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Posts Tagged ‘presidential trivia’

Warren G. Harding

(March 1921 – August 1923)

First Off: A Prize to Anyone who knows what the G stands for without looking it up!!!

  • Wobbly Warren
  • Prsident Hardly
  • Ran on the Slogan: A Return to Normalcy (A word Harding made up for his campaign – which obvs. peeved HL Mencken (see quote below)).
  • His mother called him ‘Winnie’ (Gotta Admit: Not too butch)

 harding_warren

THE TRIVIAL:

  • Generally and consistently ranked by scholars as one of the worst presidents of all time.
  • Harding played poker at least twice a week, once gambling away a set of presidential china dating back to Benjamin Harrison. His cabinet was often referred to as the Poker Cabinet because they all played poker together.
  • Many incorrectly claim that Harding coined the term ‘bloviating’ but it was recorded in print prior to Harding’s birth.
  • Both of Harding’s parents were doctors.
  • First President to have a golf course named after him.
  • First newspaper publisher to be elected president.
  • First President to travel to Canada (He stopped over on the way to Alaska. Also; He was the first president to visit Alaska).
  • Warren G  has the distinction of having the largest feet of any president with a size 14.
  • And PS – the G stands for Gamaliel.

And finally, we leave you with a quote from H. L. Mencken:

He writes the worst English that I have ever encountered. It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered washing on the line; it reminds me of stale bean soup, of college yells, of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it. It drags itself out of the dark abysm of pish, and crawls insanely up the topmost pinnacle of posh. It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash

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 Theodore Roosevelt

 

  • Theodore the Meddler
  • Trustbuster
  • TR or Teddy
  • The Cyclone Assemblyman
  • Rough Rider and Hero of San Juan Hill
  • Old Four Eyes
  • The Lion

(Walk softly and stand near a big globe).

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Benjamin Harrison

In Office: 1889-1893

  • KidGloves Harrison (attributed to the mudslinging or to the fact that he was prone to skin rashes and wore gloves frequently)
  • The White House Iceberg or Human Iceberg (Gave warm speeches to groups but was very cold one-on-one)
  • Young Tippecanoe (Grandson of Ol Tippecanoe)
  • The Front Porch Campaigner (gave more than 90 impromptu speeches from his front porch)
  • Grandfather’s Hat (from Campaign song “Grandfather’s Hat Fits Ben”)
Benjamin Harrison Picture
Benjamin Harrison

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Grover Cleveland

(1885-1889)

  •  Uncle Jumbo
  • The Perpetual Candidate
  • The Stuffed Prophet
  • Elephantine Economist
  • The Hangman of Buffalo
  • His Obstinancy or The Veto President
  • The Beast of Buffalo

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James A. Garfield

March 4, 1881-September 19, 1881

 

  • The President Preacher (was a lay preacher for the Church of Christ)
  • Boatman Jim or The Canal Boy (referring to early occupation)
  • The Plow-Boy of Ohio

At the time of the Republican National Convention, Garfield was a current member of the House of Representatives. Right before he left for the convention, he had been named to replace a senate seat from Ohio that had just been vacated. By the 36th vote at the convention, Garfield had been named nominee for the presidential election and that senate seat Garfield now declined eventually went to John Sherman (who Garfield had gone to the convention to support as presidential nominee).

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Ulysses S. Grant

1869-1877

  • Unconditional Surrender Grant
  • The Hero of Appomattox
  • Useless Grant
  • The Galena Tanner (Due to his Artificially Orange pallor)

 

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Andrew Johnson

April 1865-March 1869

  • Father of the Homestead Act
  • Andrew the Sot (for giving an inaugural address as Veep in a less than sober state)
  • Old Andy
  • The Tennessee Tailor
  • Sir Veto

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James Buchanan

(1857-1861)

  • The Bachelor President – Only President Never to Marry
  • Ten Cent A Day Jimmy – Thought that was a decent, living wage
  • The Sage of Wheatland – His home in Lancaster County , PA
  • Old Buck
  • Old Public Functionary
  • Old Fogey
  • The Cannon – Play on his last name

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Zachary Taylor

(March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850)

  • Old Rough and Ready (disdained the luxurious afforded to senior officers, preferring to ‘rough it’ along with all the other ranks)
  • Old Zach
  • Hero of Buena Vista (referring to Mexican War)

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James K. Polk (1845-1849)

  • Young Hickory -Because he was backed by “Old Hickory,” Andrew Jackson
  • Napoleon of the Stump -Due to fiery speeches at the stump
  • Dark Horse Candidate – Le Duh.

(Wait. – Are you seeing what I’m seeing? James Polk rocked a mullet. Kudos).

When Polk took office he had four clear objectives:

  • Purchase of California from Mexico
  • Reduction of tariffs
  • Re-establish the Independent Treasury System
  • Acquire part or all of the Oregon territory

Resolved to only serve one term, Polk accomplished all four of his goals. (Are you loving Polk yet? Doesn’t he seem like a breath of fresh air?)

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John Tyler (1841-1845)

  • Honest John
  • His Accidency
  • The President without a Party
  • Traitor Tyler
  • The Veto President

 

 

John Tyler was the first Vice President to assume the office of President after William Henry Harrison’s untimely death one month into his term. The 25th Ammendment which codifies the assumption of power was not actually ratified until 1967. In Tyler’s time, some were calling for an acting president or “acting caretaker” to be named until a new election could be held. Harrison’s cabinet objected (fearing no legislation would get through) and Tyler took the oath of office on April 6, 1841.

 

Tyler was rarely taken serioulsy during his time in office. Tyler had been expected to adhere closely with the Whig party (of which he was a member). But, Tyler shocked party members by vetoing virtually their entire agenda. Tyler was officially expelled from the Whig party in 1841, months after taking office.

 

Tyler advocated the annexation of Texas which most of the Whig party opposed as it would upset the balance between North and South and risked war with Mexico. Tyler pushed Congress to annex Texas through an adopted joint resolution which they did. Tyler finally got word to his representative in Texas on March 3, 1845 (Tyler’s last day in office) to officially announce the annexation. After a period of instinctual scepticism, James K. Polk confirmed the annexation and Texas was formally admitted to the union in December 1845.

TYLER TRIVIA:

  • Tyler was playing marbles when he learned that he was to be president
  • Tyler was the first president to have his veto overridden.
  • Only president to have served as President pro tempore of the Senate
  • Tyler had the most children of any President (with 15)
  • Twenty years after leaving office, Tyler joined the Confederacy, becoming the only President to be a sworn enemy of the United States
  • Tyler was great-unle of Harry S. Truman
  • Tyler’s second wife initiated the practice of having “Hail to the Chief” played everytime the president entered the room.

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James Monroe (1817-1825)

  • The Last of The Cocked Hats (Still wore the tricorne hat, long out of fashion)
  • James the Second (As he succeeded James Madison)
  • James the Lesser (As Madison was seen as the stronger leader of the 2)
  • Era of Good Feelings President (Era reflected the time after War of 1812, the country was less politically divided)

 monroe.jpg 

For those of you keeping score at home, Monroe makes 4 out of 5 of the first presidents from Virginia (Adams being from Massachusetts).

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