Nobel Peace Prize Presidents

The Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901.  It was to be given "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."  Since then, 4 American Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Theodore Roosevelt (1906): The president who called for speaking softly and carrying a big stick held a peace conference to end the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).  Despite his jingoist reputation - or more likely because of it, Roosevelt had no wars during his presidency and managed to quell one in which the US was not a participant.  He is the only Republican president to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Woodrow Wilson (1919): The president who "kept us out of the war" until he was safely re-elected won the peace prize for his role in founding the League of Nations.  Though he had been its leading proponent, he was unable to convince the US Senate to ratify membership.  Thus, the US didn't join.  The US did join the League's successor, the United Nations.  Secretary of State Cordell Hull won the 1945 Peace Prize for that.

Jimmy Carter (2002): Though he won it long after his presidency ended, his peace prize recognized his years of work as a peacemaker.  Of particular note, the Camp David Accords, which led to a peace deal between Israel and Egypt, were hosted by President Carter during his presidency, very like the peace conference Roosevelt had hosted in 1905.  The 1978 Peace Prize was awarded to Menachem Begin of Israel and Anwar Sadat of Egypt.  The oversight of Carter's role was rectified in 2002.

Barack Obama (2009): President Obama was awarded the peace prize only 9 months into his administration "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."  Whereas the other three presidents had clear accomplishments in pursuit of peace, Obama had only aspirational speeches. At the time, this looked to be an award for things to come. Even Obama himself was astonished and suggested that it was not "a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

In recent decades, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded arbitrarily.  The parameters for the award are clear: 

to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

This is an award for diplomats, disarmament proponents, and peaceniks.  Former VP Al Gore won in 2007 for his film about climate change.  The 2011 peace prize was awarded to those struggling for women's rights in Liberia and Yemen.  The 2014 peace prize recognized efforts to educate young people in India and Pakistan.  Yes, these are laudable goals, but do they best represent the stated intent of the award.  I don't think so.

Presidential Rankings - The Great Ones

I have long disagreed with the regular presidential rankings that are published every few years.  Invariably, the most recent Republicans are at the very bottom and the most recent Democrats rank very highly.  No bias there.  A couple of weeks ago, I came across one by Robert Graboyes that did not follow the usual rankings.  The presidents are separated into quintiles: highly positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, and highly negative.  There is a 6th category for those who died so early in office that they don't merit ranking.  Let's start with the greats (i.e., highly positive):

Graboyes defines highly positive as leaving "at least one blockbuster accomplishment that swamps any negatives."

George Washington:  He was the first president and established what the office would be.  Everything he did became a precedent, including his resignation after 2 terms.  He defined the presidency.

Thomas Jefferson: The third president bought Louisianna from Napoleon, dramatically expanding the United States.  Where most nations were paying protection to the Tripolitan pirates, Jefferson sent the Marines.

James Monroe: Other than Washington, Monroe is the only president to run unopposed for re-election.  His time in office was known as the Era of Good Feelings.  He announced the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere as off-limits to European powers.

James Knox Polk: Nearly doubled the size of the United States and established treasury autonomy.  As a longtime Polk fan, it pleases me greatly that he was placed in the highly positive group.  This surely impacts my view of his overall picks.

Abraham Lincoln:  He saved the Union.  Enough said.

Theodore Roosevelt: He strengthened the presidency and established America as a superpower.  Indeed, he is the first US president to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: He led the allies to victory.

Harry Truman: He began the containment of Communism.

Ronald Reagan: He turned the economy around from the Ford/Carter mess, starting a 25-year economic boom.  More importantly, his strategy ended the Soviets without a war.

Generally, this is a good list.  I will quibble about FDR, whose actions regarding the Great Depression and threats of packing the Supreme Court should cost him a great spot.  However, FDR has been listed as one of the three greats - with Washington and Lincoln - in almost every list.  If Mount Rushmore had been carved in the 50s or later rather than the 20s and 30s, FDR would be on it.

Ex-Presidents Who Ran Again

Generally speaking, when a president has left office, that has been the end of his political career.  Few men go on to seek lesser elective offices or pursue posts inferior to the presidency.  However, some have sought to resume the office of president after having left the job.

Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) had been the attorney general of New York, Governor of New York, a Senator from New York, the Secretary of State, the Vice President under Andrew Jackson, and finally President.  His term did not go well and he was voted out of office in 1840.  However, he sought the Democratic nomination in 1844, but lost to Polk.  In the 1848 election, a party split over the regulation of slavery in the territories led to the Free Soil Party.  The Free Soilers nominated Van Buren.  His running mate was Charles Francis Adams, son of President John Quincy Adams, and grandson of President John Adams.  Though he won 10% of the votes, Van Buren won no electoral votes.

