Rutherford B. Hayes
Yesterday I decided to list all of the United States presidents that would possibly be invited to join in on the fun at the Tea Party, but I left off at our 15th president James Buchanan. So I will now continue with Part II of the list beginning with all our 16th president Abraham Lincoln. We know Lincoln was a Republican and many members of the GOP still enjoy claiming him as "one of their own." But, Lincoln was a staunch advocate for the sanctity of Federalism and the preservation of the Union, and as such, expended a considerable amount of capital in the form of money and human resources towards that objective. He also cast aside any notions of States' Rights and freed cheap labor enjoyed throughout the Southern Economy, aka slaves. Nope, Lincoln shall remain seated atop his chair in his memorial. He is NOT invited to the Tea Party. How about Andrew Johnson? Well, the Radical Republicans in the House impeached him because he would not punish the South during Reconstruction and he did believe in what would later become Jim Crow laws. So although the Radicals in the House were Republicans, none of them would be today, so Andrew Johnson would rank very high on their VIP invitation list. Andrew Johnson, come on down to the party! We know that U.S. Grant succeeded Johnson, and although Grant had the best initials any Tea Party member could want, he was a Union general and that alone disqualifies him. After Grant we have Rutherford B. Hayes, perhaps best known for his efforts to unite the country towards the end of Reconstruction and as president, enjoyed the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution. Known as a reformer of civil service, Hayes kept his promise to serve one term (which he barely won in a contested electoral college vote against Sam Tilden). Hayes did very little of note as president, so add him to the Tea Parties VIP Invitation list! After Hayes, we had James Garfield, himself a Republican, but he is best remembered for being the first president shot and killed after Lincoln. While president, Garfield re-established presidential authority to ignore the custom of "Senatorial Courtesy" in the appointment of executives to lead governmental departments. The first president to do so was none other than George Washington. Buzzer! No Garfield for the Tea Party then! Following Garfield was his Vice President Chester A. Arthur, who took up the reform of civil service as his lone objective. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act was sought and signed into law by Arthur which was designed to keep corruption out of the federal bureaucracy. All good for the Tea Party right? Nope! Arthur rose to fame after being appointed by President Grant to serve as Collector of the Port of New York, a high profile, high paying patronage job. Cross Arthur off the invite list! Grover Cleveland has the lone distinction of being elected twice for president, after losing a term in between! Although Grover has a name any Norquist and Tea Partyer would love, Cleveland was a Democrat, so forget him and his mugwump bolters from the GOP! Now Benjamin Harrison was a good old boy from Indiana, so that alone should make him important (go Hoosiers!), But Harrison supported tariffs and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, so being opposed to business trusts would run afoul of the Koch Brothers, so who needs Harrison at their party?! Next in line, is good ole Willy McKinley, a real republican for his times. McKinley knew how to stage a war, and despite Roosevelt's constant prodding, he eventually gave the green light to the Spanish-American War and the Yellow Journalism that came with it. But McKinley also supported tariffs, so we can't expect the Far Right of the GOP to tolerate that because Norqiust might go into a hissy fit. Sorry McKinley, they wouldn't take you either. Theodore Roosevelt was the real accidental president. Parked into the Vice President spot, Roosevelt was the lone dissenting vote at his own GOP nominating convention to serve under McKinley. Roosevelt, ever the progressive reformer, advanced to the Executive Mansion when McKinley was assassinated. So much for the GOP's plan to bury TR in the VP role. TR's progressive reforms would infuriate the Tea Party, as evidenced by the modern GOP running as far way from the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt as possible. They would not even have approved of the bolter Bull Moose party (that led to the election of Woodrow Wilson).
So as we head into Part III of this presidential invitation list rundown, we now have the following United States Presidents eligible for admission into the Tea Party: Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Rutherford B. Hayes, all presidential heavy weights! So powerful were these people that they remain at or near the bottom of all rankings for US Presidents, which coincidentally, puts them at the top of the Tea Party's VIP Invitation list. Let me know which presidents you would invite to the Tea Party! Check back tomorrow for Part III of Which President Would be Invited To The Tea Party?
So as we head into Part III of this presidential invitation list rundown, we now have the following United States Presidents eligible for admission into the Tea Party: Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Rutherford B. Hayes, all presidential heavy weights! So powerful were these people that they remain at or near the bottom of all rankings for US Presidents, which coincidentally, puts them at the top of the Tea Party's VIP Invitation list. Let me know which presidents you would invite to the Tea Party! Check back tomorrow for Part III of Which President Would be Invited To The Tea Party?
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