Coolidge

[regent]

It would be great if a nation's economic slate were wiped clean with each presidential election. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to work that way, so many factors go into an economy and many of those factors take a long time to either die or emerge. And so economic historians try to sort it out later. For example, one of the factors was farm crops needed for WWI. Farmers were encouraged to grow more and prices were great. When the war ended the need for those crops was gone and the prices dropped. The farmers response to the drop in prices was to grow more crops and prices dropped even further. Farmers began to experience bad times and stopped buying farm implements and other materials, and....

And what? Farmers suffered all through the 1920s. IF that caused the Great Depression, then why didn't it start in 1918?

I didn't say the farm thing caused the GD I said some there are many factors in a nations economy and they are in effect at different times and in different proportions. For example the farmers were one of the first to feel less demand for their products after the war, but how long did it take before it caused economic problems? At another time It may have been remedied naturally and not been a problem. It is why the simplistic solution of "tax cuts" at one time may be beneficial and at another time a problem. In a nation's economy there are many of these factors.

 

[norwegen]

Modern academians and historians fail to comprehend Coolidge or the decade of peace and prosperity that he spearheaded because they don't appreciate Coolidge's belief in small government and constitutionalism, or his diffidence. Many presidents think themselves worthy of greatness, yet are not. Coolidge was worthy becasue he did not believe himself worthy. He hated extravagance and waste in government, though he loved witnessing the indulgences of the people.

Coolidge was immensely popular with the public, yet he was humble, a true Republican who would serve in office and retire to his private estate. Because he would not assume a celebrity status, his work and the achievements of his administration are often ignored. Such is the skewing of history by progressives.

 

[regent]

Modern academians and historians fail to comprehend Coolidge or the decade of peace and prosperity that he spearheaded because they don't appreciate Coolidge's belief in small government and constitutionalism, or his diffidence. Many presidents think themselves worthy of greatness, yet are not. Coolidge was worthy becasue he did not believe himself worthy. He hated extravagance and waste in government, though he loved witnessing the indulgences of the people.

Coolidge was immensely popular with the public, yet he was humble, a true Republican who would serve in office and retire to his private estate. Because he would not assume a celebrity status, his work and the achievements of his administration are often ignored. Such is the skewing of history by progressives.

I think 238 of the nations best historians and experts on presidents understand the Coolidge presidency better than most posters. I would also suspect that most posters cannot even name all the American presidents much less rate them.

 

[JoeB131]

Clearly, by whatever metric you choose to use, Calvin Coolidge was the 20th Century's Greatest President. He was a strong and principled Governor, breaking an illegal Police strike and gained national attention by firing all the strikers. He was an incredibly disciplined President who choose NOT to micromanage the US economy. He was secure enough that he did NOT need to constantly demonstrate how smart and helpful he was on a 24/7/365 basis. He inherited a recession as bad as the ones that Obama and FDR inherited. Instead of making them worse and using them to redirect the USA on the destructive path of Progressivism, he stepped aside and let assets, liabilities and wages reprice from a wartime to a peacetime economy. In 18 months, unemployment dropped from 12% down to 4%. By the end of his President you could not find an unemployed person in the USA.

He was fortunate enough to be President during a period of great transformation technologies: Electrification of cities and industry, mass production and flight. He was disciplined enough to let the markets work out the best way to bring these benefits to Americans. These were the Roaring 20's. A nation that reduced it's debts, taxes and regulations and let Freedom work for the benefit of the people.

And, of course, he is not discussed, his economic record is a state secret. He is lied about (Shocking, I know) as somehow "involved" with the Teapot Dome Scandal.

If FDR is "Great" Coolidge is a God

Yet no historian sees it that way.

Calvin Coolidge is routinely rated in the lower quarter of bad presidents.

Presidential Rankings (#25): Calvin Coolidge | Dead Presidents

1948: Schlesinger Sr./Life Magazine: 23 of 29
1962: Schlesinger Sr./New York Times Magazine: 27 of 31
1982: Neal/Chicago Tribune Magazine: 27 of 38
1990: Siena Institute: 31 of 40
1996: Schlesinger Jr./New York Times Magazine: 30 of 39
2000: C-SPAN Survey of Historians: 27 of 41
2000: C-SPAN Public Opinion Poll: 22 of 41
2005: Wall Street Journal/Presidential Leadership: 23 of 40
2009: C-SPAN Survey of Historians: 26 of 42
2010: Siena Institute: 29 of 43
2011: University of London’s U.S. Presidency Centre: 28 of 40

 

[JoeB131]

Modern academians and historians fail to comprehend Coolidge or the decade of peace and prosperity that he spearheaded because they don't appreciate Coolidge's belief in small government and constitutionalism, or his diffidence. Many presidents think themselves worthy of greatness, yet are not. Coolidge was worthy becasue he did not believe himself worthy. He hated extravagance and waste in government, though he loved witnessing the indulgences of the people.

