends for Obama, who didn't think twice about giving the devasted Jersey shore aid.

And, while Obama didn't win by as large a margin as he had in 2008, the victory was solid nevertheless. Romney would move to Utah and get elected Senator there and become the Republican voice of reason (and against Trump) after McCain died in 2018.



Second Term: Before Obama was even sworn in for his second term, a mentally disturbed teenager entered an elementary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut and fired an automatic weapon killing twenty children and six adults. Needless to say, the second term would begin with a plea for gun reforms which would again fall on deaf ears in a gun crazy country.  Obama would again be forced to work with a House that was extremely hostile to him, and a couple of government shutdowns would be one of the results. Only a good working relationship with Speaker John Boehner would save the US from what was being called the fiscal cliff in 2013.

Even his foreign policy would be seen as less than perfect as he proverbially dared Syria to cross a red line. When they did, the US virtually did nothing.

Obama took a tougher stance against Russia when Putin invaded and took the Crimea. While he couldn't get involved militarily for obvious reasons (Russia has the bomb), he could impose sanctions against the country, which he did fairly quicky. Relations between Putin and Obama soured to say the least and it may have had an effect on the Russian meddling in the 2016 election (Putin was even less of a Hillary Clinton fan).

What Obama couldn't get done through legislative means (and very little legislatively would be accomplished), he did through executive actions. More than any President before him he used this process to accomplish many of the things he wanted to do such as requiring background checks for gun purchasers at gun shows, and severely reducing carbon emissions from power plants. He also used the bully pulpit in support of gay marriage, something that the Supreme Court would (at least temporarily for now) affirm.

He used his veto power sparingly but when he did, he was very effective. Several times, the Republicans tried to overturn the Affordable Care Act and it eventually would go to the Supreme Court only to be saved by Chief Justice John Roberts of all people. Obama also threatened vetoes on other bills being considered, thus, the bills would either be rejected or modified where Obama found it acceptable to sign.

He also used the power of the pardon with more frequency than previous presidents. He was an advocate of criminal reform and as such, he pardoned 212 people and commuted more than 1700 sentences, the majority of which were long sentences for drug crimes.

And, by 2016, the economy was booming, people were beginning to realize that Obamacare wasn't so bad after all, and Obama knew how to communicate with the public much in the same way Reagan had three decades earlier. Plus, all and all, he was a pretty cool guy.

So, despite a rancoring cry for change being in the air for whatever reason, Obama himself left office as the most popular President since Reagan, especially when they knew who was coming next.

Post Presidency: Obama, for the most part has gone into private life though he still makes occasional television appearances, often making fun of himself. He has stayed out of the political arena for the most part, though he supported Biden's campaign in 2020, even appearing with him in a TV interview. He also would be critical of Donald Trump and his followers in general.

And yet he continues to have hope for the nation and the world. His wife, Michelle Obama, has been touted as a potential Presidential Candidate in 2024, but she has been resistant up to this point, Hillary Clinton she is not.

One thing is for certain, with the upheavals of the United States over the past six years, many of us sure miss Barack Obama.

Odd notes: Obama is a good athlete but a lousy bowler

Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize despite doing absolutely nothing to deserve it. Even Obama was shocked.

Final Summary: There was no doubt that Barack Obama was ready to be President, and, in a different era, he would have been one of the greats.

But let's face it, America really wasn't ready for a non-white President. No one, and I mean no one, got as much crap thrown at him as Obama had from the birther movement (If he had been a white guy with a Hungarian father, would anyone had cared?), the Tea Party, and other "Pro-American" groups. The Republicans, with few exceptions (two of them being his political opponents McCain and Romney), were so hostile, it's amazing they didn't try to have him impeached (luckily, being a black progressive isn't an impeachable offense- yet).

And yet, despite the unnecessary roadblocks, Obama managed to be a successful President. Will his policies stand the test of time? Well, that remains to be seen and that is ultimately up to us Americans, not him. In the meantime, we do have the ACA, gays can now get married (for now anyway), there are more stringent background checks if you want to purchase a gun and, for a brief time anyway, we felt like there really was hope in this country.

And yes, that feeling of hope was brief, thanks mostly to Donald Trump and his deplorables, but hope has risen before. We thought hope was all lost after King and RFK were shot, but it rose again with Clinton (yes even Bill Clinton) and, to an extent, Jesse Jackson. We lost hope again after 9/11 and then Iraq but then came Obama.

And, you know what, if we can survive Putin and the craziness that is being promised for the next few years, hope will again rise from the ashes.