Millard Filmore (1800-1874) had been a congressman and President Zachary Taylor's vice president.  When Taylor died in July 1850, Filmore became president.  Filmore was ambivalent about running for a term of his own in the 1852 election.  He was unpopular with Northern Whigs.  A backroom deal to get the nomination to either Daniel Webster or Filmore fell through, and Winfield Scott became the party nominee.  By 1856, the Whig Party was split by slavery, many migrating to the new Republican Party.  The American Party - better known as the Know Nothing Party - gathered other remnants of the Whigs.  The party nominated Filmore.  Filmore did better than Van Buren, winning 21.5% of the popular vote and 8 electoral votes.

Ulysses Grant (1822-1885) had left the White House after two terms.  However, in the wake of the Hayes Presidency, he sought a return to the presidency.  Many felt that this was a breech of Washington's two-term limit, which surely impacted later results.  In a convention fight, Grant was the lead candidate, but could not secure enough delegates for the nomination.  Eventually, the convention selected James Garfield for the nomination.

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) had won the presidency in 1884, the first Democrat to do so since James Buchanan in 1856.  However, he was voted out in 1888.  Cleveland was determined to return to office.  In the 1892 campaign, he was his party's clear frontrunner, but only narrowly secured the nomination.  He then went on to win the election, becoming the first - and so far only - president to serve non-consecutive terms.  Cleveland did not seek re-election in 1896, perhaps because his party had disowned him for his stance on the gold standard.  He supported the National Democratic Party in 1896 but refused to be the party nominee; this was a splinter party that supported the gold standard.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) had been a New York Assemblyman, New York City Police Commissioner, Governor of New York, Colonel in the Spanish-American War, and Vice President under William McKinley.  He became president on McKinley's assassination and was handily re-elected in 1904.  He selected William Howard Taft to succeed him in 1908.  Displeased with the Taft Administration, Roosevelt sought to win the Republican nomination.  That Taft's margin of victory at the convention came from Southern states that Republicans hadn't won since the 1870s irked Roosevelt.  He formed the Bullmoose Party and thus elected Woodrow Wilson.  Roosevelt won 27% of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes.  Taft won 23% of the vote and only 8 electoral votes.

Donald Trump (1946-) is the first man elected to the presidency who had been neither a politician or a soldier.  After a tumultuous presidency, he was defeated for re-election in one of the most troubled elections on record.  He claimed it was stolen.  He is currently the leading nominee for the Republican Party, having won both Iowa and New Hampshire thus far.  If successful, he will repeat Grover Cleveland's achievement.  Even if not elected, he will be the first ex-president to secure his party's nomination for another run and not win.

Clearly, most modern presidents learned from history that it was almost certainly a losing proposition.  Also, the 25th Amendment limited a president to 10 years, which would have nixed both Grant and Roosevelt's efforts.

Only Living President

As of this writing, there is one sitting president and 5 ex-presidents: President Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter.  There have never been more than 5 living ex-presidents.  One supposes that after George Washington, the following presidents always had a predecessor enjoying his retirement.  In fact, no.  Several presidents have been the only living president during their presidency.

George Washington (1789-1797): As the first president, Washington had no predecessors to consult in the difficult times.  It was up to him to establish how Article 2 of the Constitution would work.  For nearly 8 years, he was the only living president.

John Adams (1797-1801): Having been Washington's VP, Adams knew his predecessor fairly well.  He even called upon Washington to lead an army during the Whiskey Rebellion.  However, Washington died in December 1799, leaving John Adams as the only living president.  He did not win re-election the following year, so his tenure as the only living president was only 1 year and 4 months.

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877): When Grant began his presidency in March 1869, there were 3 ex-presidents: Millard Filmore, Franklin Pierce, and Andrew Johnson.  Pierce died in October 1869, Filmore in January 1874, and Johnson on July 31, 1875.  For the next year and 8 months, Grant was the only living president.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909): Theodore took office upon the assassination of McKinley.  At that time, only 1 previous president was still living: Grover Cleveland.  When Cleveland died on June 24, 1908, Roosevelt was the only living president.  Eight months later, Roosevelt left office.

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933): When Hoover came to office, former President Taft was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Calvin Coolidge retired to Massachusetts.  Taft died in 1930 and Coolidge died on January 5, 1933.  Hoover was the only living president for 2 months.

