TR - other women? - The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014) Discussion

[–] mcode518 10 years ago

Me neither. But, of course, not every president has had mistresses. According to the miniseries, TR was so shattered by the death of his first wife that he refused to say her name. Apparently, he and second wife Edith had a loving relationship, so I would be surprised if TR was a philanderer.

As far as I know, those that did were: Thomas Jefferson (with Sally Hemings), Warren Harding, FDR, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ and Bill Clinton.

Okay, well... filibuster.

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[–] goleafsgo27 10 years ago

To be clear about Mr. Jefferson, it is believed his romantic relationship with Sally Hemings, who as I understand it was his slave and his wife's mixed-race half-sister, did not begin while his wife was alive. He was a widower when they became intimate, but because she was born to a black woman slave, marriage was out of the question due to it being illegal. Indeed, their being intimate was also illegal, but the sex part was a crime that was rarely prosecuted.

I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTO

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[–] jaynekranc 10 years ago

Teddy had known Edith since they were kids so she was undoubtedly comforting to be around for him.

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[–] mike121945 10 years ago

There's never been a hint of scandal in Teddy's life. He was a good role model in those times and devoted to his wives and children. Franklin & Eleanor had an odd relationship to each other and to their children.

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[–] digitaldiva 10 years ago

Hi Lancer01,

T.R. was a flawed man, but not a philanderer or womanizer. His life has been chronicled many times and there had never been a suggestion that he had a mistress.

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[–] Lancer01 10 years ago

The office is too tempting for men. I wouldn't be surprised if we learn years later that our current president has had some mistresses as well.

If TR ran and won in 08, he probably would have done 4 full terms (maybe 5 with WWI).

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[–] digitaldiva 10 years ago

Hi Lancer01,

I don't think every President was a Bill Clinton or JFK. I think a number of men stayed faithful to their spouses in the Oval Office and philanders were the exception. Even men like Eisenhower, who may have or may have not had an affair, did it prior to becoming President.

I agree if TR had ran, he would have possible done 4 full terms or maybe 5.

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[–] rcocean3 10 years ago

Absolutely not. TR in his diary states he was proud that on his wedding day he was 'pure'. Which means virgin.

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[–] jimcat63-1 10 years ago

Warren G Harding had the good grace to die before his sins were exposed.
He and his cabinet supported and helped engineer the Teapot Dome scandal (bigger than Watergate) and Harding actually fathered an illegitimate child while he was in office.

Nixon was faithful. What woman would want him?!!

.

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[–] friendship_is_for_friends 10 years ago

FACT: TR was a member of the LGBT community

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[–] historikitty2 10 years ago

Harding's daughter with Nan Britton was born before he was elected.

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[–] aimei2006 10 years ago

He is rumored to have had a child by an Native American mistress during his time in the Badlands in ND. My dad has meet his supposed great grandson and says you can see the resemblance. I haven't heard any evidence that he cheated while he was married though.

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[–] jellyree 10 years ago

"My dad has meet his supposed great grandson and says you can see the resemblance."

So, the descendant is 1/8th Teddy and there's a resemblance?

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[–] katiemacs 10 years ago

I've never heard any stories about TR womanizing- and if any existed, I'm guessing we would've heard them sometime in the past century or so. He seems to have been extremely devoted to his wife and family.

I think it's telling, actually, that none of his 6 children married more than once, while FDR's 6 children had 19 (?!) marriages between them.

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[–] doug65oh 10 years ago

Alice (the daughter) did have an affair though, and bore a daughter. But she was a handful anyway.

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[–] katiemacs 10 years ago

Yeah, her childhood circumstances were obviously different from her siblings, since it sounds like she had (at times) a fairly contentious relationship with her stepmother.

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[–] doug65oh 10 years ago

You know what's funny is that in her own way, Alice had the exact same desire she attributed to Teddy: To be the corpse at every funeral, the groom at every wedding, and the baby at every christening - although, of course, in Alice's case, it would have to be amended to bride.

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[–] katiemacs 10 years ago

Can I just say how much I love that quote? She definitely understood her dad, haha.

And yes, it's probably because she was so much like him.

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[–] blackhawkswincup2010 10 years ago

Alice also coined other famous quotes: "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit next to me."

About Republican presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey: "How can you vote for a man who looks like the bridegroom on a wedding cake?"

In this day and age, it is hard to imagine anyone being completely faithful to his or her spouse, and there is a tendency to revise history through the lens of present morés. Yet TR was completely and utterly in love with both his wives, and was faithful to both of them. There has never been a hint of anything else.

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