Coolidge was immensely popular with the public, yet he was humble, a true Republican who would serve in office and retire to his private estate. Because he would not assume a celebrity status, his work and the achievements of his administration are often ignored. Such is the skewing of history by progressives.

No, the real problem was that most people look at Coolidge's hands off policies allowed the banks and investors and other bad actors to create a house of cards economy that blew over in the first strong wind.

The only thing that saves him from being the worst president ever is that 1) There were some true turds around the Civil War and 2) The economy didn't collapse until after he left and poor Hoover got holding the bag.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Here's little anecdote about Cooledge from page 61 of the best seller "Flags of our Fathers". One of the Marine Flag raisers on Iwo Jima, Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian. The Pimas were immensely successful farmers in Arizona for hundreds of years with the irrigation from the Gila River. In 1930 former president Cal Coolidge came by and smoked a peace pipe for the press (the Pimas did not include the peace pipe in their tradition) and told the Pima indians what an inspiration they were to the Country (even though they did not have the rights of citizens) and then he left to dedicate the Coolidge Gila River Dam that reduced the Pimas to poverty when not a drop of water ever flowed into their irrigation network again.

Coolidge was president in 1930????

 

[norwegen]

Whew, just went back and looked it up... The years Harding and Coolidge were President were fuckin awesome and all the years FDR was president fucking sucked. Thanks History for backing me up, I can leave knowing haters simply wana hate.

Bye =D

You left out Hoover, just like you guys try to leave Boosh out of it...

Hoover was FDR's ideological Twin

Quite so, in many ways. Except for being a fellow Iowan, I knew very little about Hoover, so I read some. Turns out, he was indeed progressive, an opportunist who waved the Republican label while harboring democratic proclivities.

Herbert Hoover - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A self-described progressive, like FDR, Hoover believed government should intervene in the economy to combat the Great Depression. He initiated many public works programs, in fact setting precedent for the New Deal.
He advocated for a federal department of education and a social security program. He denounced laissez-faire thinking in favor of public-private cooperation. He believed in progressive taxation. All told, he was a big-spending president who increased the national debt from 20% to 40% of GNP in a time of peace.

He was someone the Democrats accused of "leading the country down the path of socialism."

Coolidge, on the other hand, unlike the Progressives then or the liberals now, had faith in the people and knew from history that people, not government, are the ones who build the economy.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Coolidge - Amity Shlaes - Google Books

"Amity Shlaes is an American author and newspaper and magazine columnist who writes about politics and economics from a conservative free market perspective. She currently chairs the board of trustees of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation"
Link: Amity Shlaes at Google.

In Franks mind, a fair and balanced nonfiction author. IMO, a polemic author and an example of those who wrote history for the Ministry of Truth.

Whatever, Freddo.

So sorry Frank (Polemic: Polemical | Define Polemical at Dictionary.com )

 

[CrusaderFrank]

"Amity Shlaes is an American author and newspaper and magazine columnist who writes about politics and economics from a conservative free market perspective. She currently chairs the board of trustees of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation"
Link: Amity Shlaes at Google.

In Franks mind, a fair and balanced nonfiction author. IMO, a polemic author and an example of those who wrote history for the Ministry of Truth.

Whatever, Freddo.

So sorry Frank (Polemic: Polemical | Define Polemical at Dictionary.com )

You want "Coolidge, the hate, the venom" by WryCatcher, he's smart and he wants respect

 

[Wry Catcher]

Here's little anecdote about Cooledge from page 61 of the best seller "Flags of our Fathers". One of the Marine Flag raisers on Iwo Jima, Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian. The Pimas were immensely successful farmers in Arizona for hundreds of years with the irrigation from the Gila River. In 1930 former president Cal Coolidge came by and smoked a peace pipe for the press (the Pimas did not include the peace pipe in their tradition) and told the Pima indians what an inspiration they were to the Country (even though they did not have the rights of citizens) and then he left to dedicate the Coolidge Gila River Dam that reduced the Pimas to poverty when not a drop of water ever flowed into their irrigation network again.

