‘The Roosevelts’: Once you finish all 14 hours, you’re sorry to see them go

The Washington Post ^ | 9-12-14 | Hank Stuever

[ansel12]

Hearts and Minds is what we did in WWII, why do you think that Germany and Japan have been so loyal?

We defeated Iraq, we just needed to do more WWII type hearts and minds.

[x]

PBS has already done series on Theodore, on Franklin, on Eleanor, on Eleanor and Franklin, on WWII, on the Depression and New Deal, on the Progressive Era, on the Spanish-American War, on the Old West, and on every president since ... I don't know, Harding?

This new show has the same photos, most of the same quotes, the same talking heads, pretty much the same voice-over artists. It looks to be just a rehash of what they've already broadcast on other specials.

That doesn't mean it may not be worth watching sometime, but it hardly deserves the hoopla PBS is giving it. I guess they just wanted some way to kick off their new season and this is it.

[morphing libertarian]

Enjoying the series. Have to view it with a critical eye; as with most things.

Here’s some possible fun or interesting stuff.

Teddy Roosevelt was boisterous, talkative and larger than life. Yes, the one on Mt. Rushmore.

He was asked by republican bosses to run for vice president in 1900 on the Mckinley ticket.

He finally agreed and became president when Mckinley was assassinated in 1901. Youngest president up to that time.

He served 7 years. After he was re-elected in 1904 on election night he told the press he wouldn’t run again in 1908, even though it was not prohibited at that time.

He was so popular, he would have easily been re-elected in 1908.

In 1908, he practically ran Taft’s campaign and Taft was elected president.

He went to Africa and Europe for 11 months. When he returned home he received a parade in NYC with over 1.5 million people attending.

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Being a hunter, he invited a famous English hunter to the WH. The man was escorted into the president’s office. When he came out after 90 minutes, he was asked what he said to the president in the 90 minutes, he replied “my name.”

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One of Teddy’s cousins said “He wants to be the bride at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral and the baby at every christening.

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When he went to Africa on safari, J. P. Morgan said about Teddy, “I hope the lions will do their duty.”

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Contrast to Coolidge who was know as silent Cal. A couple was invited to a dinner at the WH. The wife, who sat next to the president, told him that she had bet her husband that he could get the president to say 3 words or more. Coolidge responded “you, lose.”