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 Terrible Ones

These are the presidential disasters, highly-negative leaders who clearly damaged the well-being of the nation.

Franklin Pierce: An unknown politician unprepared for the presidency.  His last surviving child died shortly before Pierce assumed the presidency, sending him into alcohol and grief.  He pandered to slave owners and vilified abolitionists.  The Gadsden Purchase took place during his presidency.

James Buchanan: Most impressive resume prior to George H W Bush, but twiddled his thumbs as the country descended into Civil War.  Did nothing as the South seceded after the election but before Lincoln's inauguration.

Andrew Johnson: Lincoln's greatest mistake.  A pro-slavery demagogue who was entirely unsuited to the task of healing a nation in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Woodrow Wilson: Worst racist in presidential history.  Reversed racial progress rather than accept the status quo.  Set the stage for the rise of the Nazis and WWII.  Imprisoned political opponents, notably Eugene Debs.  Held constitutional limits in low regard, ignored civil liberties, refused to negotiate with Senate Republicans in foreign policy (which killed his League of Nations), and hid his debilitating stroke for more than a year at the end of his term.

Herbert Hoover: Tragic figure.  Brilliant, accomplished, and well-meaning.  However, he was a compulsive busybody whose efforts to fix the economy only worsened the Great Depression.  Began many of the New Deal policies that FDR adopted; they were all bad.

Jimmy Carter: Economic incompetence, foreign affairs disasters, angering allies and fawning over enemies.  Responsible for the rise of the Iranian mullahs.  Emboldened Islamic terrorists for decades thereafter by showing such astonishing weakness.  The malaise speech, the misery index, inability to get along with Congressional Democrats, let alone the Republicans.  Acted to undermine virtually every successor, regardless of party.

Yes, I can agree with this bunch.  Franklin Pierce wasn't even considered as the candidate until the 35th ballot.  The big guns - Lewis Cass, James Buchanan, Stephen Douglas, and William Marcy - could not assemble two-thirds of the delegates to capture the nomination.  Pierce was a dark horse who was enough of a blank slate that he won the nomination on the 49th ballot.  Is it any wonder he was not ready for the job.  The Democrats saw their error from 1852 and did not renominate Pierce in 1856, instead choosing Buchanan.  Despite a tremendous resume, he too failed miserably.  Like George H W Bush, Buchanan was groomed for a foreign policy presidency and was unsuited to domestic issues.  Andrew Johnson was a Tennessean who favored the Union.  Straddling both sides, one would think he would be ideal in the wake of the war.  Instead, he paved the way for Jim Crow rather than racial equality.  Wilson did not like the Constitution or the Republic it established.  He was indeed a horrible president.  Hoover had been part of the Harding Administration when Secretary of Treasury Andrew Mellon deftly turned Wilson's post-war depression into nearly a decade of prosperity.  Instead of trying to duplicate that, he tinkered and meddled, transforming a downturn into the Great Depression.  I would guess that Graboyes had first-hand experience with the Carter presidency based on the laundry list of failings.  I've always viewed Carter in much the way he paints Hoover: a well-meaning man who inadvertently did far more harm than good.

Responding to a comment regarding his rankings, Graboyes said that the six terribles led to hell: Pierce & Buchanan to the Civil War, Johnson to Jim Crow, Wilson to Nazism, Hoover to Depression, and Carter to Jihadism.  He also speculates that it might have been better to have 7 tiers rather than 5.

A Ridiculous Comparison

From Michael Beschloss on NBC to an article in The Hill, historians are likening Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race to George Washington's retirement after his 2nd term.  That's utter nonsense and any honest historian knows it.  It is this sort of drivel that has ruined the reputation of higher education.  George Washington could have been king!  He could have served as president for life.  He did neither.  Despite being in a position to dictate the future of the now free colonies, he stepped aside.  Unanimously chosen to serve as the first president, he accepted the burden.  When he retired again, he said to John Adams - the 2nd president - "I am fairly out, and you are fairly in.  See which of us will be the happiest."  He did not covet power, which is his greatness.

Biden withdrew because his party demanded it.  Campaign donations had dried up after his horrendous debate performance.  It would be better to compare him to Lyndon Johnson, who withdrew on account of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam.  Viewed as an American defeat, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.  LBJ was divisive yet effective.  Despite his overwhelming victory for re-election in 1964, he saw his odds of winning in 68 as long.  Yeah, that sounds a lot more like Joe Biden.  Biden's mental decline has been obvious throughout his presidency even as the media and his party have sought to hide it.  The debate wrecked that strategy.  His odds of winning in November were approaching nil.  The party needed to make a change or Trump would return.

