I’m currently reading a book, about the 1920 Presidential election called 1920: The Year of the Six Presidents by David Pietrusza. In it he discusses the various candidates including General Leonard Wood — a friend of Teddy Roosevelt and the man who started what would eventually become the ROTC. Wood got into some hot water in 1915 criticizing Woodrow Wilson and his lack of military preparedness. Roosevelt gave a speech on Wood’s behalf — relevant to today’s Rush Limbaugh-bashing for wanting Obama to fail. Here’s the relevant portion:
I wish to make one comment on the statement so frequently made that we must stand by the President. I heartily subscribe to this on condition, and only on condition, that it is followed by the statement “so long as the President stands by the country.”
Presidents differ just like other folks. No man could effectivly stand by President Lincoln unless he had stood against President Buchanan. If after the firing on Fort Sumter President Lincoln had in a public speech announced that the believers in the Union were too proud to fight; and if instead of action, there had been three months of admirable elocutionary correspondence with Jefferson Davis, by midsummer the friends of the Union would have followed Horace Greeley’s advice to let the erring Sisters go in peace, for peace at any rate was put above righteousness by some mistaken soul, just as it is at the present day.
And the book is great… more later when I finish it.
Like to read that,Floyd.TR made two terrible miscalculations.The first was not running for reelection in 1908.He would have won in a landslide,and it wouldn’t have broken the 2 term taboo(his first term,so to speak,was serving out McKinley’s).The second was running in 1912:had he waited until 1916,he would have beaten that pedant Woodrow Wilson(as indeed Charles Evan Hughes nearly did).TR would have been the GOP nominee in 1920,but his health had been wrecked by the Brazilian expedition he had undertaken earlier(TR was only 59 when he died).As it was,General Leonard Wood would have been the best choice in 1920.
We would never have had Silent Cal with Wood though. Coolidge is fast becoming one of my favorite Presidents. Wood was a bit too blustery and he chose the wrong campaign manager — great general, doctor, and soldier — not a great politician. Harding wasn’t too bad though made Clinton look like a virgin.
An interesting thing about this was the number of folks who were convinced the winner wouldn’t make it through the term. A variety of folks from across had not premonitions really — just a “feeling”.
Coolidge sat next to a woman (famous feminist and socialist) during a presidential dinner, who told him she had made a bet that she could get Coolidge to say more than two words. His reply? “You lose.”
True…Wood wouldn’t play the game..too aloof.As for the Hardings,Florence harding was the more interesting.
What a lot of political types (and others) seem to forget is that loyalty to be gotten has to be given in the first place. Loyalty is a two way street.
I see that illustrated in my job every day. Soldiers will do everything they can for a commander they think or feel cares about them. But if a commander shows no loyalty to the troops (or has a difficult time making the troops understand that he has their best interests at heart) they will show little loyalty to him. Yeah, they will do their jobs because that is what they are supposed to do…but they won’t go that extra yard for someone they regard as unworthy.
If you’re interested,Floyd,there is a book about TR’s Brazilian expedition to the Amazon..”River of Doubt”,by Candice Millard.I highly recommend it.
TR blows me away. What a man he was. He spoke eloquently but plainly. I would doubt that most people would understand a word he said there now days being that reading comprehension is at the low end of 3rd grade.
This isn’t a good download of The Wind and the Lion but Brian Keith has got TR exact, I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgTPkDGoug0
Truth to power. Works every time.
KansasGirl… welcome to Threedonia!
I had heard TR was a bit of a racist? Is that a liberal falsehood? Or just one facet of an otherwise good man? The boys and I will be reading “Carry a Big Stick” later this year, so I guess I’ll find out then, although finding a biography that is completely balanced is very hard, especially ones my kids can read.
Oh dear God who said that? Racist? TR? Where did you hear that? They can say that about anyone. Don’t believe that kind of thing Tracy. Please. Ask Quanah Parker what a racist he was. Google Quanah Parker before doing anything else.