First, FDR
The creationist of the New Deal, the idea of social equality, of rights of workers, and put through more legislation in the first 3 months of his presidency than any before or after. Also went overboard, in an understanding way to a liberal like me. Stacking the Supreme Court, overreach in others, rightly understood that the population of the US did not understand history or politics enough to know we had to give aid to Great Britain, whether or not they could repay.
Second, President Ronald Reagan.
An actor, Governor of California, and a more likable person you'd ever want to meet. Until you met him. Did his best to reverse everything FDR had done in terms of social legislation, articulated conservative values in terms that people identified with, and was quite popular. Also, was probably affected by dementia for most of his last term in office. And arguably could deliver a speech like none other.
And, for me, one of the most complex and puzzling. Barack Obama.
Do you remember that November of 2008? The joy we felt? For me, at a rather advanced age, it was reminiscent of when JFK was elected in 1960: a new beginning, a huge jump forward, the possibility our dreams could really happen. A articulate, poised, intelligent President. Coming on the heels of W, this was not a high bar, but Barack leaped it with feet to spare. Oh...and he was a black man. America had finally done it, broke that ceiling. Race, maybe, we thought, or at least some of us, was on the right track to understanding and someday a real togetherness. We were so naive.
Then, we found that he did not do exactly want what we, dreamers, leftists etc, wanted. He was a moderate democrat. He made decisions about the military, security, I did not agree with. But his charm, his intelligence, won me over, time after time. He was an honest, introspective man.
Now we have......well you know what we have. One of my failures, as I look back 73 years, is a failure to recognize the differences between appearances and reality. I was out of touch with those values unlike mine, and I thought we were a voice of america.
I do not know what the future will hold.
What do you think?
Tom Cochrun's comment below is a much better analysis then mine above. It shows that he is the award-winning journalist, and I would be better off interpreting pulmonary and cardiac tests.
You and I are never going to get a President that meets our needs, desires, goal 90% of the time. I will settle for 80% and absolutely 80 out of 100 next candidates will be better than this frightening situation we now have where Russia is running the country.
ReplyDeleteHell, if Nixon was resurrected and ran against trump I'd vote for him.
DeleteAll humans are flawed but 45 goes well beyond.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you can draw a succession of ideology through our presidents. I find it more like dragging along on the flat side of a square wheel and then a giant thump to the next flat side. The presidency of the great orange aberration has revived interest in this country of doing better. It may even find us overreaching, like FDR, just to unscrew some recessionary laws, appointments, orders. It's all a process. Like Obama's grandmother, I intend to live long enough to vote in as much of it as I can.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Joanne. At least that's the plan. Hope this finds you well.
DeleteYour assessment of the Presidents is very good.
ReplyDeleteA few notes from here as addendum--
We were a nation of different morality and sense of commonweal during FDR-there was greed of course, but the materialism and consumerism that affects of us today was not so rampant. We needed what FDR brought us.
People cared for each other.
Reagan was a cultural President--in that his appeal came directly from his popularity as a "communicator" and actor. Remember though he sold out his Hollywood colleagues during the era of blacklisting. That should have spoken volumes, but by his time in politics we failed to teach history and critical reasoning as well as we should and we defaulted to cultural influences in the selection. He was a tool of the old Republican right (still respectable even if mistaken) repackaged Goldwater conservatism. He unleashed the corporate greed that is ruining us now with his union busting and deregulations. But we as a nation were becoming more simple minded and the electorate bought into his "personality."
Somewhat a similar story for Obama. We bought his vision of hope and change. He was well packaged and we bought the package. Joe Biden would have probably been a more wise choice, but Obama's charisma and his historic narrative prevailed. I agree he is a classy, intelligent man of integrity and decency. But he was too inexperienced to know how Washington wheels turn. Another term in the Senate and he would have been primed. He did well given the racism and obstructionism of Mitch McConnel and Senate Republicans.
To his discredit he allowed the men who engineered the financial collapse back in the room as his econ team, but they did prevent a deeper slide though they let the predatory bankers go free. He was made captive of the Pentagon and his decision to go back into Afghanistan was counter to the advice he was getting from Biden. He was slow on environment, worse than George W on FOIA (freedom of information) and leakers. Still he and his family were good for this nation and they deported themselves with dignity, class and caring. He was a good president, but not a great President, though he could have been great.
Trump is a disgrace as a human being and is the poster boy for the worst of humanity. He is a certified liar, and though he thinks he's smarter than everyone else, he is fool, idiot, lout, cheat and if not an outright Russian agent, he is their stooge. He is a danger to us now and his destruction of government is a danger to the future. He is a traitor and should suffer the fate of traitors.
But, 40% of US voters still stick with him. That my friend is as frightening as anything. It is proof positive we are devolving as a democratic republic with a serious citizenship into the mass market culture, a tool of big money, influenced by overt commercial and political manipulation, mindless is in our knowledge of history, more driven by gratification than common sense and we a disgrace to our potential. The past mid term offers hope that we can be outraged and react. We need more of that to obliterate the Trumpist poison and to send his supporters back into the shame and ignominy they deserve. Otherwise Trump is the poster boy for the demise of this nation and maybe the world.
I hope you continue to blog.
Thanks for your post, Tom. Agree whole-heartedly.
DeleteI am pretty much on the same page as you except my once extreme, idealistic views have mellowed into more moderate. People used to disagree about politics but they never hated each other for their different views. Now we are so splintered and fractured because of this one man who calls himself president and who demeans, insults, and embarrasses America everyday. However, he will be gone (hopefully soon) and we, as a people, will have to decide in which direction we want to go. I am looking for an extrodinary person to vote for who will find a way to bring us together and do the right thing for our country and the planet. So far, I am not impressed with the crowd that is out there, but it is early.
ReplyDeleteMy hope is that the democratic party doesn't turn into a circular firing squad like in 2016; however, whoever they come with, I'll vote for.
DeleteThe president is an administrator, one man, a symbol. The whole of government has a mass and inertia that changes fundamentally only very slowly. The president is not a messiah, no matter how much people seem to want that.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope enough people realize that.
DeleteTom is my former colleague and a friend. But he does go on a bit, doesn't he? His true profession should have been a professor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post, Mike, and I hope to see many, many more of them. After all, "we" must keep up the good fight.
Not much else for us to do, eh Bruce. I find Tom's comment's usually more interesting than my posts.
DeleteInteresting perspectives on the experiment that is the the USA (and in a micro way, Canada tho we have the parliamentary system). I see the USA, from my perspective and reading, as more of an empire rather than a democracy, too much power in the hands of the emperor.
ReplyDeleteI liked Tom's rundown above, very informative.
With so many putting themselves forward vs 45 next election I fear he may either declare himself emperor for life (emergency donchaknow) or splinter the opponents' electoral base.
Keep blogging Mike.
XO
WWW
Yeah,I probably will, it just seems down on my agenda for the moment. Hope you're well.
DeleteI wept when Obama was elected - tears of joy and hope. And yes, he was more moderate than I wanted, but never seemed to be anything other than a smart, honorable man. I'd give anything to have him back. But hell, I'd take W/ back over the current lunatic.
ReplyDelete