Hail to the Chiefs, Part 4
This is the final column in a series about our presidents. Sadly, many young people are not familiar with most presidents, even the ones who made the greatest impact.
Our 32nd president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is definitely one of those. Like the Mount Rushmore presidents before him, his legacy can be found on film, in books, and in the living memorial tributes to his life. His economic efforts rescued the nation from the Great Depression, he emerged victorious from the second World War, and spawned generations of “Yellow Dog Democrats,” particularly in the South. Nothing lasts forever, as FDR’s former Democratic strongholds are now solidly Republican states. Still, there’s no doubt that he and his wife Eleanor, our most influential first lady, were the right people at the right time. The fact that he accomplished so much while stricken with polio is better known now that it was at the time.
Shortly after being elected to an unprecedented fourth term, the tired, ill Roosevelt passed away, leaving the presidency in the hands of a man unfamiliar to most Americans. Sure, Harry Truman’s name was on the ballot in 1944, but vice presidents didn’t matter in FDR’s first three terms, and Americans really didn’t know him.
The Missourian was a county judge before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1934, riding a wave of Depression-era anti-Republican fever. He was barely re-elected to a second term in 1940. By 1944, FDR’s advisers had soured on his then vice-president, and sought an alternative. Truman was no one’s first choice, but Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas turned it down, so Truman was dubbed “The Second Missouri Compromise.” Just 82 days into the job, Truman was informed by Eleanor Roosevelt that her husband had died. “Oh my God,” Truman exclaimed. “Is there anything we can do for you?” Mrs. Roosevelt replied, “You should be asking if there’s anything we can do for you! You’re the one in trouble now.”
“The Accidental President,” as some called Truman, acted decisively in using the atom bomb to end World War II. He also clashed with Gen. Douglas MacArthur on stepping up military operations, keeping America relatively peaceful after the tumultuous war. He fought for national health care and civil rights.
But he was seen by some as soft on Communism. He was tainted by associates who engaged in influence-peddling, and he dragged the nation into a costly conflict with Korea. By 1952, his popularity had waned, and he left Washington amid shouts of “Korea, Communism, and Corruption.”
Our 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, is one of only two in the past 80 years who had no previous political experience (Donald Trump is the other). He was an expert military strategist who rose to the rank of five-star general. Until he ran for president as a Republican, most voters didn’t know his party affiliation. He was tough on communism, but his social views were moderate. The five Supreme Court justices Eisenhower nominated shifted the court to the left, disappointing his conservative supporters.
His two terms were relatively peaceful, and to the surprise of some, he made cuts to the defense budget. Eisenhower was not in the public eye very much in his second term, perhaps due to frequent medical issues.
The next three presidents are among the best known. John F. Kennedy’s brief tenure ended in tragedy, and Lyndon Johnson’s presidency was largely successful on the home front but disastrous overseas. As for Richard Nixon, the only president to resign, the less said, the better.
Gerald Ford was criticized for pardoning Nixon. It was unpopular at the time, but helped the nation re-focus. Jimmy Carter struggled through a difficult single term, but he has been an exemplary “former” president. Ronald Reagan’s optimism restored hope, but the effects of an assassination attempt and the early signs of Alzheimer’s Disease may have contributed to a shaky second term.
Most of the remaining presidents are still alive, and it may be too early to judge their successes and failures. Hopefully I have inspired you to rediscover those who have faded into oblivion. We should celebrate our good leaders, and learn from the mistakes of those who failed. Coming soon: a column with your comments on the presidents.
(David Carroll is a Chattanooga news anchor, and his new book “I Won’t Be Your Escape Goat” is available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, or at [email protected])
