The Presidents #22: Grover Cleveland, first term

[Ardent15]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Cleveland

Discuss him and his first term as President.

[salguine]

1. Only President named after a Muppet.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Wrong. FDR was named after Roosevelt Franklin.

Who, according to historians, Roosevelt's mother just loved.

[Captain Hilts]

2. As a small kid, FDR met Grover Cleveland in the White House. FDR's dad was a 'Cleveland' Democrat

And Cleveland was from NY State.

The American Experience special on FDR got the origin of his party affiliation WRONG - he did NOT become a Dem to avoid TR's kids - he was a Dem because his dad had been one.

Rumor has it that Cleveland told FDR that he wished for him that he never live in the White House.

[David in Canada]

3. Interesting Anecdote!

I appreciated the historical anecdote, Captain Hilts! :)

Is it possible that Cleveland telling a young(ish) FDR that he hoped he never lived in the White House gave him a bit of a motivation to push for the presidency?

Cleveland and FDR were rather polar opposites in terms of ideology. Cleveland's economic policies were closer to the modern Libertarians than it was to FDR or even Clinton's centrist policies.

[Captain Hilts]

5. The whole Democratic/Republican thing has really gotten turned around, hasn't it?

FDR's dad knew Cleveland pretty well.

I love stuff like that.

[Drunken Irishman]

8. The Hyde Park Roosevelts were always Democratic. Oyster Bay Roosevelts were generally Republican.

So yeah, you're correct. He was born into a Democratic family. Though Isaac Roosevelt, FDR's great-great-grandfather, was a Federalist.

[Zomby Woof]

10. By all accounts

FDR admired his cousin Teddy tremendously. Considering the progressive path TR took domestically, it's not much of a stretch to imagine why.

[Zomby Woof]

9. The story goes

Cleveland told the 6 year old FDR, "I have a strange wish for you, young man. That you may never grow up and become President of the United States."

Cleveland was the first president to marry while in the White House.

His 1884 campaign was dogged by rumors that he had fathered an illegitimate child with a widow. Republican nominee James Blaine adopted the campaign slogan, "Ma! Ma! Where's my Pa?"

When Cleveland won, the Democrats shot back, "Gone to the White House, ha ha ha!".

[Drunken Irishman]

11. They were a lot more clever back then, eh?

Now you've got "SOCIALIST!" "PALS AROUND WITH TERRORISTS!" "HE AIN'T AMERICAN!"

:eyes:

[Arkana]

4. Grover Cleveland...hmmm...

His philosophy of government was that the Presidency was not an "activist" vehicle, but rather a guard dog--i.e. that it should not lead the charge for change, but it should be the country's first line of defense against anything perceived as "harmful".

It made for a rather bland and boring Presidency. Still, he was the first President to get married while in office--and to a woman that was more than 20 years his junior, I believe.

[SoxFan]

6. His grandson is an active Democrat in Carroll County, NH

Almost won a state senate seat a few years ago. The local Democrats hold an annual "Grover Cleveland Dinner" as their big fundraising event. Howard Dean and Bill Richardson have been speakers in recent years.

[Drunken Irishman]

12. Cleveland was one of those forgettable presidents.

Probably best known as the only president to win non-consecutive terms to office.

[That Is Quite Enough]

13. Decent president, personally was one of the more principled Gilded Age politicians

[iwearshoesinky]

14. The Best Thing About Cleveland

Cleveland's presidency was actually the only one without any foreign interventions.

[Alexander]

15. He won the popular vote all three times he was the nominee...

One of only two presidents to do so, the other being Andrew Jackson.

The last Democratic president to wholeheartedly support the gold standard.