Richard Nixon (1969-1974): Nixon took office when there were 3 living former presidents.  Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson.  Eisenhower died a couple of months after Nixon was inaugurated in 1969.  Truman died in December 1972 and Johnson died a month later, January 22, 1973.  Richard Nixon was the only living president for the next 18 months, at which time he resigned.

Since 1981, there have been 3 to 5 living former presidents.

Vice Presidential Success Rate

When the vice president becomes president, by whatever means, how does that tend to work?  Let's take a look.

First, let's consider those elected to the presidency on their merits:

1. John Adams served as the first vice president.  When George Washington declined to run for a 3rd term, Adams was elected.  His was a tumultuous presidency and not popular.  He served only one term.

2. Thomas Jefferson served as the second vice president.  Though Adams and Jefferson were on opposite sides of the political aisle of the day, the way the system worked gave the presidency to the man who received the most electoral votes and the vice presidency to the man who received the 2nd most electoral votes.  This was changed for the 1800 election so that Jefferson and Burr ran as the Democratic-Republicans against Adams & Pinkney for the Federalists.  Jefferson proved to be far more popular and successful than the president for whom he was VP.  He served for two terms and is considered one of the great presidents.

3. Martin Van Buren was Andrew Jackson's second VP.  He was elected in 1836 and was then beset by a financial panic the following year.  He only served one term.

4. Richard Nixon served as Eisenhower's VP and ran for the presidency in 1960.  He lost.  However, he ran again in 1968 and won.  Though he was reelected, his second term proved to be a national disaster thanks to Watergate.

5. George Bush was Ronald Reagan's VP for two terms.  In 1988, he ran as the 3rd Reagan term and won in a landslide.  In the wake of the Gulf War, he was so popular that most of the 'formidable' Democrats declined to run.  However, an economic downturn led him to have only the one term.

6. Joseph Biden was Barack Obama's VP for 2 terms.  Unlike most vice presidents, he did not seek election immediately after his stint as VP.  He was elected in 2020 and it is yet to be determined if he will complete a second term like Jefferson or be relegated to one-term status like most of the rest.

Next, there are those who took over in the wake of the president's death through illness.

1. John Tyler spent only a month as the VP before William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia.  Most of the papers referred to Tyler as Acting-President.  This was the first time the VP assumed the office of president and the exact workings were not settled.  Tyler established the ascension of the VP to President, not Acting-President.  He was not a popular president and did not win nomination for re-election.

2. Millard Filmore became president when Taylor died of cholera in 1850.  Having no mandate other than filling out Taylor's term, Filmore was bypassed in favor of Winfield Scott for the Whig Party.  In 1856, he ran as the Know Nothing nominee; he won 8 electoral votes.

3. Calvin Coolidge stepped in when Warren Harding died.  It was the Roaring Twenties and the country was humming.  Coolidge benefitted from the prosperity.  He was elected to a term of his own, serving from 1925 to 1929.  Coolidge declined to run for another term, thinking it would be too much for a man to serve 10 years as president.

4. Harry Truman had only been VP for a few months when FDR died.  He took the helm in the waning days of World War II and dropped the bomb.  He was nominated to continue as president in 1948 and - despite headlines to the contrary - defeated Dewey.  He had a successful presidency and is viewed quite favorably by historians.

Finally, there are the VPs who took office in the wake of a presidential assassination.

1. Andrew Johnson was Abraham Lincoln's second VP and had only served a month when Lincoln was assassinated.  He had a contentious relationship with the Radical Republicans and eventually found himself being impeached, something not to be repeated until Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.  Unsurprisingly, he did not have a term of his own.

2. Chester Arthur took office when James Garfield died.  He had lingered for a couple of months after his shooting.  Arthur was a machine politician who benefitted from the Spoils System and yet became the champion for reform when he was in office.  Though he might have secured a term of his own, Arthur was in poor health and didn't have strong support from the party.  He left office in 1885 and died the following year.

3. Theodore Roosevelt was McKinley's second VP, the first having died in office.  Like Garfield, McKinley lingered and even appeared to be recovering from the assassin's bullet.  Roosevelt took office and proved to be an active executive.  He easily secured a term of his own and even had enough popularity at the end of that term to select his successor.

4. Lyndon Baines Johnson became president when JFK was assassinated in Dallas.  In one of the most lopsided elections, he trounced Barry Goldwater in 1964 and won a term of his own.  However, the Vietnam War crushed his popularity.  He declined to run for a second term and his party lost the 1968 election.