Because as long as people like Barack Obama are around, hope can never die.

Overall rating: B+

https://millercenter.org/president/obama (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/obama%5C")

45.DONALD TRUMP (I'm the greatest)

(https://www.lawfareblog.com/sites/default/files/25218642186_080947386f_c.jpg)


Born: June 14, 1946, New York, New York
Died: he won't go away

Term: January 20, 2017- January 20, 2021
Political Party: Republican

Vice President: Mike Pence

First Lady: Melania Knauss Trump

Before the Presidency: Donald Trump was the son of real estate mogul Fred Trump and he grew up in an affluent neighborhood in Queens, New York.  He is said to have been difficult to deal with growing up. His father, thus, sent Donald to the New York Military School where he seemed to enjoy the military drills. However, joining the military was the last thing on Donald's mind as he was able to get out of the Vietnam Draft with college and medical deferments and, finally, a high draft number.

Trump majored in business at Fordham before transferring to the Real Estate program at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 and returned to the family business in New York.

In the seventies, while the Trump family eyed real estate investments all over the US, Donald kept his interests closer to home. He invested in Manhattan skyscrapers and founded the Trump Organization and made himself President with his father as Chairman. By the end of the decade Trump was already beginning to become a household name.

Trump followed in his father's footsteps and developed vast political connections from both parties, all with the intent to get tax breaks for his businesses. And he continued to expand, building Trump Plaza, the Trump Tower, in Manhattan. Later in the 1980s, he would get involved in the Casino business in Atlantic City and seemingly half the casinos were named after him from a second Trump Plaza to the Trump Taj Mahal. He also was seen as a major player in the failed USFL Football League as owner of the New Jersey Generals.

Trump, though, overplayed his hand a bit, and after lenders cracked down on his unusual financial practices, he was forced to sell part of his empire and had to live on a budget for a time.

But if Donald Trump was ever good at anything, it was in reinventing himself. He finagled his debts for decades before the gambling empire finally crumbled by the mid-2010s. Despite this, he stayed in the public spotlight through a scandalous second marriage that seemed to help his image more than not, a controversial stint as owner of the Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Universe pageants, and even being the subject of a how to book known as the Art of the Deal.

And then, Donald Trump broke into show business. In 2004, with the help of Survivor producer Mark Burnett, he hosted a TV reality show called the Apprentice. In this program, Trump basically played himself as a CEO and would revel at telling contestants they were fired. It became a huge ratings success and it only ended after Trump announced his candidacy for President.

So, in the classic tradition of being able to get anything you want as long as you're filthy rich to begin with, Trump, by 2015, had owned at least a dozen golf resorts and eight hotel properties in the United States alone, plus various real estate holdings throughout the world. He was said to be at least $650 million in debt. With that in mind, he would simply respond, "I love debt."

So, now we know a little about Donald Trump, the businessman, but what about Donald Trump the politician? Well, while never really active directly, he had switched parties on a number of occasions and even considered a run on the Reform Party ticket for President in 2000. He even supported Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Senate. But until Obama's second term at least, he seemed content on promoting himself by way of the Apprentice.

But being a TV reality star wasn't enough to soothe Trump's oversized ego, so he ventured into the political arena and jumped head first into the birther movement demanding that Obama prove he was actually born in the United States (Apparently, a write up in the Honolulu paper from 1961 was fake news). Trump backed off a little after Obama showed his birth certificate, but he was far from done. He developed feuds with various celebrities, notably Rosie O'Donnell, and kept in the news as he kept people guessing as to if he would actually run for President.

On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President.

Summary of offices held: Well, he did own the New Jersey Generals of the USFL and ran the Miss USA pageant. He also hosted the Apprentice on NBC from 2004-2015.



What was going on: Mass shootings, Covid outbreak, Black Lives Matter

Scandals within the administration: The whole Trump administration was a scandal from Michael Flynn, the Russian hacking scandal, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Trump's Godfather tactics with Ukraine trying to find dirt on Biden (first impeachment), and, of course, the denial he lost re-election that led to the Capitol Insurrection (second impeachment that even got a few Republican votes)

Why he was a good President: Look, he wasn't, period, okay?

Why he was a bad President: Oh, God, where do I start? He practically did nothing beyond promoting himself. His White House was perhaps the most dysfunctional in history. The few he appointed that wanted to do right were quickly fired so Trump could be surrounded by only yes men. He nearly alienated all our allies even calling Denmark's female President nasty because she refused to sell him Greenland.

