No Talking Points
Headed Back to the 1930's?
Caleb Taylor
Issue date: 2/1/10 Section: Opinions
Ask any person who has taken a high school level American history
course about FDR, and almost unanimously you'll hear a response such as: "Of course! That's the guy who got us out of the Great Depression.
Heck of a president, that FDR!" Take a glance at any books of presidential rankings by various historians and political scientists, and you will find him ranked near the top of the pack without fail. Unfortunately,
the glowing perception of FDR and his policies does not always
match up with reality.
Before Yahweh blessed the American
public with FDR's administration,
society was cursed with three straight troglodytic presidents by the names of Warren Harding, Calvin
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Harding had the gall to handle the Depression of 1920-21 by not trying
to spend his way out of the economic
downturn. This resulted in the Depression being over within two years.
Coolidge brought the same laissez-
faire attitude to the presidency after Harding's death. Coolidge presided over arguably the most prosperous decade in American history
known as the "Roaring '20s." However, Harding and Coolidge receive
about as much respect from historians and political scientists as Kanye West would have at a "Strom Thurmond for President" rally: not a whole lot.
Many FDR proselytizers champion
FDR's policies by misrepresenting
the policies of his predecessor, Herbert Hoover. For whatever reason, Hoover is represented by most as a small-government guy who took little government action to intervene in the economy to stop the Great Depression.
However, don't tell that to the people who were actually there. Coolidge coined the nickname "Wonder Boy" for Hoover due to his Progressive tendencies and wanting to change traditional, conservative
policies. During his campaign
for the Presidency, FDR promoted
himself as the free-market candidate and promised to reduce government spending.
Hoover's response to the Depression
course about FDR, and almost unanimously you'll hear a response such as: "Of course! That's the guy who got us out of the Great Depression.
Heck of a president, that FDR!" Take a glance at any books of presidential rankings by various historians and political scientists, and you will find him ranked near the top of the pack without fail. Unfortunately,
the glowing perception of FDR and his policies does not always
match up with reality.
Before Yahweh blessed the American
public with FDR's administration,
society was cursed with three straight troglodytic presidents by the names of Warren Harding, Calvin
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Harding had the gall to handle the Depression of 1920-21 by not trying
to spend his way out of the economic
downturn. This resulted in the Depression being over within two years.
Coolidge brought the same laissez-
faire attitude to the presidency after Harding's death. Coolidge presided over arguably the most prosperous decade in American history
known as the "Roaring '20s." However, Harding and Coolidge receive
about as much respect from historians and political scientists as Kanye West would have at a "Strom Thurmond for President" rally: not a whole lot.
Many FDR proselytizers champion
FDR's policies by misrepresenting
the policies of his predecessor, Herbert Hoover. For whatever reason, Hoover is represented by most as a small-government guy who took little government action to intervene in the economy to stop the Great Depression.
However, don't tell that to the people who were actually there. Coolidge coined the nickname "Wonder Boy" for Hoover due to his Progressive tendencies and wanting to change traditional, conservative
policies. During his campaign
for the Presidency, FDR promoted
himself as the free-market candidate and promised to reduce government spending.
Hoover's response to the Depression
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