Of the VPs elected on their merits, only Thomas Jefferson can be called a success.  President Biden will have to wait until next year to see if he joins Jefferson.  Of those to take over after a death, both Coolidge and Truman made the office their own and won re-election for themselves.  Of those who took over after an assassination, only Theodore Roosevelt fully succeeded.  LBJ was burdened with an unpopular war and a tumultuous era.

Generally, VPs do not provide strong presidential material.  Of course, that is true of most presidents as well.

The Wind and the Lion (1975)

It is 1904 when a band of Berbers ride into Tangier, Morocco, and kidnap Eden Pedicaris (Candice Bergen) and her two children.  The leader of the kidnappers is Raisuli (Sean Connery), the brother of the Bashaw and the uncle of the Sultan.  News of the kidnapping reaches President Roosevelt (Brian Keith) and he demands "Pedicaris alive or Raisuli dead!"  While Eden and her children are 'guests' of Raisuli, the American ambassador attempts diplomacy with the Bashaw, who claims powerlessness.  Next, he bribes the Sultan with a pair of lions.  The Sultan likewise claims powerlessness.  It is clear that the European powers are courting the Sultan, making American efforts to recover Pedicaris difficult.  Roosevelt calls for gunboat diplomacy and soon several American warships and two companies of Marines arrive in Tangier.

The portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt is outstanding.  Though each scene advances the story, it also details the character of Roosevelt.  The change in setting is glorious: archery range, campaign whistle stop, Yellowstone hunting camp, boxing, shooting range, and the White House.  Keith is outstanding in the role and I have always wished he had another opportunity to play TR.  Of course, Milius must have felt the same as he cast Keith in his next TR movie, Rough Riders, but as President William McKinley.

Sean Connery is an unusual choice for a Berber.  According to IMDb, efforts to teach him an Arab accent were abandoned after 3 days.  Oddly enough, he was cast as an Arab in The Next Man the following year.  Nonetheless, he is quite entertaining in the role and has good chemistry with Candice Bergen.

As for historical accuracy, it drifts further and further from the truth as the movie progresses.  Pedicaris - which should be Perdicaris - was an American expat in his mid-60s.  His stepson, who was in his 40s, was kidnapped with him.  Kidnapped in mid-May, they were released by the end of June.  By contrast, the movie takes place in October 1904 to allow the kidnapping to be a campaign issue for Teddy's re-election campaign.  Though American warships arrived at Tangier, the Marines did not capture the Bashaw's palace.  This was a case of speaking softly and carrying a big stick.  Likewise, the Marines did not have a battle with Germans outside Rabat.  However, it does an excellent job in depicting Roosevelt.  As for Raisuli, the movie implies that he lost everything from the incident, but in fact he won many concessions, including a governorship and the release of many of his imprisoned followers.

Very entertaining and recommended.

Rough Riders (1997)

It is 1920 and Henry Nash (Brad Johnson) limps into his attic to examine some of his old Spanish War memorabilia.  As he looks at a picture of the Rough Riders in Cuba, he declares how he misses them.  The story now switches to 1898 and the declaration of war between the United States and Spain.  Theodore Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) meets with Col. Leonard Wood (Dale Dye) to discuss a volunteer regiment.  Meanwhile, Henry Nash robs a stagecoach in Arizona.  He and his accomplice flee from a posse.  In an effort to escape, they join the volunteers for the war at a train station; they hope the train will leave before the posse arrives.  Nope.  Sheriff Bucky O'Neill (Sam Elliot) arrives.  It turns out they are not a posse, but a bunch of volunteers.  Nonetheless, O'Neill stares knowingly at Nash.

In San Antonio, the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry begins training.  Among the recruits are western cowboys, lawmen, Native Americans, Ivy League collegians, etc.  It is an eclectic collection of men.  Of particular note, almost every named member is based on a real person.  Having just read Roosevelt's account, it was entertaining to see so many of those he named appear in the movie.  Though Nash wants to leave, he is convinced to stay.  This does not please O'Neill, who views him - correctly - as an unreliable soldier.  After a montage of training in terrain that is clearly not San Antonio, the regiment sets out for Florida.  In Florida, the Rough Riders finagle their way onto a transport to Cuba.

In Cuba, the Rough Riders suffer their first casualties at Las Guasimas.  They then advance to the San Juan Heights where the famous charge takes place.  It is just prior to the charge that O'Neill accepts Nash as a worthwhile soldier.  After the battle, Roosevelt requests Stephen Crane (author of the Red Badge of Courage and in Cuba as a correspondent) to take a picture of them.