And, of course, there was Covid, which he bungled by simply denying it even harbored a health threat. A million deaths later and the ex-President is now urging people to get vaccinated after seeing his base slowly dwindling.

And, most egregious of all, he all but instigated the January 6th insurrection. Yeah, he did the most for this country since Abraham Lincoln all right.

What could have saved his Presidency: It would have been nice if he had simply used some common sense. I mean, who else would have suggested bleach as a cure for Covid?

What could have destroyed his Presidency: At the risk of being publicly executed if Trump or DeSantis do end up in the White House, there really isn't much to salvage from this disaster of the Presidency, and of the man himself.

Election of 2016:  Trump, as per his M-O, made his grand entrance on an elevator at Trump Tower with his wife, Melania, to announce his candidacy. No one especially took it very seriously, after all, he was just a pompous reality star, right?

But as 2015 came to a close, it was obvious that Trump was getting interest from a sector of the party that felt ignored, mainly less affluent whites who couldn't understand that the biggest problem was themselves. Trump knew this and exploited it to no end as he railed against immigration in particular saying we would build a wall and Mexico would have to pay for it. It looked like Trump would garner some popularity as an underdog much the same way outsiders like Rick Santorum and Herman Cain had before him.

But Trump was running against 16 other Republicans including Jeb Bush and Florida Senator Mark Rubio, seen as the early front runner. With so many candidates and with a very large pocketbook, Trump actually had a fighting chance.

Trump won the New Hampshire primary in a field with no clear cut favorite, and while he didn't garner a large number of delegates initially, he stayed in the first tier. Even then, the Republican establishment didn't take him very seriously.

But they also didn't properly gauge the anger at the group they too had most exploited, the white working class. For decades, they had appealed to their darker, racist, tendencies in order to maintain power never thinking that it may one day backfire on them.

And backfire it did with Donald Trump being the fuse. Trump managed to humiliate Rubio out of the contest and got away with suggesting Ted Cruz' father had something to do with the Kennedy Assassination. If anyone dared criticize him in the press, he simply dismissed it as fake news. His followers, some of whom would respond much the same way brown shirts would react to outsiders in pre-Nazi Germany, lapped it up. Even a desperately late stop Trump movement by Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich couldn't stop the momentum and Trump was reluctantly nominated in a rather lavish convention all arranged by Trump himself.

The Democrats were, of course, salivating, figuring this buffoon would be the easiest win since LBJ over Goldwater and, had someone more likable been nominated, that very well may have been so.

But the Democrats, already experts at taking defeat from the jaws of victory, did it again. For, Hillary Clinton was again demanding her coronation and this time there wouldn't be a Barack Obama to stop her. Indeed, Obama was secretly endorsing her as he convinced Biden, who had tragically lost his son to cancer that year, not to run. With little competition in the form of Conservative Democrat James Webb, Former Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland, and avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton seemingly had a clear run at the nomination.

But there was an element that was equally frustrated with the Democratic Party. They certainly loved Obama, but they despised Hillary. But who could be the alternative?

Enter Bernie Sanders. Like Trump, he was brusque at best, but unlike Trump, whose detractors certainly saw him as an unstable egomaniac at best, Sanders was seen as a well meaning curmudgeon. And, indeed, Sanders fascinated the younger voters in particular with his strong sense of idealism, threatening as it may have been to the Capitalist establishment.

But it's quite likely Hillary Clinton had it rigged in her favor early on. The DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, was a Hillary Clinton lapdog and she did everything she could to make the road as rocky for Sanders as possible.  She found a way to deny Sanders access to a list of Democratic voters over a minor misstep. She reinstated the access after a large uproar by the public.

Despite the roadblocks, Sanders proved to be formidable, winning New Hampshire and staying within range until Clinton won the California primary. Only then did Sanders concede and then only with some guarantees of a more even playing field for the next election cycle.

So, we were stuck with Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump for the General election or, as the creators of South Park put it, a choice between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. In other words, America was screwed.

And it was an ugly campaign to be sure, mainly from Trump's end. Some of his rallies became violent. Any woman that crossed his sights was referred to as nasty.  And an E-mail scandal involving Clinton was brought to light- by the Russians. It was obvious early on that Putin was supporting Trump behind the scenes, Trump was even publicly encouraging it. Finally, FBI director James Comey put the final nail in Clinton's coffin when he announced, just before Election Day, that he would reinvestigate the E-mails. He backed off on the statement just before the election but by then it was too late.

