Newt: FDR Was The ‘Greatest President’ Of The 20th Century

Breibart TV ^ | December 12, 2011 | Staff

[silverleaf]

Oh, you baaaad Mist’ Rhett...

LOL!

[Genoa]

Historian Geoffrey C. Ward titled his biography of FDR “A First-Class Temperament.” I think that perfectly sums up FDR. Many of his policies were absolutely misguided, but he had that certain something, a confidence that makes a leader inspiring. He established the standard for what is presidential in terms of temperament. Reagan had it too, but not like FDR.

[RockinRight]

Reagan praised FDR, too.

[AnalogReigns]

It depends on what “great” is. FDR’s domestic policies were not great. His leadership skills in wartime were.

Exactly. Considering that FDR ushured us through the greatest economic crises in US history (the Great Depression)(even though badly...), AND the greatest war in world history (WWII), AND that he was in power for over 12 years.... one can call him the "greatest" (certainly the most influential) president of the 20th Century.

Of course in the "influential" sense, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were "great" too.

Besides all that, FDR's biggest wartime leadership skill--was his military ignorance--and leaving the war up to the generals.

Blessedly, Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, et al., were real pros.

[ssaftler]

Unfortunately most people don’t accept our analysis that FDR prolonged the depression.

It's not that FDR prolonged the depression. It's just that, like the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, he used pointy-headed academicians who had no real-world experience to theorize us out of the doldrums. And he had an even MORE fawning press corps to tell the unwashed masses how brilliant he was.

Been reading "A Patriot's History of the US" by Larry Schweikert, and the parallels between BHO's policies and those of FDR are downright scary.

[WOBBLY BOB]

according to or thanks to?

[RockinRight]

Great means something different to a historian than everyone else.

Think of historical figures who have “the Great” appended to their names. They weren’t all rainbows and skittles, some of them were tyrants. “Great” in this definition means powerful, effective, not necessarily someone you agree with.

Do I know that’s what Newt meant? Not at all, but it’s possible.

BTW, Reagan praised FDR too, and he turned out OK.

[VanDeKoik]

I just shrug at them.

They are pimping another candidate, and this is how they think they will help them rise in the polls.

[lbryce]

FDR Goes to War: How Expanded Executive Power, Spiraling National Debt, and Restricted Civil Liberties Shaped Wartime America
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2786836/posts

Reviews:"FDR Goes to War is a page-turning tour de force -- and a scholarly one, at that -- of the politics and economics of America's involvement in WWII. Be prepared to rethink much of what you think you know about FDR, the war, and the post-Depression U.S. economy." --Don Bordreaux, Chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University "In New Deal or Raw Deal? Burt Folsom exposed FDR's failed policies during the Great Depression. Now, in FDR Goes to War, he pulls the curtain back even further. Burt and Anita Folsom have produced a book that should be read by all Americans. This is the real history you do not find in textbooks." -- James P. Duffy, author of Lindbergh Vs. Roosevelt

"Few in the history profession have done more to shed light on the real Franklin Delano Roosevelt than Burt Folsom. With FDR Goes to War, Folsom and his wife Anita educate Americans on the facts we should have known but were never taught.

You will find this book both shocking and refreshing." -- Lawrence W. Reed, president, Foundation for Economic Education

"A compelling look at a fascinating man in a devastating war. This is the FDR concealed for over half a century by liberal academics and biased journalists. You will learn a lot from this engaging and readable book." -- Paul Kengor, professor of political science, Grove City College, and author of Dupes Product Description From the acclaimed author of New Deal or Raw Deal?, called “eye-opening” by the National Review

[BunnySlippers]

I can’t believe a Conservative would vote for Newt. And multiple marriages made freepers go nuts when Rudy ran.

I’m supporting Perry. I think he has a second round in him.

[wardaddy]

Here is a link to a pretty concise article on whom I consider the 20th century's greatest president speaking about FDR:

Here

Here is a snippet:

“Roosevelt, according to Reagan, was a strong leader, one to emulate in certain respects. He had taken over the presidency during a time of unprecedented crisis and implemented a plan of action to bring the nation out of its doldrums. Reagan fondly recalled FDR’s Fireside Chats, which were designed to give hope to the people. “His strong, gentle, confident voice resonated across the nation with an eloquence that brought comfort and resilience to a nation caught up in a storm and reassured us that we could lick any problem. I will never forget him for that.” As governor of California later, Reagan had to deal with a Democratic legislature. “It occurred to me that I had an opportunity to go over their heads.” How? He used radio and television to communicate directly with the people of California, a tactic he traced back to FDR’s Fireside Chats, which, he commented, “made an indelible mark on me during the Depression.”
As president, Reagan often mentioned his admiration for FDR’s spirit of leadership. On a trip back to his alma mater, Eureka College, in 1984, he reminded his listeners what it was like to experience the Great Depression, and how the Fireside Chats had been so reassuring. “All of us who lived through those years,” he instructed them, “remember the drabness the depression brought. But we remember, too, how people pulled together, that sense of community and shared values, that belief in American enterprise and democracy that saw us through. It was that engrained American optimism, that sense of hope Franklin Roosevelt so brilliantly summoned and mobilized.” In his view, FDR was instrumental in reviving an inherent American optimism that was endangered by the economic crisis.”

