THE DISCUSSION IS OPEN - WEEK ONE - PRESIDENTIAL SERIES: UNREASONABLE MEN - April 11th - April 17th - Preface and Chapter One - The Bolt - (pages 1 - 30) - No Spoilers, please

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis it is too bad that you are not keeping up with the group. Did you just get your book?

[Lewis]

Very sorry! I was in Spain on business for 10 days last month, and we had a son's wedding this month with a lot of family...threw me all out of whack. Am actually up on the reading (on page 140 at the moment), but for some reason haven't been able to hop into the discussion after the first chapter. Can you guide me back into it? Very sorry for the trouble. LC

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

You found the Week One thread but you have not answered the preliminary questions yet. Those are in message 5 and I did send a PM to you with these and the link.

So while you are here first - look at message 5 on this thread and you will be able to read the questions. Then just answer them here.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis then after doing what I have told you to do first in message 307 - then proceed to Week Two - and read the thread and answer the discussion questions for Week Two on that thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis then after doing what I have told you to do next in message 308 - then proceed to Week Three thread and read the entire thread and then answer all of the discussion questions for Week Three on that thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis then after doing what I have told you to do next in message 309 - then proceed to Week Four thread and read the entire thread and then answer all of the discussion questions for Week Four


https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis then after doing what I have told you to next in message 310 - then proceed to Week Five thread and read the entire thread and then answer all of the discussion questions for Week Five

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

There will be a Week Six thread next and that will be set up today - follow the same instructions for that. I will post the link later today.

[Lewis]

2. Tell us what you know about Theodore Roosevelt and Robert Marion La Follette before reading this book.

I don't recall having heard of La Follette before.
I associate TR with progressive politics and conservation (in a very big way).

3. What does progressive politics mean to you? Prior to reading this book?

My understanding of progressive politics is very fuzzy...mainly that it would represent someone against the status quo and outside the box in their stands.

4. What do you think of the state of congress and government today? Are you pleased with the performance of both bodies of government? Why or why not? How do you feel about politics in general? Are you pleased with the executive branch and the judiciary?

I am pleased with the theory...shared and balanced leadership. I am disappointed and somewhat disillusioned with the practice...tit for tat actions and reactions that sometimes seem to cause the citizens and the country to be held hostage to the whims and silliness of those in government.

[Lewis]

5. How involved are you in the primary season this election cycle? Are there "progressive candidates" running this time? Who do you think the progressive candidates are in your viewpoint and who are the conservatives? Or are there other labels or categories that current candidates fall into?

Have been following the news but not directly involved.
Progressive might be Trump. Very Liberal would be Sanders. Liberal would be Clinton. Very Conservative would be Cruz and Rubio. Bush would have been Conservative.

6. What are the chances of "contested conventions'? How successful do you think these conventions will be?

Don't really know...imagine there could be some fireworks and very glittery stock markets.

7. Do you think that politics and primaries in general are too acrimonious? Do you believe that these primaries and this election cycle are unique or do you think that it is more acrimonious today than in the past? Or is this more of the same or do you feel that politics has always had acrimonious cycles? Why or why not?

Acrimonious...but also was in Lincoln's day.

8. What surprised you the most about Theodore Roosevelt and La Follette in Chapter One?

How much the political turmoil seems to be just like what we are experiencing today.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Lewis - more does not always mean you are better off - is the planet better off? I think it was really true then as unfortunately many of the themes still are. Lewis it would be nice for you to interact with the other readers and be reading the book on schedule but we are glad you have posted.

I think you are right - there does seem to be a similarity in terms of the schism in Wisconsin and what we are seeing today.

I am not sure how the "Donald" will be viewed in history - Interesting question.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Folks, Week Seven is now open and we move to that thread and its assignment:

The seventh week's reading assignment is:

Week Seven - May 23rd - May 29th
Chapter Seven - The Tariff - (pages 123 - 142)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

For those of you who need to catch up check each of the previous six threads including this one and make sure that you have posted on that thread and it is noted. If in fact you have not posted, make sure you respond on that thread to the topics for discussion and the next time I do an update - I will note your new responses so that you can get caught up.

You can still post on all of the Weekly threads to get caught up or if you are starting out new and want to read the book by all means post any time.

Book Recipients however should get caught up as soon as you can and are able (we realize everybody reads at different speeds) - we have reached the mid point of the book discussion. There are ten chapters in the book and this is Week Seven.
So try to catch up on your posting and your reading.

Here are the links to the previous Weekly Chapters to check your progress:

Week Six - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Week Five - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Week Four
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Week Three
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Week Two
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Week One
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

And also part of the T's and C's is interacting with the author and asking a question or two - here is that link to the Q&A thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Take advantage of the author being with us on this journey.

