The Democratic candidates, with the Democratic Nomination on the line, debated in Las Vegas to prove to the public that they have what it takes to lead the nation as the most powerful person in the world. In honor of this and the upcoming election next November, I thought I would discuss some of the most memorable and fascinating moments throughout presidential history.
The shortest president to hold office was William Henry Harrison who served for 31 days. He died shortly after taking office from typhoid fever after he refused to wear a coat on his cold, rainy inauguration day. He refused to wear a coat to make himself look like a tough leader as he did in his military days. Currently, there are 12 presidents tied for second on the
longest-tenured president. This list includes Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. They have all served for two terms which are 2, 922 days in office. There is only one president that has ever served longer. This president served for three terms and 2 months of a fourth term, which is around 4,422 days. This president is...Franklin D. Roosevelt. No person can beat Roosevelt’s record because of the 22nd Amendment which states that a president can only serve for 2 terms.
No president has ever been removed from office, however, there have been three impeachments and one resignation. Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act which stated that he could not dismiss any cabinet members without congress's permission. The conviction, however, came one vote short and thus he was not removed from office. Bill Clinton was impeached 130 years later than Johnson for perjury and obstruction of justice for denying that he had a relationship with an intern. His conviction only had 45 votes; it needed 67 votes, so the conviction was overwhelmingly defeated. The most recent impeachment occurred in December 2019. Donald Trump was impeached for obstruction of justice and abuse of power for pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate political rivals and witness tampering. He was not convicted by a vote of 48 to 52. Richard Nixon in 1974 was facing a likely impeachment and chose to resign for his involvement in the Watergate Scandal.
Historians' opinions on who the best president in history is divided between George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. These presidents are also viewed by liberals who in a 1982 survey, said that in this order the best president in history is (1) Lincoln, (2) Roosevelt, (3) Washington. Conservatives in the same survey told a very similar story with their list: (1) Lincoln, (2) Washington, (3) Roosevelt. So why are these three presidents so highly regarded? Well George Washington, though his status as a president is somewhat debated, was the first president and established all of the precedents of the seat. Abraham Lincoln managed to hold the nation together in its most divided point in American history. And Roosevelt had the vision of the New Deal which managed to combat the Great Depression until World War 2.
So as the presidential election comes around next November, I urge you to take some time and learn about the rich history of the commander and chief. What is your favorite presidential moment or story?
I don't have a "favorite" story to recall regarding past presidents, but I do know some interesting tidbits. Did you know that President Andrew Jackson, who is quite the colorful character if you look into him, once was shot right in the chest in a duel, and still managed to shoot and kill his opponent afterwards? Turns out, this was actually according to his plan, since he was well-aware the other had excellent aim, and predicted that their aim would be spoiled if they shot quickly first chance. Since the bullet was so close to Jackson's heart, doctors couldn't take it out, and he carried it with him for the rest of his life.
ReplyDelete