Myself...I don't care for FDR much except giving him credit for most of his conduct in WWII...but not all..(Yalta, work up to Potsdam)

But older folks often have misty views on the FDR legacy...my dad didn't but my mom did..both were GOP from Ike on as young parents

I bet you can mine comments of even Buckley and Barry saying something nice about FDR ...

if Beck (a loon to me) or any of you guys wish to go 3rd...then that is nothing but a vote for Obama

and Beck going for Mr Weird about Jews Ron Paul is absurd and ain't gonna happen

there is no man on the planet who wishes he were Jewish by birth more than Glenn Beck...except maybe a few freepers

[JohnD9207]

I would really like to like Newt, but his counterattack on Mittens scares me to death. First Mitt was working in the free market, and sometimes companies like Bain have to come in and take over troubled companies, or would you prefer that the Federal Government do it? Sometimes there is no happy ending, but Mittens earned his money honestly.

Mittens made a valid point that after politicians leave office they hang around and do consultant work, like banks hiring thieves to help them combat theft.

It concerns me when a so called conservative attacks private industry while calling on government solutions for the rest of us to pay for. Not much difference between a progressive liberal democrat and a progressive republican except for the D or R after their name. Conservatives here better wake up and rediscover what Conservatism is.

[Don Corleone]

In one respect both FDR and Truman were great. Their bungling resurrected interest in the Republican alternative.

[ConservativeInPA]

I’d like to see the Newt’s speeches where these clips were derived in full. I worry about Newt being “effective”. I think that is the main thing that he admires about FDR. (although FDR was very effective at socialism) I don’t want to rely on congress to keep Newt in check if he is elected. It needs to be the other way around. We need an effective president, but he needs to be effective in eliminating government - entire departments.

[RockinRight]

Newt will be a total disaster for Conservatism (and the GOP), if we are foolish enough to choose him.

I seem to remember the period from 1995 - 1998 working out pretty well for conservatism despite Slick Willie being President...Newt deserves credit for that.

[indianrightwinger]

Newt is a progressive, liberal, republican. He will “newk” the conservatives once he gets anywhere close to the nomination, and certainly if he ever wins the Presidency (almost no chance he beats Obama).

[dsc]

Nail. Coffin. Final.

[Fiji Hill]

Think of historical figures who have “the Great” appended to their names. They weren’t all rainbows and skittles, some of them were tyrants. “Great” in this definition means powerful, effective, not necessarily someone you agree with.

My high school history teacher noted that most of those rulers who have "the great" appended to their names killed a lot of people.

[j.argese]

I can’t believe a Conservative would vote for Newt. And multiple marriages made freepers go nuts when Rudy ran.

...

Yet these same FReepers ignore Limbaugh's multiple nuptials

[Graewoulf]

Newt is a BIG Government guy. His wealth, fame and book sales are a direct result of his fondness, and unshakable belief in the goodness of a Big Brother Style US Federal Government.

The US Nanny-State got a big boost when Teddy Roosevelt urged the creation of the US Department of Education (1912), and National education levels have been going downward ever since.

TR’s cousin, FDR, rammed through the Socialist Security Ponzi System, and it went bankrupt in 2010.

FDR’s fair-haired boy was LBJ, and he and Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us Medicare and Medicaid, which bankrupted the US Federal Government decades ago.

Not to be outdone, the Republicans became RINOS and gave us Food Stamps (Nixon), and “No child Left Behind” (GWB).

Thus, Chairman Obama found it easy to Nationalize the Medical and Insurance segments of our bankrupt economy, when he rammed through Obama”care” on Christmas Eve, 2009.

Who was the GREATEST President as:

a.) Contributor to today’s Welfare/Entitlement Plantation?

b.) Leader of the Free World in time of military crisis?

c.) Defender of the US Constitution?

d.) An inspiration to future generations of American Citizens?

On the basis of the above quiz, I’d say that Nanny-State Newt would choose “a” and “d” for FDR, possibly “b”, but not “c.”

Nanny-Newt say: “Big Government has been belly, belly goood to me!”