Wednesday
I like this article about the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge. It is a reminder that at one time, the holder of that office did not regard himself as a rockstar. Maybe he was lucky in being born before the age of TV. If he had been around in more recent times, maybe our views would be different. I bet Churchill would have been massacred on TV.
My favourite story about Silent Cal, as he was known (not a man of long windy speeches), was when he was once coming out of a church, and was approached by the usual journalist types asking him about what the preacher said in his sermon. "Sin", replied the POTUS. "Er, what did the preacher say about it?", asked the hacks.
"He's against it," replied Mr Coolidge. (Try and top that, PJ O'Rourke).
Paul Johnson's Modern Times, about which I wrote the other day, taught me a good appreciation of Coolidge. There is also a nice collection of some of his comments here.
C.C. was very good - but not perfect.
For example, he went along with protectionism - the traditional Whig, Republican policy.
Also he did not get rid of Herbert Hoover - the one Department whose budget grow and grow was Commerce (Hoover's department) and Hoover took over as President in 1929.
More importantly Coolidge did nothing to prevent Ben Strong of the New York Federal Reserve creating a vast credit money bubble.
Oddly enough Herbert Hoover had some doubts - he disliked the relationship between Ben Strong and Governor Norman of the Bank of England (remember one of reasons Strong was pushing the American money supply was to support the false exchange rate with the British Pound).
Posted by Paul Marks at August 18, 2010 03:18 PM
My favorite President. From La Wik:
A possibly apocryphal story has it that Dorothy Parker, seated next to him at a dinner, said to him, "Mr. Coolidge, I've made a bet against a fellow who said it was impossible to get more than two words out of you." His famous reply: "You lose."
Posted by TFG at August 18, 2010 03:32 PM
My favorite CC story is about his son.
One summer his son was working on a farm in Vermont, another worker said "If my father were President of the United States I wouldn't be working on a farm."
The kid replied "If your father were my father you would !"
Posted by Taylor at August 18, 2010 03:43 PM
In the 1920s when Britain was trying to avoid repaying the WWI loans, Cal said:
'They borrowed the money, didn't they?'
Posted by Vinegar Joe at August 18, 2010 08:39 PM
"When ten problems are heading down the road towards you, nine of them will end up in the ditch before they ever get to you."
Posted by David Crawford at August 18, 2010 09:33 PM
Coolidge was the Last Great Man. Sure Reagan was alright. But Coolidge simply cannot be beat. The man was all action and no talk.
Posted by Contemplationist at August 19, 2010 02:34 AM
There was this old joke, in which the Coolidges allegedly visited a poultry farm. Mrs. Coolidge inquired of the farmer about how his operation could produce so many fertile eggs in a day. The farmer replies quite proudly that his roosters perform their duty dozens of times each day.
"Tell that to Mr. Coolidge." she pointedly replied.
The President, overhearing this, asked. "Does the rooster service the same hen each time?"
The farmer answered, "No, there are many hens for each rooster."
"Tell that to Mrs. Coolidge." said the President.
And hereafter, whether this story is apocryphal or not, the phenomenon of renewed sexual performance with new partners was now known as "The Coolidge Effect"
Posted by Monique at August 19, 2010 04:11 AM
"I bet Churchill would have been massacred on TV."
Churchill was in his own way a "rock star". He courted publicity, and exploited it vigorously.
His preferred mediums were the platform and the press, but he could have adapted to TV.
Posted by Rich Rostrom at August 19, 2010 08:31 AM
Outside Number 10 ... Clem Attlee is about to get into official car.
Interviewer: "Prime Minister, have you anything to say to the nation?"
Attlee: "No."
(drives off)
Posted by Laban at August 19, 2010 09:18 AM
Who was the best POTUS ever, from the liberty point of view?
Posted by Alisa at August 19, 2010 10:09 AM
Cal, in Oval Office, messenger arrives from the Treasury with his first Presidential paycheck.
"Thank you, come again".
Posted by Tim Worstall at August 19, 2010 12:52 PM
Who was the best POTUS ever, from the liberty point of view?
William Henry Harrison.
Too bad some more recent presidents didn't copy his example.
Posted by xj at August 19, 2010 01:06 PM