In what would be considered one of the biggest upsets in American History, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and half of America mourned what was expected to be the end of the United States as we knew it.

And James Comey would get fired by Trump anyway.

First term: Trump clearly expected his Presidency to play out much like his reality show. He had his Press Secretary brag about the record crowds at his inauguration which was actually only sparsely attended, many of the spectators actually being protestors. Indeed, about the only legislative agenda he had on his mind in 2017 was his attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, something that would finally fail when Senator McCain surprisingly went against the party when it was obvious there would be no replacement. It also became obvious early on that you didn't dare disagree with the Donald or he would condemn you on his Twitter feed and you'd hear the wrath from his hypnotized supporters.
He scared aides early on when he would ask questions such as "why can't we use the nuclear weapons?". He also had to answer to an investigation that the Russians meddled in the election on behalf of Trump. And, of course, he simply dismissed it as fake news.

The other domestic issue was on immigration. Trump did indeed attempt to procure funds to build the wall between Mexico and the US, but he would only get mixed results. And it was obvious that whatever the US did, Mexico wasn't going to pay for it. More cruelly, and with the advice of his neo-Nazi advisor, Stephen Miller, he signed off on a policy to separate children from their parents when they crossed the US border. This amounted to cruelty that went even beyond the Japanese Internment Camps of the 1940s.

Yes, basically, Donald Trump was, and is, a cruel man, and his followers seemed to get off on it. The people Hillary Clinton once called deplorables felt enabled and would violently counterprotest such as with the protest in Charlottesville to bring down the statue of Robert E. Lee. That protest ended tragically after a woman was run over by a white supremacist. Trump, when pressured for a response, simply noted there were good people on both sides. Well, no one accused him of being a politician.

By 2018, and with only a controversial tax cut for the wealthy as his lone accomplishment, Trump's numbers, though wildly divided between the parties, was at an all time low overall. And that reflected in the midterms as the Democrats took the House. Thanks to numbers that favored them, the Republicans would be able to hang into the Senate and that would enable Trump to shift the Supreme Court to the far right by the end of his term.

By 2019, the Trump Administration seemed to be in rare form as subordinates from the Vice President on down would publicly praise him as if he were a great emperor. Indeed, Trump wanted to run the US as an emperor and admired strongmen such as Kim-Jong Un and especially Vladimir Putin. He also had re-election on his mind and surmised that his toughest opponent would be Joe Biden.

So, he took a page from Nixon and tried to strongarm Ukrainian President Zelensky to find dirt on Biden's son. Apparently, Hunter Biden had worked for a company and spent some time in the Ukraine. When Trump held back promised military equipment, even the Republicans took notice. It was also the smoking gun Speaker Nancy Pelosi, reluctant up until then, needed to approve impeachment proceedings, thus, Donald Trump became the just the third President to be impeached, and the third to be acquitted, though this time, one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, had the guts to vote for removal.

Indeed, it looked like the Trump Presidential Reality Show was a great success even as the country was crumbling all around him. But a foe much worse than Joe Biden would stop the Trump Dynasty in its tracks. For a virus, likely originated in China, would plague the entire globe.

Originally called the Corona Virus (Now known as Covid), it began affecting the US in February 2020. It accomplished two things initially. One, it turned the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, into a household name, it also turned the US into a mask wearing nation for the first time in its history, something that previously only seemed to happen in China.

Of course, the US wasn't ready for this devastating illness that would eventually kill more than a million Americans. President Trump, worried about a Wall Street crash hurting his election chances more than people dropping dead like flies, did very little on the onset, saying the virus would go away. When it was obvious the virus wouldn't go away, Trump would lash out at reporters and expect gratitude whenever equipment was sent to certain states such as New York, which was especially hit hard in the early going. Indeed, it became a war between those who supported mask wearing mandates and those who thought wearing a mask was something comparable to a Communist plot.

The other great divide in 2020 started in Minneapolis when four policemen, with onlookers with smartphones witnessing, brought down an African American man named George Floyd. One policeman pressed against Floyd's neck with his knee. Floyd could be seen begging for his life as he complained he couldn't breathe but the cops wouldn't relent. Ten minutes later, Floyd was dead, and the nation was awash in mostly peaceful and biracial protests.

Of course, that didn't stop the MAGA crowd. There would be violent counter protests as one man was decked by a cop in Buffalo for example. Trump himself, infamously, had the Army clear out a peaceful protest at Lafayette Square so he could do a photo op at a local church. And this, all with Covid going on.

