Say Anything Blog

Why is TR your favorite Pres?  He’s was a character, but I can’t say I’ve heard anyone place him that high on their rankings.

Its an interesting discussion to have, but we’ll never really know.

And I don’t want to down-play Lincoln too much.  He did preseve the Union, after all.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I thought you had said Lincoln was your favorite.

Dude, TR has been my favorite president for years.  The picture from the page you linked to was actually supposed to be my little gravatar pic thing, but I’m too retarded/lazy to figure it out.

And on top of everything else that Rob mentioned about him:
He started the national park program (yellowstone), the republicans made him vp because they thought he was too dangerous to put anywhere else and they thought that would be a “safe” place for him (point being he was never supposed to be pres. and ended up kicking ass), he almost died as a child becuase he was very sick but overcame it and became as strong as a “bull moose”, among other things…

Why is TR your favorite Pres?

Well, his character had a lot to do with it.  Its hard not to like the boyish cowboy.  The Rough-Ridin’ soldier.  But there are other things as well.

He built the Panama Canal, which was (after the development of a capitalistic market place and subsequent industrialization of America) one of the most important stepping stones to global American power.

He also faced down WWI years before it actually happened in the form of a conflict of debts involving Germany, Great Britain and Venezuela.  He did it quietly.  Historians are just in recent years learning about how serious the matter actually was.  At the time hardly anybody knew.

He was also down-right progressive when it came to race relations.  He was the first President, ever, to entertain a black man at the White House (Booker T. Washington).  He was also the firt President to entertain a black woman (the wife of a black man he had appointed to some federal position).  He also, through federal appointments and daring to speak out on the subject, made some serious inroads against the nasty practice of lynching. And he seemed to be genuine about his feelings toward blacks.  His actions certainly didn’t win him friends politically.

The jury is still out, for me at least, on his trust-bustin’ and moderation of labor disputes. 

Largely, I guess, he’s a sentimental favorite.  He, also, had a love of North Dakota...which is one thing I probably don’t talk about much here.  I really do love my home state.  I love living here.  I love the land and I love the people.

I love Lincoln, as did TR, but Lincoln was the product of his times.  Had the Civil War happened on Teddy’s watch I’m not entirely convinced that we would even have had a war.  The man was that deft of a leader.  Just speculation, of course.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Had the Civil War happened on Teddy’s watch I’m not entirely convinced that we would even have had a war.

So true.  It seems like the only Presidents who get much recognition are the ones that serve during wars and crisies.  I occasionally wonder how other Presidents would have stacked up against the odds had they the opportunity to.

Ted was the Man. He was not as one-dimensional as most people see him today. My favorite painting of him was the charge up San Juan hill. T.R. astride his stolen jackass, the Roughriders working their way forward through the sparse cover and brush, the Spanish field guns walking fire back&forth over the skirmishline. Far more stirring than the cavalry charge that never was.

I hope W is serious. The thought of these crazy bastards with nukes and missiles, even medium range ones should scare the hell out of everyone! Especially Israelis!
Schroeder is a political whore and it would appear the German poeple are figuring that out. The high unemployment and immigration troubles will bring him down. The anti-American talk is a feeble attempt to rally support.

[...] Meanwhile morally bankrupt leaders in Europe and the UN continue to call for “taking war off the table” with regard to Iran in favor strongly-worded resolutions and political sanctions. [...]

[...] Somebody get Schroeder on the phone and ask him if we can put the military option on the table yet. [...]

exactly, take war off the table, how many have to be killed and how many have to suffer, oh but israel, backbone of America was allowed to build nuclear weapons hmmm… very interesting, and Iraq, a country in ruins.  Everday there is a suicide bomber and that country is in chaos now more than before.  the day when we reach full awareness and realize that means of war only brings out the roots of evil.  War never solved anything, it only brings angery, depression and sufffering.  so think again before u think war is an option.  It should have never been an option, cause in the end, we are all one

War never solved anything

Except Nazism, Communism, slavery, American Independence,.....