THE DISCUSSION IS OPEN - WEEK SIX - PRESIDENTIAL SERIES: UNREASONABLE MEN - May 16th - May 22nd - Chapter Six- The Smile - (pages 123 - 142) - No Spoilers, please

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

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[Jordan]

I, like many of you, really enjoyed this chapter. I confess to knowing only the bare minimum about Taft before this book. He just isn't one of those presidents my history teachers particularly took interest in I guess. But apparently his smile stole hearts! I found myself smiling while reading about him, and about Nellie. I knew her from the cherry blossom plantings (really amazing to see in DC today) but she really had gumption that her husband lacked. What a pair. I visited their grave site in Arlington many years ago, not really knowing much about either of them so I'm glad to have gotten a picture of them from this book.

Bentley, you bring up an interesting theme in transformations of this chapter. I was most intrigued by Aldrich. Something about staring down your own mortality makes rebels of people it seems. And, the way he looked to Europe for ideas was neat. That could land a modern-day politician in hot water, to admit maybe another country is doing something better. ;) I could just imagine Warburg's face when Aldrich switched to his side about a central bank!

I really liked the section in Colorado and the imagery of cowboys coming to convention. If I remember correctly, by and large women's suffrage was enacted across the West much sooner than the East. I always assumed that was because women, by force of personality I guess, in the West simply demanded more than their sisters in the East. It would have taken a special person to strike out West in the first place.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

That is interesting that you visited their grave sites - you must have been visiting the Arlington Cemetery at that time.

I know I just fell off my seat when Aldridge did this about face. So uncharacteristic.

Very true about the Western women.

[Jordan]

Bentley wrote: "That is interesting that you visited their grave sites - you must have been visiting the Arlington Cemetery at that time. "

Exactly! I had a whirlwind tour of DC for my junior year spring break. I was taking AP US History at the time so I was very excited to see every single little thing. :) Arlington was beautiful.

[Bryan]

Cool Jordan, thanks.

I agree, I thought Aldrich's turn around was fascinating. Maybe it was mortality talking, perhaps realizing he wanted to leave something behind in life. I wonder how much was handwriting on the wall. I couldn't judge how strong outside pressure for reform was at this time.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Hard to tell but I think he was thinking of posterity.

[Mike]

Bentley wrote: Did the attitudes against minorities shock you (remember these were the times and the attitudes in 1908!)?

The attitudes did not shock me at all. Discrimination against immigrants seems to be an American tradition that just will not go away. Irish, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Somali, Syrians. It unfortunately does not seem to end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter like most of the group. Taft has always been an afterthought to me, but reading this chapter, it raised my awareness of his character, influence of Nellie (not a bad thing). In reading the chapter, I kept thinking TR truly struggled with the tug of war between influencing Taft and be deferential to him.

[Rachel]

I thought this chapter was good, I got more of an eye view of Taft then I ever had before. I don't know much about him. I did know that he had some feud going on with TR. Just from this chapter I can see how that originated. One, I think that Taft was distancing himself from TR because he didn't want people thinking the reason he became President was due to the fact he was friends with TR. I thought it was presumptuous of TR to tell his cabinet that Taft would be keeping them on when that was not the case. Then went on later to tell Taft that he needed to write them and tell them that he was not keeping them on. which would have irritated me if I was Taft. why should Taft be the one to write then when it was TR who made promises that he had no business doing so in the first place. Then he had the gal to be offended when Taft chose to pick his own cabinet instead of keeping TR cabinet.

[Rachel]

1. Did the attitudes against minorities shock you (remember these were the times and the attitudes in 1908!)?

No I was not shocked, as stated in question this was in the early 1900's - as you stated the attitudes back then were different from it is today. though I was hoping a little more progressive towards women and minorities in their thinking. It just seems that change comes at a snails pace,.

[Lewis]

It is interesting how the ebb and flow of issues, candidates, and public sentiment can affect and determine the success of candidates who run for office. Near the bottom of page 136, we read how Bryan was perhaps a little too late and not quite enough. One almost feels sorry for the man as he tried repeatedly but couldn't quite seem to get his act together at the right time and in the right way.

[Mark]

I had forgotten how much the press played up Taft's grin in the political cartoons of the day. He really did have a memorable smile!