A snapshot of change in US society

[Pilgrim]

This photo and caption appeared in today's paper. I was struck by the moment in time and shift in society captured in this photo.

On the left is JFK - often credited (rightly or wrongly) with initiating the shift in US society from men wearing hats to not wearing them. On the right is Ike - and what appears to be an Open Road is grasped in his hands behind him.

I was struck by this juxtaposition of the old and the new - and the change in the custom of wearing hats embodied in the photo. I think I see the passing of a custom captured in this photo.

Comments?

 

[Twitch]

I was thinking that beyond the hat thing it was signaled the beginning of the days soon to come when ex-presidents didn't just fade away to retire like Truman and Ike. By Carter's time it was the "thing" to remain in the limelight on speaking tours and other assinine endeavours that sadly embarrrass from any greatness while in office.

Nixon was the last one to just be quite and go away. I think Kennedy, had he lived would have been the 1st to do what Carter did with attempting to stay in the media shpere even if only on an outter orbit.

 

[Fletch]

I disagree that Carter is in it for the glory, or else he would have chosen his battles with a little more calculation. Some of his post-presidential endeavors have been quixotic, even Pollyannaish, like monitoring elections in Nicaragua, a project the general public reacted to with a resounding "meh" or rolled eyes.

Others, such as helping build low income housing, are valuable programs that he lent visibility and prestige to. All in all, he has not so much embarrassed the country as much as reminded us of our better values (altho that too can be embarrassing).

An activist ex-President is never going to make everybody happy, any more than a serving President.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was thinking that beyond the hat thing it was signaled the beginning of the days soon to come when ex-presidents didn't just fade away to retire like Truman and Ike. By Carter's time it was the "thing" to remain in the limelight on speaking tours and other assinine endeavours that sadly embarrrass from any greatness while in office.

Nixon was the last one to just be quite and go away. I think Kennedy, had he lived would have been the 1st to do what Carter did with attempting to stay in the media shpere even if only on an outter orbit.

Well, Hoover was still a fairly frequent public speaker during his post-presidential years, both for political and non-political causes. Eisenhower was old and ill by the end of his administration, and Truman and Johnson were both violently unpopular by the end of theirs, so none of these Presidents could have had a viable post-presidential career. Nixon may not have appeared on speaking tours as such, but he became a very visible public figure toward the end of his life with his series of books on foreign policy issues.

That being so, one might suggest that the last president to really retire on his own terms and stay retired was Calvin Coolidge. He only made one public speech after leaving the White House, and characteristically kept it short and to the point.

 

[Flivver]

That being so, one might suggest that the last president to really retire on his own terms and stay retired was Calvin Coolidge. He only made one public speech after leaving the White House, and characteristically kept it short and to the point.

My favorite president!

A former governor of Massachusetts and a true New Englander.

My favorite Coolidge story goes something like this:

Man: "Mr. President, my friend bet me a dollar that I could get you to say more than two words".

Coolidge: "You lose!"

 

[Pilgrim]

Those are interesting comments about past presidents.

I suspect that the increasing access to media has made it possible for past presidents to do as their personal inclinations lead them - and for the press to follow. Certainly the increasing scrutiny of all public figures has made it harder for any of them to avoid becoming visible whenever they speak or appear.

Carter seems to really believe in the things he's done after office, and I respect him for it. Ford and Bush (41) were relatively quiet observers of the scene, and I respect that. Nixon did write, but I think it's fair to say that after his resignation, he retreated from public life and it was many years before he re-entered the public eye. Clinton was the third youngest president in history, so it's almost inevitable that with a high profile spouse and his gregarious nature, he has been pretty visible.

I guess I would also observe that in the past three decades, past presidents have increasingly taken on roles as informal ambassadors and spokespeople for the country. They certainly seem to have been around the globe, and with their past office so visible, they have had an impact as informal representatives of the US. That wasn't the case with Truman or Ike, as far as I can recall - although I was very young when they held office. I don't know whether past presidents acted in this role before WII, but if they did I can't bring examples to mind.

But if they did, you can bet they took a good hat along.

 

[Tomasso]

. I think Kennedy, had he lived

JFK was a complete mess prior to his assassination, there's no telling how long he'd have lasted. BTW, some say that had he not been wearing his back brace in Dallas he may well have survived the assassination attemt.

 

[Tomasso]

My favorite Coolidge story goes something like this:

When football stars Red Grange and George Halas were introduced to him at the White House as touring with the Chicago Bears, Silent Cal responded: "pleased to meet you, gentlemen, always been partial to animal acts". lol

 

[Solid Citizen]

Pilgrim's PIC

JFK wanted to confer with IKE & they helicoptered him over from Gettysburg to Camp David. Historians are rereviewing IKE's 8 years in office & he's looking pretty good :eusa_clap

IKE played the Grandfather image to the hilt & his advantage!

Solid Citizen

 

[LizzieMaine]

Going back even further, we pass over Harding, who died in office, and Wilson, who was incapacitated by health problems, and come to William Howard Taft, who probably had the most significant post-presidential career of anyone to hold the office: he became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, serving in that position until his death in 1930. He considered his judicial service to be, by far, the most satisfying role of his public life.

Theodore Roosevelt also remained a prominent figure on the political scene after the end of his administration, to the point of seeking to return to the office on a third-party ticket in 1912. And of course, Grover Cleveland actually *did* return to the office several years after the end of his first administration. So the more you look at the list, the more examples you can find of ex-presidents who weren't content to fade into the woodwork..

 

[Twitch]

Too bad they can't all be assinated on their last day in office.

 

[Tomasso]

JFK wanted to confer with IKE & they helicoptered him over from Gettysburg to Camp David.

They met on several occasions. If JFK had a question concerning the military industrial complex Ike was the first person he'd call.

Historians are reviewing IKE's 8 years in office & he's looking pretty good.

Yes, he's broken into the top ten of many Best President lists.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I can hear Ike's voice in this picture...

"Now Jack, I'm telling you, beware the military/industrial complex and don't trust the CIA. I'm warning you, keep your hat on tight!"

-dixon cannon

 

[Fletch]

When football stars Red Grange and George Halas were introduced to him at the White House as touring with the Chicago Bears, Silent Cal responded: "pleased to meet you, gentlemen, always been partial to animal acts". lol

A President who made fun of football today would probably be lynched in the media.

 

[scotrace]

John Quincy Adams served in the US House after his presidency (and died there).
in an impressive outside-politics achievement, John Tyler went on to father seven children after his (truncated) term. He also was elected to the Confederate States House of Representatives, though died before he was seated. This makes him, arguably, our only outright 'traitor' president.

I'm personally fond of the theory that says all of the blood of the 20th century can be laid at the feet of William Howard Taft.

(I LOVE the Coolidge-Bears story!)

 

[Lincsong]

I like IKE!!!!

OK, I have a slight confession to make. Despite the avatar to the left, Ike is my favorite President.:eusa_clap

 

[imoldfashioned]

One of my favorite presidential stories is the one about "Silent" Calvin Coolidge.

A man once bet a friend that he could make Cal say at least three words in a conversation.

When the man met Coolidge, he told him of the bet. All Coolidge said was, "You lose."