Needless to say, Trump wasn't going to have an easy time winning election, but he did have hope. The Democrats had a knack at screwing things up after all and it honestly didn't look all that good for them in the Congress this election.

And anyway, Trump couldn't possibly lose.

Unless it was legitimate, of course.

Election of 2020: Despite his obvious unpopularity, Trump was practically anointed as the nominee by the Republican Party, now pretty much in his image. The only real question now was who he would face in the general election. We'll cover how the Democrats got to their decision in the Biden bio but suffice it to say, that the 77 year old Biden would be his net foil to destroy.

It certainly didn't make for a popularity contest given that both men were more than ready for the retirement home, but at least Biden promised a return to basic decency, something that was clearly lacking in the Trump era.

Of course, Covid was the overriding issue and, while Biden insisted on wearing a mask and expected his audience to do the same, plus some infrequent and awkward political rallies where people honked from their cars, Trump continued to go on with his unprotected rallies where the Covid spread and some people died, notably, former Presidential candidate Herman Cain. He contacted the virus at the controversial rally in Oklahoma and was dead within two weeks.

Somehow, despite all that, Trump stayed within striking distance of Biden and proclaimed that either he would win the election or if he didn't, it would be because of fraud. This, of course, would set up some near catastrophic events later, but it also made the Biden camp desperate not only to win, but to do it in such a landslide that Trump would have no cause to dispute the outcome.

And in any other election, Biden probably would have won in a landslide, but Trump was the Anti-Christ at last. He continued to stumble as he finally contracted Covid in October. He recovered thanks to an experimental drug cocktail and went on to make an idiot of himself at the debate with Biden who finally told him to "Shut up, man."

But White Americans in particular still were transfixed by this second coming and the election was still in doubt. Indeed, it would take several days before the networks declared Pennsylvania, and thus, the election to Biden. He also pulled off close wins in Michigan, Wisconsin, and of all places, Arizona, and Georgia.

Needless to say, Trump didn't take the loss well as he accused the states of fraud without any proof. He challenged the results in all the five states mentioned even going as far as ordering an investigation from the Attorney General. It didn't help Trump much though when even AG Barr said the election was legitimate. So did Republican Secretaries of State in Arizona and Georgia, Georgia's Secretary especially taking a hit with death threats and the like. Lawyers filed countless lawsuits in an attempt to overturn the election; they all failed, even with the Trump supporters. In the end, even the Supreme Court, now loaded with Trump appointees, saw nothing wrong with how the election was conducted. It was obvious to all, like it or not, that Biden won legitimately.

But that wouldn't be enough for Donald Trump. He didn't like it when he didn't get his way, so he would find some other way to stay President.

January 6, 2021: While Trump's legal teams began to crumble under the weight of the preposterous challenges (some left Trump outright), he developed his own team of sympathizers who had no problem with their own right from outer space challenges. Once respected New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a press conference at the Four Seasons... Landscaping Company to announce a challenge to the Pennsylvania count. In a second news conference, Giuliani would be ridiculed when his dye job seemed to melt all over his face.

There were some other crackpots creating challenges such as wannabe lawyer Sidney Powell who came up with her own conspiracies in Georgia along with Lin Wood, previously famous for having represented Richard Jewell in the Atlanta Olympics bombing. And there were others as well as Trump urged his followers to protest the election results themselves. Meanwhile, Trump's many challenges continued to fail, and he was also unable to get enough people to help overturn the election in the swing states, any of them.

So, January 6, 2021, came around. That was the day the Congress would certify the election in Biden's favor. Trump desperately tried to get Vice President Pence to decertify the election, but he said he could not do so Constitutionally (he was right). Thus, after all the brown nosing Pence did for four years was for naught as he was now a traitor for standing up to his principles for once.

Another interesting player in the matter was disgraced General Mike Flynn, who suggested imposing martial law so the Nation could have a do-over and declare Trump the winner, you know, like they do in third world countries. Trump even tried to get advice from the My Pillow guy who had his own bizarre ideas. You think the Apprentice got good ratings before? Trump would have had the hit show of the millennium with this bunch.

Anyway, on January 6, Congress convened to certify the election officially. A handful of Republican Senators and Representatives would challenge certain states and the process was expected to go late into the night.

In the meantime, Trump had appealed to his followers to hold a major rally in Washington on that day and indeed they came, thousands of them in fact. Trump even urged them to march on the Capitol. What could possibly go wrong?