Less partisan historians in the future will see that Joe Biden was a figurehead, an ambitious politician who achieved the presidency after his capacity to fill that role had faded.  He will be compared with Woodrow Wilson, who spent the end of his presidency as an invalid on account of a stroke.  Jill Biden will be compared to Edith Wilson; first ladies who sought to hide their husband's ailments from the public and perhaps exercise power in their stead.

The Trouncing, Part 2

I have viewed Joe Biden as unqualified from the beginning.  As such, his performance wasn't a shock to me.  Most of my news sources have revealed his plentiful gaffes, his difficulties with keeping his train of thought, his spaced-out expression, and so forth.  Coming into the debate with that viewpoint, I was not at all surprised.  However, for those who have been watching the mainstream media, which has continually reported that Biden was at the top of his game, a sharp cookie behind closed doors, a man with purpose and vision, the debate came as a shock.  His diminished capacity has been intentionally hidden by the very people who are supposed to inform the public.  This was a huge blow to the trustworthiness of the media, an institution that is already at record lows for trustworthiness.

It is clear that Joe Biden is not making the decisions in the White House.  We have a repeat of President Wilson's last year in office.  Is Jill Biden the true president, as Edith Wilson was from October 1919 until March 1921?  Or are there other actors?  It sure isn't Joe Biden.

Ouroboros

An ouroborous is a snake that eats its own tail.  Such creatures have existed in many mythologies though the most noted is probably Jormungandr, the Norse serpent that encircles the world.  It is fated to slay Thor during Ragnarok (Norse Doomsday) while also being killed by the thunder god.  I mention this because the Democratic Party is starting to resemble an Ouroboros.  A few months ago, I noted here that most Democratic Presidents would be found lacking as far as racial sensitivity was concerned.  At that time, the problem was Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.  Now the issue is Woodrow Wilson.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/18/princeton-students-take-over-presidents-office-demand-erasure-of-woodrow-wilson/

As more and more Democratic Presidents are attacked by Democratic constituencies, the foundation will erode.  Recall, it was the Democratic Party that defended segregation and Jim Crow into the 1960s.  It was Orval Faubus - Democrat Governor of Arkansas - who opposed racial integration and Dwight Eisenhower - Republican President - who federalized the national guard to enforce Brown vs. Board of Education.  Eisenhower also signed the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960.  Today, the only one anyone remembers is the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  It should be noted that Strom Thurmond - then a Democrat - filibustered the 1957 Civil Rights act for more than 24 hours, setting a record for a one man filibuster.  What about the infamous Bull Connor?  Yeah, he was a Democrat.  Governor George "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" Wallace was a Democrat.

 

The Ku Klux Klan was an ally of the Democratic Party from its founding, achieving its highest membership in the mid 1920s.  Let's look at Klansmen who entered politics:

Harry Truman, Democrat President: Briefly dabbled with the Klan in the mid 20s, when it was at its peak.  If he did join (it is in doubt), it was in order to get votes for his reelection campaign of 1924.

Robert Byrd, Democrat Senator: Achieved title of Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops but left organization in 1940s.

Hugo Black, Democrat Supreme Court Justice: Joined in early 1920s to gain votes.

Theodore Bilbo, Democrat Senator: Stated in interview that once a Klansman, always a Klansman.  One had to take an oath to that effect.

Bibb Graves, Democrat Governor: Joined to improve electoral chances.

Clifford Walker, Democrat Governor: Revealed as Klansman in 1924.

George Gordon, Democrat Congressman: First Grand Dragon of Tennessee.

Benjamin Stapleton, Democrat mayor of Denver: Appointed Klan members to most positions in municipal government.

David Duke, Democrat (pre-1989) & Republican (post-1989) Legislator: Democrats' favorite Klansman because he has an R after his name these days.  According to Duke, he left the KKK in 1980, which puts him in the Democrat column.

Truman is going to have to go.  Half the government buildings in West Virginia are named for Robert Byrd; need to rename them all.  Democrats prior to the 1960s are almost certainly going to be unacceptable to the Black Lives Matter crowd.  The ones after 1960s should also be unacceptable but thanks to the deft political skills of LBJ and a compliant media, everyone now thinks that it was the Republicans - party of Lincoln, the party founded to oppose slavery - who were the slave owners and segregationists.

 

The Democrats have championed Political Correctness and been only too happy to attack minor incidents in their opponents' past as a reason such people should be reviled.  They never expected this to be used against them, especially by those they had inculcated with PC.  Oh, the irony.  The poetic justice.  I am curious to see how much more this ouroboros is able to devour itself.