MovieChat Forums > The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014) Discussion > TR - Regret for not running in 08

TR - Regret for not running in 08

posted 10 years ago by Lancer01
17 replies | jump to latest

It sounds like TR was kicking himself for not running in 08.

Do you think that is why when FDR did his 8 years he decided to break the custom and run for a third term?

[–] jimcat63-1 10 years ago

The country does not tend to change administrations during wartime.
Also, it was Constitutionally legal for FDR to run again in those days.
Also , FDR loved being president. Most men are worn out after 8 yrs. Not him.

.

[–] tonychappell 10 years ago

FDR loved the adulation and his popularity was astounding basically god-like with the people during the depression,same with his warm springs resort he loved having people fawn all over him

[–] rcocean3 10 years ago

Do you think that is why when FDR did his 8 years he decided to break the custom and run for a third term?

No its because FDR was an egomanic, who never let the Constitution or anything else get in his path to power.

[–] itsjoan 10 years ago

After reading your comment, I wondered on your age. I don't believe you're old enough to have lived thru those years; neither am I. My grandparents did....and my grandmother had a framed photo of FDR in her home. What FDR did in most trying times carried them thru the most 'trying' of times.

I don't believe, either, that you viewed the full series before commenting....or recognize many of the initiatives FDR fostered also had long-term benefit. That is, until the greed of Wall Street, the financial industry, PAC's and politicians with and without special interests....were bought by those who do.

[–] kenneglds 10 years ago

>>> I don't believe, either, that you viewed the full series before commenting

I don't think he watched the series at all. Not if you go by what he said.

Rcocean3, didn't you say on another board that you had no intention of watching this series, because you already know that Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest woman ever?

I assume you were being sarcastic with the Eleanor Roosevelt comment.

[–] rcocean3 10 years ago

Rcocean3, didn't you say on another board that you had no intention of watching this series, because you already know that Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest woman ever?

I never said I had "No intention of watching the series".

[–] kenneglds 10 years ago

>>> I never said I had "No intention of watching the series".

Nitpicking are you?? But you're right, you didn't utter the exact sentence "I have no intention of watching this series"

My mistake. And my apologies.

Having found the post in question, what you actually said, in response to the question "will you watch this series", was

"No, I already know that Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest woman, ever, ever. Plus I don't want to see Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Ken Burns drags things out, and out, and out.

Wonder how many times the words Anti-semitism, Hitler, and racism will be used".

Now why would anybody use the word "Hitler", in a biography of FDR?? That is a mystery.

Once again, my apologies. When you're right, you're right.

[–] kenneglds 10 years ago

Unfortunately the computer I am using doesn't allow me to create a direct link with-in my post, but if anybody is curious, they can go to my profile and click the post labeled

"OT: 14 hour Ken Burns doc the Roosevelts"

That should take you to the post in question, as I have just responded to it.

Said post is located on the "Sports board".

[–] rcocean3 10 years ago

I don't believe, either, that you viewed the full series before commenting....or recognize many of the initiatives FDR fostered also had long-term benefit. That is, until the greed of Wall Street, the financial industry, PAC's and politicians with and without special interests....were bought by those who do.

I made a specific criticism of FDR's egomania and his disregard for civil liberties, the constitution, his contempt for his opponents, and his lying to the American people (for their own good of course). Most of that really occurred after 1938, but even before that, we have the Court packing scheme and and his attempted Purge of any Democrat in Congress who opposed him.

The fact that FDR did a lot of good doesn't mean we should overlook his flaws. And yes, lots of average people loved the guy. My grand-parents did, because they got electricity due to the REA. But a lot of people - at the time - hated his guts. 45% voted against him in 1932 and 1940.

Its was just like Reagan in the 1980s, plenty of Democrats hated him all through the 1980's - no matter what they say now.

[–] katiemacs 10 years ago

To be fair, though, not everyone who lived through those times loved FDR. My grandparents hated him. I don't, but I do think there are some valid criticisms to be discussed.

[–] kenneglds 10 years ago

Of course not everybody loved FDR. No president has ever been universally beloved.

It has been said about FDR that he was both the most loved president ever, AND, the most hated president ever.

The people who tended to hate FDR the most were the upper-class/money class/wealthy. They had a particular hate for FDR, not just because of the things he was doing, but because they considered him to be a traitor to his class (the upper/wealthy class was his class). And when people consider you a traitor, that can generate a particularly intense hatred.

To which FDR famously responded

"I welcome their hate".

Now where can we get leaders like that?? I mean excluding people like Rush Limbough; who definitely welcomes the hate of a lot of people.

[–] katiemacs 10 years ago

I'd believe that- although curiously, my grandparents were neither upper-class nor wealthy. But they did live in Maine, which was apparently the one state that really couldn't stand him, haha.

Seriously though, I think they just thought he was a socialist.

[–] Lancer01 10 years ago

Most of us didnt live in those times but if you read up newspapers/books of that time, FDR was truly hated. Think of it like people who hate Obama or Bush Jr when he was President.

FDR to many was seen as a class traitor. Also his social policies to get us out of the great depression were socialist. Not saying that was a bad or good. I think the hard line constitutionalists couldn't stand him and his policies of socialism and that is one reason why he was so hated. Plus his running for more than 2 terms really made lot of people mad too.

[–] doug65oh 10 years ago

….and somewhere in Oyster Bay tonight, if you listen closely in the whistling wind, you might hear the voice of the old Rough Rider himself muttering “Dammit, why can’t you talk about me??!! It’s always him, him, him!!!”

[–] jaynekranc 8 years ago

I worked at a WWII program once where we had a FDR re-enactor who was really good. (His name was R. J. Lindsey and he was absolutely amazing. He also does Thomas Edison equally well.) I was just inside the entrance to the park when a sweet little old lady wearing lilac perfume, in a flowered dress, hat with veil, and leaning on a walking stick came up to me. She was so stereo-typically grandmotherly I wanted to take her out for tea. She asked me what was going on next and I told her FDR was getting ready to speak at the next building over. She looked at me and said in the most venomous voice I've ever heard, "I didn't listen to that S O B when he was alive and I won't listen to him now."

[–] jaynekranc 9 years ago

There was no rule against FDR, or anyone else for that matter, running for a 3rd term. It was merely traditional to stop after two terms. I wonder how old you are that you think you know what he was thinking when he made his campaign decisions.

Most people who lived through those days can't imagine how anyone else at the time could have done any better. Certainly not Herbert Hoover in '32, Alf Landon who ran against him in '36, Wendell Wilkie who ran against him in '40, or Thomas Dewey in '44.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 8 years ago

FDR was fully ready to leave the White House after his second term ended. It was only the onset of World War II that caused him to stay.

All the polls showed, as the 1940 campaign approached, that he was the only Democrat who could maintain the White House against the Republican candidates. The Republicans contained a great deal of isolationists who were determined to keep the U.S. out of the war. (Although their eventual nominee, Wendel Wilkie, was more of an interventionist.) FDR felt that he had to stay on to make sure that American aid got to the British.

If it hadn't been for the war, FDR would definitely have retired. He said that he longed only to go home to Hyde Park.

And, he definitely wouldn't have run in 1944 if the war had ended by the election. In the miniseries, it was revealed that FDR had hinted that -had he lived- he might well have resigned before his term ended once the war was won.