Martin E. Dempsey Quotes

Mrs. Carter attended cabinet meetings sitting in the rear and taking copious notes. This at the time was very controversial in that no First Lady before had ever attended a cabinet meeting—not even Eleanor Roosevelt.

Commenting on running for the presidency:

Earl of Stockton

At that time, most of the leading Republicans practiced negative campaigning with vicious personal attacks that were often untrue. He was the only one of the 9 candidates who did not engage in the technique. He came in close to last.

Hoover had to cope with the Great Depression. His administration was hapless in improving the economy as he was in a philosophical bind in that he was opposed in principle to doing almost anything that would help the situation. He just did not believe that government should engage in the activities that were necessary. His 1932 campaign had him trying to explain his thinking as to why government should not do much. Stimson and many other Republicans disagreed as so many Americans were suffering so badly. However, most publicly supported their party’s President even as many had private misgivings. Hoover was thrown out of office in an FDR landslide win. His policies government activist policies and programs improved the economy but it tool almost a decade to recover.

Although a right wing conservative, he shared the view of many liberals that it costs so much money and needs so many rich contacts to raise enough money to run for President, that the reality is beyond the reach of ordinary Americans. Since Harry Truman, all the Presidents have been affluent, and most millionaires.

This is a wonderful historical picture of FDR on his campaign train. Note that the President liked to listen to ideas of many people. Unlike most Presidents he did not have any particular political programs that he advocated in his campaigning. He had no immediate answers to the Great Depression that he had inherited from the Hoover administration. But unlike Hoover, and most Presidents, he was willing to try ideas for which there was no advance evidence of success. If that did not help, he would try something else. He sought ideas from anyone and everyone. His enemies called him a weak leader who had no ideology—no principles but just trying unproven solutions to solve the nation’s critical problems. But it worked and he was elected 4 times—the only President who had served even 3 terms.

As this quotation illustrates each generation tends to claim that the political and societal critics and pundits have deteriorated in their wisdom and, analysis, and intellect.

He had been offered a Cabinet position in Washington. He had been a respected judge in Ohio and was only tangentially involved with politics. What he did see of it he did not like. However, others pressed upon him his duty to help the country and he took the position. But he was never comfortable or even very skilled and the political end of Cabinet service but he was extremely skilled at the administrative and policy making aspect. Theodore Roosevelt personally selected him to be his successor and Roosevelt get him elected. Even when he was President, he rarely enjoyed it and was not very good at the political end of things which caused Roosevelt to be disappointed and then campaign against Taft’s second term.

Churchill and the British Military wanted to start the offensive against Hitler by attacking and dislodging the Germans and Italians in North Africa and then attacking Italy before attacking France. The American military Generals wanted to attack France first and did not want an African campaign to divert from the main objective. However, France would take much longer to prepare for, and Americans were very anxious to have our forces go on the offensive. Roosevelt overruled the Generals and sided with Churchill also arguing that rolling up some victories in North Africa would be good for American morale and give us more time to produce more tanks, plans and other munitions which were then rolling off the assembly lines and an incredible clip. Churchill also advised that American troops were green and Africa would be good preparation. It turned out that this was the better course of action.