TR

Much has been said concerning the experience of the presidential contenders in the upcoming election. Comparisons of years served in Congress or previous vocations are endlessly discussed on the news channels, desperate for any factoid that can be blown up into controversy or criticism. This is not new. It occurs every four years. Discussion of a man’s qualifications for President is part of the great game of campaigning.

I am reminded of a President who “rose like a rocket” and exploded onto the front page time and again for the rest of his life. The 150th anniversary of his birth occurs in October, 2008 and, in my opinion, is worth celebrating. I admire him for a number of reasons, perhaps his political philosophy among the least. But what a character.

Theodore Roosevelt was born into wealth and privilege but his health was poor as he struggled with asthma; several of his family thought he might die at an early age. But his dad wouldn’t let him. Theodore, Sr. compelled his son to work hard at physical exercise to build up his frail physique and learn  to box, considered the manliest of all sports. In fact, as President of the United States, he had a ring set up in the White House and he sparred with various partners, some of whom beat him full sore.

After graduating from Harvard, magna cum laude, he briefly attended law school but dropped out to run for the General Assembly of New York, a post he won. He burst on the scene in the legislature as a reform Republican. Upon the death of his first wife, TR went west, a New York dude set loose among the cowboys and ruffians of the plains and mountains. He ultimately failed as a rancher but acquired a lifetime of friends who respected him for his hardiness, optimism, and indefatigable spirit. Returning east he was appointed to the US Civil Service Commission and later the New York City Police Commission. There he lurked in the nighttime streets of the city, holding policemen accountable for their actions and insuring honest public defense.

TR was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from which post he virtually controlled the office and is credited for preparing the Navy for the Spanish-American War. When the war did come, he finagled a commission in the 1st Cavalry, leading the “Rough Riders” in battle and onto the front pages of every newspaper in America. From Cuba to the Governorship of New York State to the Vice Presidency in William McKinley’s second administration, Roosevelt continued his public service while raising a family of four boys and one girl at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, Long Island. He did all that, by the way, against the opposition of the Republican cadre who hated and feared the rising phenom of their party. With the death of McKinley at the hand of an assassin, 42 year old Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States. The effervescent character whose two favorite words were “bully!” and “manliness,” moved into the White House trailed by children of his own image and a wife who was the only one who could control him.

There wasn’t much talk about Theodore Roosevelt the novice, having no political, military, or social experience. In his lifetime, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, wrote 50 books, built up the United States Navy, acquired Panama as a location for a canal, and after serving two terms, traveled around the world, hunting and exploring. He read a book a day for years and trained his sons to be manly men, seeing them off to WWI, his youngest never returning alive. He himself tried to get into the trenches with a commission but the Democratic President had no intention of letting Theodore Roosevelt become a martyr or a hero again. TR ran for president under the Progressive Party standard, and took a bullet in the chest from a would-be assassin, which delayed but did not cancel his speech that day.  His essay entitled “The Strenuous Life” has been reprinted millions of times.

I have only scratched the surface of what Roosevelt was like as a person, and I could never adequately convey in a blog the colorful and remarkable life he led as soldier, politician, father, husband, and patriot. It is no wonder that several presidents since his day look to TR for inspiration as “their favorite president.” There are several excellent biographies of TR and, of course, his autobiography. He lived large, so his mistakes tended to be large. It was said that Theodore Roosevelt wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral but whatever anyone said about him, he could not be ignored, trifled with, or quenched. It is worth pondering the life of TR, if nothing more than to see the contrast of such a man with many of the leaders of today. I’m afraid the results are often the difference between bull and bully!

Bill Potter