There were signs this would not be a peaceful protest early on as alt-right wing groups such as the Proud Boys were suggesting a siege on the Capitol Building itself. It seemed to fall on deaf ears though and the tragic events of that day were about to unfold.

It started off eerily from the beginning. Rallies were held throughout the city, notably by Giuliani and Donald Trump, Jr., neither of who seemed to advocating non-violence.

But the big moment was with Donald Trump himself, who made a public appearance, imploring the protestors to march on the Capitol saying he would even join them. He also condemned Pence for not overturning the election and had more or less turned against him.

As it was, Trump would not join them as the Secret Service had other ideas. Trump instead would be reduced to rooting for the carnage on TV from the Oval Office. As for the mob, the siege began about an hour after Trump made his appearance and it slowly made it's way into the biggest news event since 9/11. A bunch of right wingers were about to attempt to overthrow the United States. Local police they had professed to support were now being attacked, several would lose their lives in the process. Congresspeople and Senators could be seen running down the halls as the mob descended on them. People were chanting, "Hang Mike Pence!" Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office was ransacked. The circus had come to town and people were begging for the clown show to stop.

And all the while, despite pleas from everyone from the Vice President to even House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the National Guard would not be called in for hours. When they finally did arrive, the siege began to recede and the Congress was able to complete its business that night, with a few shell-shocked Republicans even backing off on the recount ruse.

And Trump would become the first President in history to be impeached twice, this time even with a few Republicans other than Romney voting for conviction (though not enough to convict the now former President).

Post Presidency: Trump refused to attend Biden's inaugural, instead taking Air Force One to his resort at Mara Lago for one last time. As of right now, he is more or less under investigation for his involvement in the January 6th debacle and only time will tell if he actually faces charges, either in Federal Court or in Georgia, where he is under investigation for trying to manipulate the election there as well as in New York, for more tax related matters.

In the meantime, there is speculation that Trump may run again in 2024. Whether he does or not or even if he loses his nomination bid, it is obvious that Trumpism, in some form, is here to stay. Several would be Republican candidates, notably Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, is taking the Trump mantle as his ticket to the White House. Others, such as Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, want to return the GOP to a more respectable conservative bastion. One can only hope that the Hogans will succeed, and the Trumps and DeSantis' won't.

But we do live in strange times.

Odd Notes: Trump's family name was originally Drumpf

Trump was married three times (so far anyway)

Trump was part owner of three beauty pageants


Final Summary: I don't have very many nice things to say here. I guess you could argue he set the tone for finally getting us out of Afghanistan (And people actually blasted Biden for completing the job), but he even managed to bungle that. He alienated almost everyone from the military to educators and health professionals, to practically every Democratic country in the world (It's pretty bad when your best friends appear to be Putin and Kim Jong-Il). And yet, he continues to have a strong following despite it being obvious that it isn't about politics at all (the Republican led Lincoln Project knows this), it's about Trump's own fragile ego. No President, even the worst of the worst ever intentionally put his own interests ahead of that of the country. Is he responsible for the mess that the world is in today? Well, you could say that.

But, let's face it, the enemy isn't really Donald Trump. The enemy is us. We're the idiots who vote for these clowns (and don't think the Dems don't vote for their own clowns).

So, until we get wise, we'll keep electing people that want to dismantle democracy and then we won't be electing anyone at all. Just as well, who wants to wait in line at a voting booth anyway, right?

Overall rating: F

https://millercenter.org/president/trump (http://\"https//millercenter.org/president/trump%5C")

Okay this is it :D

46. JOSEPH BIDEN (Old man, look at my life)


(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Joe_Biden_presidential_portrait.jpg/640px-Joe_Biden_presidential_portrait.jpg)

Born: November 20, 1942, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Died: Not dead yet. Kamala will have to wait

Term: January 20, 2021-
Political Party: Democrat

Vice President: Kamala Harris

First Lady: Jill Jacobs Biden

Before the Presidency: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was the oldest child of an Irish Catholic family in Scranton, Pennsylvania. A working class kid, he was known for his scrappy attitude. It wasn't the easiest of childhoods for young Joe as he developed a stuttering problem. He suffered from bullying as a result but was determined to learn how to speak without stuttering despite the failures of his speech therapist. In the end, Joe triumphED over his affliction and it made him tougher and more compassionate at the same time.

By 1953, fortunes in the Biden family improved and Joe Sr. was now selling cars in Wilmington, Delaware. Still with a stuttering problem, Biden had to endure some heckling at his private Catholic high school, but he managed to overcome the problem once and for all as he excelled in football in particular.

