Comments on: Presidents’ Day: Amity Schlaes’ biography of Coolidge

By: Bill Brandt

Bill Brandt — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:19:36 +0000

When I started The Forgotten man i had believed the hype involving Coolidge: That he was pretty much a silent do-nothing figurehead.

He apparently really believed in free markets and people, through the incentive of their own well-being, doing the right thing for society.

On the coming Depression – he would have pretty much left things along for them to eventually right themselves. Hoover was the “whiz kid” engineer – his interventionist politics, and FDRs even worse ones, is what prolonged the Depression – making it over 10 years when the rest of the world was coming out of it.

Silent Cal is one of the better Presidents seemingly forgotten by history.

By: Orson

Orson — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:08:51 +0000

To go by the excerpts, Heilbrunn appears to be of the “Boo! Hiss…” and “Yea!” school of historical interpretation. In other words, relevant empirical measures need not matter to him. Which is hoe I see most of the fascist-Left operates these days (cf “drsanity” for further expansion of this thesis).

By: Cris

Cris — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:13:27 +0000

Ira Katznelson’s review is more respectful than the silent sneer of Heilbrunn. I heard Shlaes on Kudlow and Hewitt, and I’m looking forward to more discussion. I know little about Coolidge and the time.
Back when I was a young political organizer, I met the bluest of blue bloods that Chicago has to offer at a wedding reception for his step-daughter. Without a word spoken by him I understood that my presence had been acknowledged, his duty done, and that I was dismissed.
Heilbrunn’s tone reminds of that incident. These people are amusing.

By: Cris

Cris — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:07:34 +0000

Ira Katznelson’s review is more respectful than the silent sneer of Heilbrunn. I heard Shlaes on Kudlow and Hewitt, and I’m looking forward to more discussion.
Back when I was a young political organizer, I met the bluest of blue bloods that Chicago has to offer at a wedding reception. Without a

By: Michael Kennedy

Michael Kennedy — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:57:24 +0000

Good observations. I need to get back to the book and finish it. Coolidge had excellent relations with organized labor at the time.

So far it has had some new insights for me and I have read almost everything written on Coolidge.

By: DirtyJobsGuy

DirtyJobsGuy — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:41:44 +0000

I just finished the book and was struck by a couple of items;

1. Coolidge entered politics as a TR progressive (as seemed to be most young Republicans at the time), but his upbringing in an isolated Vermont village taught him to prize independence as well as thrift. Later he was to discard the bits of progressivism that required larger government expenditures (both at the Federal and State level).

2. He won elections despite of his tight purse by his increasing reputation as a trustworthy, honest man. Something all aspiring politicians should remember. His modesty as a public figure was a huge asset, not only because it was popular but because the public saw it was genuine.

3. His education seemed both typical of his era and light years ahead of most college students today. (Similar of Lincoln, etc.) He read (apprenticed) the law instead of going to one of the newish law schools. Didn’t seem to hold him back.

Finally, he kept his ego in check (I think he saw this as a personal failing and kept it from occurring).

By: Assistant Village Idiot

Assistant Village Idiot — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:43:16 +0000

It was a worldwide depression, which Coolidge saw coming and speculated grimly what “Wonderboy” (Hoover, who he disliked) would do about that. In retrospect, 1928 would have been a good election for Republicans to lose.

By: Michael Kennedy

Michael Kennedy — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:42:09 +0000

“Amity Shlaes said on Amazon that she “delayed Coolidge, largely to expand the economic section, which addresses debt and leadership.””

I missed that. Thanks.

By: Mrs. Davis

Mrs. Davis — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:24:09 +0000

Amity Shlaes said on Amazon that she “delayed Coolidge, largely to expand the economic section, which addresses debt and leadership.”