Bush, FDR & JFK: Inside Politics

The Washington Times ^ | 11/9/04 | Greg Pierce

[Pfesser]

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, one of the nation's most prominent Democrats, compares President Bush to Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

Mr. Daley said the 2004 election reflects a political change on the order of what occurred under those legendary Democrats.

"You talk about Roosevelt. You talk about Kennedy. And you have to talk about Bush. You have to give credit to his discipline, to the message he stayed on line. People made fun. They underestimated him all the time. He showed them all," Mr. Daley told John Fund, who wrote about the interview at the Political Diary portion of www.OpinionJournal.com. Mr. Daley complained that Washington's Democratic insiders let Republicans "become the party of average Americans" and relegated the Democrats to being the party of large donors.

Mr. Daley blamed the defeat on "elitists" inside the party, Mr. Fund wrote, for having, "too long ridiculed people of faith."

"They don't like people who have different beliefs than they do," Mr. Daley said. "They were shoved out, not to be respected."

[Pfesser]

Why not Reagan too?

[Savage Beast]

George Bush towers over John Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt.

Bush is comparable to Churchill, Truman, and Reagan.

[reformedliberal]

Still, it is quite telling that a D and a BIG D, at that, invokes the two D Presidents most revered by the D base. Especially revered by the WWII, Jewish and the black Ds.

[50sDad]

Mr. Daley blamed the defeat on "elitists" inside the party, Mr. Fund wrote, for having, "too long ridiculed people of faith."

"They don't like people who have different beliefs than they do," Mr. Daley said.

Wait, wait, that has to be wrong! The Democrats are the Party of Tolerance!"

[Savage Beast]

Democrats who believed that "Camelot" was reality and who considered Jack and Jackio-O to be great historical personages (Chrissy Mathews, for example) were hoping that J.F. Kerry and Teresa would be their reincarnation.

Actually--Kerry was hoping the same thing--probably for the same reason.

Anybody who looks to (the very mediocre) John Kennedy as an example of heroism could not possibly rise above mediocrity himself.

[reformedliberal]

I was 20 when Kennedy was shot. I worked at a Catholic university library. We were given the day off and everyone was crying and distraught. I was upset that the US President had been assassinated, but Kennedy himself was not a hero to me.

I went home and was talking about it to my FDR Democrat father who said "He wasn't that great a President". Historical analysis has confirmed that conclusion.

The Camelot thing was just so much journalistic PR. But, back then, we had no way of knowing that. There was only one monolithic media and it was in full roar over the Kennedys. I recall even staunch Democrats being disgusted when Jackie married Onassis, but then, after awhile, they seemed to forgive her. Most likely they figured John Jr was going to be President someday and they had to cool the criticism for the sake of the dynasty.

To think that in the 21st century, with its instant rebuttal to media propaganda, the Kerrys could be for one instant foisted upon us as some sort of iconic metaphor for America or for leadership, is obscene. The early 60s were a much more innocent and ignorant time. We have learned so much about the intervening years that there is no way we are going to be led backwards without one he!! of a fight.

[old3030]

Reagan was possibly the greatest President of the 20th century in terms of his accomplishments in office. Bush may well reach that same status with regard to the 21st century twenty years from now.

What Daley is talking about, though, is something different. He means Bush has redefined the Republican party in the minds of a majority of the American people. See the discussion in the article of the increased percentage of Hispanic voters going for Bush.

FDR did the same thing for the Democrats. I don't see JFK as having done anything like that; however, LBJ did. In fact, LBJ's "Great Society" finished the job begun by FDR of destroying the strong family structure and work ethic of minority families.

[LS]

Reagan changed the world by beating Soviet communism. But his impact on American politics was, at best, merely a revival of conservatism and a holding-the-line against liberalism. He did not affect the mid-term elections of 1982 (as Bush did in 2002); he did not have "coattails" in 1984 (whereas Bush did in 2004); and it remains to be seen what Bush does in 2006 in terms of further expanding the GOP.

I'm not belittling Reagan in any way---just being honest in that in terms of pure party affiliation, he did not radically change the makeup of the country. He DID get millions of Dems to vote for him, but he did not make substantial inroads into the Jewish or black vote (don't know about the Hispanic vote). But Bush has. Bush has slowly, but steadily, chipped away at the Dem control over these groups. Moreover, since 1994 (possibly because of RR, but hard to tell) the GOP has steadily been the party of the people, not only nationally but in state houses.

[TontoKowalski]

The Camelot thing was just so much journalistic PR.

Edna! Get my smelling salts! I'm going to faint!

Just kidding. Actually, what you say is self-evident, but it's surprising how many people still buy the Camelot nonsense 40 years after JFK's death. It continued when John-John died. "America's Prince" blared every time Baabaa Waawaa gave us an update.

If he hadn't been killed, JFK would have been judged as a so-so President by history.

[karnage]

Mayor Daley gets it. He's one of the very few Democrats who do.

[reformedliberal]

I'd say he already had been so judged.

There was a series on either History or Discovery Channel a few months back on Kennedy that focused on his administration. I recall a segment where he came home after negotiating w/Kruschev. He candidly told his aides that he *lost everything* and then took to his bed for 3 weeks. He may have been really ill, given his list of maladies or he may have been exhausted and depressed, or both.

All I can recall positively from that administration is the Cuban Missile Crisis. He handled that well. Oh, and tax cuts, of course, but I was a bit young for that to mean much, then.

[Savage Beast]

Very good! I agree with everything you have said.