With High School now behind him and his stuttering problem under control, Biden entered the University of Delaware in 1961. Even then, he had political ambitions and was set on studying law. He also found a part time job as a lifeguard at an all African American pool. As the only white there, he took note of the differences in lifestyles between whites, who took their status for granted, and the blacks, who still had to suffer the indignities of being considered second class citizens. This, no doubt, played a large part in Biden's social liberalism.

Biden met his first wife in 1964. They married in 1966 and would have three children. Meanwhile, Biden studied law at Syracuse University where he graduated in 1968. He initially found work as a corporate lawyer in Wilmington but realized that the job wasn't for him. So, he became a public defender, defending mostly African Americans on Wilmington's East Side. This proved to be a springboard for his first election to the New Castle County Council in 1970.

In 1972, 29 year old Biden decided to take a run at two term incumbent Senator Caleb Boggs. Biden wasn't given much of a chance against the popular Boggs, but he had the support of his family, and they ran a grassroots campaign. In the end, Biden won a very close election against a man he described as a real gentleman.

Biden didn't have very long to celebrate, however, as tragedy struck just a month later. While Christmas shopping, Biden's wife and daughter were killed when her car was plowed by a tractor trailer. Biden's two sons survived the crash and now Biden would be going to Washington as a single father.

Despite the tragedy, Biden quickly made his mark as a United States Senator being quite vocal against Nixon during Watergate and at President Ford as well for pardoning Nixon. Biden also developed a reputation as a commuting Senator who would take the Amtrak home every night after work (Wilmington is about 100 miles from Washington). He was also known for his candor admitting that even as early as 1974, he had some Presidential aspirations.

In 1975, he met his second wife, Jill Jacobs. They married in 1977 and would have a daughter together.

Biden would ultimately become one of the most powerful players in the Senate during his 36 years heading both the Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. He wasn't afraid of being critical of Reagan and Bush appointees to the Supreme Court, notably with William Rehnquist for Chief Justice, Robert Bork, and Clarence Thomas.

In 1988, Biden decided to make his run for President. Still only 45, Biden came off initially as rather Kennedyesque but his campaign never really took off and he had to prematurely withdraw after he was accused of plagiarizing British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock (A sympathetic Al Gore would later note that Kennedy's famous line from his inaugural address was taken from a quote by Khalil Gibran).

The mini scandal proved to be a blessing in disguise as he was diagnosed with an aneurysm that could have killed him. That was taken care of, and Biden continued on with his career as a prominent and well respected Senator.

During the 1990s, Biden was an advocate for tough on crime legislation and wrote the Senate version of President Clinton's crime bill which passed with bipartisan support. Though popular at the time, it has since proved to be rather unfair to minorities who suffered quite a bit of abuse by police over the years and Biden would later apologize for the bill.

He had some better legislative achievements over the years though as he introduced the Violence Against Women Act. He would call it his proudest legislative achievement. Biden also learned a lesson about going with the political wind as he opposed authorizing President Bush to wage war in Iraq in 1991. He did support the second Bush initially in his war against Hussein in 2002, as did most Democrats in the aftermath of 9/11. It was a vote he would later regret.

In the end, Biden's positives very much outweighed his negatives, and he made a second run for the Democratic nomination in 2008. By now, Biden was well into his sixties and some of his youthful charisma was gone. He was also prone to gaffes that could even border on racism such as when he made a comment about Indian immigrants running Seven-Elevens.

Biden's 2008 campaign never had a chance as he was up against heavyweights like Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton. And yet, it all paid off when Obama secured the nomination and pegged Biden to be his running mate.

And Biden proved to be quite the fighter as he blasted the naïve Sarah Palin in the Vice Presidential debate. Even more to the point, he would prove to be the most effective Vice President since Walter Mondale, being essentially Obama's most trusted advisor. Biden was instrumental in pushing through the Affordable Care Act and influenced Obama in his support of Gay Marriage later. His connections to the Senate were critical in getting a lot of Obama's incentives passed, even if they were watered down a little at times (remember, this was a Congress that was very hostile to Obama).

In 2016, tragedy would hit Biden yet again as his oldest son, Beau, who he had hoped might run for President himself one day, died of brain cancer. As such, and with skepticism of a Hilary Clinton nomination, there was hope that Biden might make another run at the Presidency. But Biden ultimately (and with advice from Obama it turns out) decided not to make a run of it, possibly something both Biden and Obama may have regretted later.