Coolidge was president in 1930????

"In 1930 former president Cal Coolidge..."

Please excuse Frank, his biases and prejudices are voluminous, and thus prevent him from understanding much of anything. Some people don't listen well, for they are always planning their next word; Frank can't read with comprehension, he is always planning his next Idiot-Gram.

 

[bodecea]

My favorite Coolidge quote:

"Can't we just buy one airplane and have the pilots take turns?".

 

[Wry Catcher]

Coolidge was not President after 1928, so, as I previously stated, you'd have to be a pathological liar to blame him for the subesequent actions of Hoover, the Fed and Hitler

I'm not sure if you're a pathological liar, but I'm fairly certain you are one of the quintessential partisan hacks who play fast and loose with the truth.

BTW, Calvin was POTUS until March 4, 1929, nearly eight months before the crash.

Right, the Crash that still had nothing whatsoever to do with him.

And yet you blame President Obama for the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Frank, you're a fool, as well as a partisan hack.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Here's little anecdote about Cooledge from page 61 of the best seller "Flags of our Fathers". One of the Marine Flag raisers on Iwo Jima, Ira Hayes was a Pima Indian. The Pimas were immensely successful farmers in Arizona for hundreds of years with the irrigation from the Gila River. In 1930 former president Cal Coolidge came by and smoked a peace pipe for the press (the Pimas did not include the peace pipe in their tradition) and told the Pima indians what an inspiration they were to the Country (even though they did not have the rights of citizens) and then he left to dedicate the Coolidge Gila River Dam that reduced the Pimas to poverty when not a drop of water ever flowed into their irrigation network again.

Coolidge was president in 1930????

"In 1930 former president Cal Coolidge..."

Please excuse Frank, his biases and prejudices are voluminous, and thus prevent him from understanding much of anything. Some people don't listen well, for they are always planning their next word; Frank can't read with comprehension, he is always planning his next Idiot-Gram.

So he's blamed for the teapot dome and Hoover.

LoL

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I'm not sure if you're a pathological liar, but I'm fairly certain you are one of the quintessential partisan hacks who play fast and loose with the truth.

BTW, Calvin was POTUS until March 4, 1929, nearly eight months before the crash.

Right, the Crash that still had nothing whatsoever to do with him.

And yet you blame President Obama for the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Frank, you're a fool, as well as a partisan hack.

I never did that you lying fuck. I blamed bush and a generation of federal interference in the housing market.

I blame Obama for his pathetic economic record since then

 

[JoeB131]

Modern academians and historians fail to comprehend Coolidge or the decade of peace and prosperity that he spearheaded because they don't appreciate Coolidge's belief in small government and constitutionalism, or his diffidence. Many presidents think themselves worthy of greatness, yet are not. Coolidge was worthy becasue he did not believe himself worthy. He hated extravagance and waste in government, though he loved witnessing the indulgences of the people.

Coolidge was immensely popular with the public, yet he was humble, a true Republican who would serve in office and retire to his private estate. Because he would not assume a celebrity status, his work and the achievements of his administration are often ignored. Such is the skewing of history by progressives.

Most people fail to appreciate it because he had nothing to do with it.

The US WAS in a great position after World War I. We had our industry primed for maximum production while the rest of the world was still licking its wounds. The US Had gone during the war from being a debtor to a creditor nation as all these countries bought munitions from us on credit.

Coolidge pretty much was a hands-off president who didn't do his job in watching what the wealthy were doing, and what they were doing was running the car off a cliff.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I never did that you lying fuck. I blamed bush and a generation of federal interference in the housing market.

I blame Obama for his pathetic economic record since then

You need to review your many (too many) posts. Idiot-Grams as well the other one.

 

[bripat9643]

I didn't say the farm thing caused the GD I said some there are many factors in a nations economy and they are in effect at different times and in different proportions. For example the farmers were one of the first to feel less demand for their products after the war, but how long did it take before it caused economic problems? At another time It may have been remedied naturally and not been a problem. It is why the simplistic solution of "tax cuts" at one time may be beneficial and at another time a problem. In a nation's economy there are many of these factors.

What evidence do you have that low farm prices caused any economic problems other than low wages for farmers? The fact is that as farm productivity increases, prices for food head inevitably downward. That means there will always be a percentage of farmers who are on the verge of bankruptcy. Low farm prices are the inevitable result of economic growth.

There is also no situation where a tax cut is a bad thing for the economy. That's like saying taking a big fat tick off of your neck isn't always a smart thing to do.