There follows the return of some of the survivors to their homes and families.  And then, the story returns to the 'present' where Nash stands at the gravesites of some of his fellow Rough Riders and tells them the news of the day and that he has done well.

Berenger is generally very good as Theodore Roosevelt.  There is a clutziness about him, but that is surprisingly accurate.  Though a proponent of the strenuous life and the most famous outdoorsman president, he could seem a bit goofy.  He does not have the look or manner of the classic tough guy hero.  John Milius, who had already made a movie about Roosevelt (The Wind and the Lion, 1975), clearly knows TR.  At times, Roosevelt speaks French and German, demonstrates a knowledge of ornithology, declares his love a books (he was a voracious reader), could be abrupt in manner, and a man of action.  His dashing off to charge the next hill nearly alone is true to history.  He was once described as 'pure act.'

The Henry Nash of the miniseries is not the Henry Nash of history.  Rather than a stagecoach robber, the real Nash was a schoolteacher.  He and O'Neill were friends and political allies in Arizona.  After returning from Cuba, Nash traveled to the Philippines, where he died in 1902.  Considering how good much of the history was for the rest of the show, one wonders why a fictionalized Nash was inserted.  The fictionalized Nash provides an arc for the bad soldier who eventually sees the light.  Meh.  It should have been a truly fictional character, not using the name of a known Rough Rider.

Sam Elliot, who is the third major character of the miniseries, is terrific.  The Western hard-as-nails sheriff fits him perfectly.  Bucky O'Neill died just as shown and had claimed that there wasn't a Spanish bullet that could kill him.

Gary Busey was too young and too tall to play General Joe Wheeler.  Wheeler had been a Confederate General during the Civil War, was only 5'4" and had a full beard.  Busey is 6' and sported only a mustache.

 (bearded man is Wheeler, Roosevelt on the right, and Leonard Wood between them).

Though he didn't look like Fighting Joe, he was quite entertaining in the role.  His mixing up Yankees and Spaniards throughout the battle was good humor.

Brian Keith, who plays President McKinley, had portrayed Roosevelt in The Wind and the Lion.  This was his last movie role, and the movie is dedicated to him.

Overall, a very entertaining miniseries.  Recommended, especially in concert with Roosevelt's account of the Rough Riders.

The Rough Riders

While Theodore Roosevelt was working as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the USS Maine exploded in Havana.  War with Spain followed shortly.  Determined to see combat, Roosevelt immediately set about creating a volunteer force.  Speed was vital if he was to be present when the fighting started.  First, he needed a regimental commander with proven experience and respect.  He chose Leonard Wood, an active military man and Medal of Honor winner.  The 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry was recruited and reported to San Antonio for training.  A motley band, there were cowboys, Native Americans, hunters, miners, Ivy Leaguers, and others.  Many of them were already expert marksmen and skilled horsemen, so much of the training could focus on drill, military etiquette, chain of command, and general discipline.

In May of 1898, the Rough Riders boarded trains for Tampa Bay.  Once there, they boarded the transport ship Yucatan in June, arriving on the coast of Cuba a couple of weeks later.  Though a cavalry regiment, they were not allowed to bring their horses.  Thus, they were cavalry serving as infantry.  Roosevelt details Las Guasimas, the first battle where the Rough Riders saw action.  Thanks to malaria, Colonel Wood was elevated to brigade commander and Roosevelt rose to command the regiment, now Roosevelt's Rough Riders.  There follows the charge up Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill, and finally the siege of Santiago.  By mid-August, the Rough Riders were quarantined on Long Island until malaria abated.

Roosevelt offers extensive praise to the men, often using superlatives.  It is very much an on the ground account, seldom offering details of the bigger picture.  This is the war as Roosevelt saw it, occasionally reinforced with notes on the wider war if necessary.  It is sometime repetitive, giving the impression that there was not a lot of editing before being sent to print.  He does spend several pages countering the writings of other authors, notably on the number of Spanish troops in the area and the details of the Battle of Las Guasimas.  There is also extensive discussion of the lack of transport, food, and medical care.  The American logistics were terrible.  Merely noting that a cavalry regiment was deployed without horses says a lot.  Furthermore, the Spanish had superior rifles and used smokeless gunpowder.  This allowed them to quickly target US artillery and disable it.  Lastly, Roosevelt offered high praise, even pinning the largest share of credit for victory, on Lt. Parker and his Gatling Guns.

Highly entertaining account of one facet of the Spanish-American War.  It is a wonder that in a war that lasted less than 4 months, a volunteer unit was recruited, equipped, trained, and sent into the field to participate side-by-side with regular troops.  Recommended.