So, Biden would stay on the sidelines as a respected elder statesman during the Trump administration.

Until he realized it wasn't just a philosophy that was in deep peril but the idea of democracy itself.




Summary of offices held:

1971-1973:  Member, New Castle County Council

1973-2009: US Senator, Delaware

2009-2017: Vice President of the United States

What was going on: Covid, mass shootings, Russian invasion of Ukraine

Scandals within the Presidency: No major ones so far

Why he is a good President: He was a calming influence after the tumultuous Trump administration. He sped up the covid vaccine distribution. He passed an infrastructure bill.

Why he is a bad President: Despite passing a bi-partisan infrastructure bill, he wasn't able to do much else with a hostile Republican Senate. Plus, the economy took a hit during the Biden years.

What can save his Presidency: A cure for covid, a sudden turnaround of the economy, Ukraine winning the war against Russia.

What can destroy his Presidency: His propensity to make some unbelievable gaffes. The US spirals into a depression. Russia somehow wins. Europe (and the US) steers to the far right.

Election of 2020: Biden initially ran for the Democratic nomination in a field of over 20 candidates. He promised the nation of a return to normalcy after four years of divisiveness under Trump. He took a more moderate stance on issues like Health care, wanting to improve the ACA rather than going all out for single payer like the Progressive wing wanted. His candidacy took off after a win in the South Carolina primary, and, in the end, the Democrats, including the Progressives, united behind him, knowing what the alternative would have been.

In the general election, Biden, for the most part, kept his cool though there were a couple notable moments, such as when he told Trump to "shut up, man" during the debates. In the end, Biden won an election that was closer than it should have been, allowing Trump to use all his mischief in an attempt to overturn the election.

First term: Biden had to contend with the fallout of the January 6 insurrection as soon as he took office. He also had to deal with the covid crisis. He kept Dr. Anthony Fauci on, and they emphasized the need to vaccinate as much as possible (the vaccine had just come out). As of November 2022, the Covid pandemic remains but it has subsided somewhat. Meanwhile, Biden managed to pass an infrastructure bill through a barely Democratic Congress, partly, thanks to a procedure in which the Senate could pass a limited amount of spending bills without a super majority. Mass shootings remained a problem and, again, there is talk about strengthening gun control laws, but, knowing American history, not much can be expected from that. Because of Covid and world events, notably Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the economy is more or less tanking and it is affecting Biden's ratings significantly. Right now, the consensus is, he will likely lose the House to a Republican party that could be teetering on the verge of fascism, and possibly the Senate as well where the dictatorial stylings of Mitch McConnell will again take over (though, compared to Kevin McCarthy, he looks like Winston Churchill).

Update: As of November 18, 2022, the Republicans do indeed seem to be on track of taking over the House but only by the skin of their teeth. In the Senate, meanwhile, the Democrats have appeared to be able to hang on to their slim majority and may even pick up a seat if enough people in Georgia can figure out that being a dumb football player doesn't qualify you to be a Senator. Much of the mini upset (many had predicted a red wave) can be blamed squarely on the shoulders of Trump endorsed candidates like Herschel Walker and Mehmet Oz. It was also a statement, by some Americans at least, that isn't always about the economy, stupid. Because if you lose your rights as a human being, the economy doesn't really matter so much, does it?


Post Presidency: n/a

Odd notes: When Senator, Biden was known to commute to work from nearby Delaware by way of Amtrak.

First Lady Jill Biden teaches as an English Professor

Final Summary: So, with only close to two years under his belt and historically low ratings from the public, it's safe to say it's a little too early to give Biden a final grade. It's likely a difficult two years which will be made even more difficult should he lose the House (likely at this writing) and especially if he loses the Senate (he may survive, the seats up for re-election favor the Dems from a numerical standpoint).

Meanwhile, as of November 18,2022, he remains an unpopular President and only has a slightly more hostile congress because of the Trump controlled GOP that people are finally beginning to reject.

Biden also has the problem with age. Though certainly well meaning, it is obvious he is not as sharp as he once was in the Senatorial days. And people (or at least I do) see Vice President Kamala Harris as a Hilary Clinton, Jr. Not a good combination to be sure.

But as I noted in the Trump bio, we do live in strange times. Maybe the Dems and Republicans will field younger candidates who actually care about our country. Meanwhile, we have to ride the horse of Biden for the next two years, so all we can do is to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

At least we know Biden will give it his best.

Overall rating: Incomplete. Is not halfway through his term yet

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