Remember everybody - you can always get caught up - we are here waiting to read your posts and look forward to it.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

We are up to date through 316 - and the recipients who have not posted are the ones below - still time to get caught up folks. We are always here.

Cosmic
Steven M
Michael F
Karen L
Harold J

[Charles]

Following up on Bentleys request to comment on first thread - my name is Charles ; living in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of NY . A 1975 history major and student of the subject ever since though my recent interests have moved to the study of political philosophy and Ancient Greek/Roman development . I purchased this book via the announcement of the reading challenge and then read it through quickly . Like others, I am a committed Teddy fan via the Morris trilogy as well as his own writings from Brazil and Cuba . They don't make Presidents like him any more. I was more interested in LaFollette's story as my knowledge of him is comic book lite and was fascinated by his passion, commitment and creativity in pushing his agenda .
The book's connection to present day politics is somewhat interesting though present day progressivism seems quite pale in comparison to the high wire act of LaFollette and his crew .

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Excellent post Charles and could not agree more. LaFollette and his crew and TR were men of their time - I am not sure they make them like that anymore.

[Jack]

Bentley wrote: "Welcome Jack from the beautiful state of Hawaii.

Being a Navy man you are right about TR - forgot about that aspect of his life and career.

Leadership is something that someone has or they do no..."

Bentley wrote: "Welcome Jack from the beautiful state of Hawaii.

Being a Navy man you are right about TR - forgot about that aspect of his life and career.

Leadership is something that someone has or they do no..."

Bentley, sorry for my tardy response. I just changed commands from a shipyard to a submarine staff headquarters. From fixing submarines to the budget battles.
Leadership is something that someone has or they do not have - I don't think it is one of those qualities that you can "learn". I think you can get better at it but I think you have to have that strong inner core to begin with.

I wholeheartedly agree but I must add a bit about my journey. My leadership was low as I began my military journey almost 26 years ago. I hope I do have that inner core you mentioned. Yet, I still found myself lacking. It has taken many books and much mentoring by senior officers to help me on my journey. I have learned much from the depths of the oceans, to the streets of Fallujah and Ramadi, to shipyards and design houses, to today. I have much, much more to learn. Maybe I am just one of those slower guys.

I agree with you about the contested Republican convention. It saddens me now to see open violence on the streets between Trump supporters and the Democrats. Is this how it begins? I recall the Roman Republic having much violence which led to the Empire. This is my earlier comment about Oligarchies. Powerful families took over the Senate and then eventually formed the Empire. Eventually the Empire devolved into civil wars. Is this how it begins?

Are you for powerful families running the government - of course the Adams family was very actively involved with the founding of our country so this is not a recent phenomena - and goodness knows we had the Kennedy's dominating the political scene for some time and many of these families are quite philanthropic and are focused on those who are less fortunate and do not have a voice. I am not sure if I fit the Bush's into that category but the others were almost philanthropic with their goals for the country.
I fear it. Fear it very much. In all my current readings I see names that pop up continuously: Bush, Cheney, Gates, Kissinger, Kennedy, Clinton, and many more. Rumsfeld was SecDef twice. Gates was Head of the CIA, was National Security Advisor, and then SecDef. Central power is held in only a few hands. Too few. They only move around.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

You raise some very interesting points. I think unfortunately it takes a lot of money and influence to run for president. And influential families like the Roosevelts, the Bushes, the Kennedy's, the Clintons (although they are not an old established family) fall into that category. Unfortunately the Senior Bush seemed to populate George W's team with his old cronies (Cheney, Gates, Kissinger, Rumsfeld) and that is why we had these guys around for three separate presidential terms and Gates for a few more since he was kept on.

The founding fathers to a large extent were powerful and influential families too and were very well educated.

I am not saying that we are better off with powerful families - it is just that our country seems to find many times folks who are well educated and politically savvy from these families to be electable.

Barack Obama did not come from the same background and he has had to fight hard to be accepted and became president with the help once again of influential people and powerful families like the Kennedy's and media types like Oprah Winfrey, etc.

You are correct that many of these families are quite philanthropic and give back to the country in many ways giving the less fortunate a voice. I think what we need are thoughtful, reasoned, temperate and intelligent men and women who are willing to listen to all of the voices and faces of America in all of its diversity and who are talented and skilled enough to come up with just and balanced and affordable solutions for our nation's problems and challenges. It is not important how much money they have but how much vision and direction they bring to the table to lead the country through complex and challenging times. The presidency is often a thankless job.