Calvin Coolidge

[Burke]

Coolidge has always been a joke among lefties. A do-nothing president, etc.

In other words, someone who did his job mostly instead of looting the country for the benefit of anyone who would vote for him.

Now there is a new biography out about him. Makes you yearn for the good old days.

http://www.nysun.com/national/waking...coolidge/88199

"Coolidge . . . cut the top income tax rate to 25%, three
percentage points lower than Reagan's historic 1986 tax
cuts, and the economy grew. Coolidge reduced the
national debt to $17.65 billion from $28 billion with a
combination of economies and tax cuts. He actually
balanced the budget. When, in 1929, he returned to his
Massachusetts home he left the federal budget smaller
than it was when he had arrived in 1921. Of equal
importance, the economy was now solidly growing.

"The unemployment rate that stood at 5.7 million in July
1921 had dropped to 1.8 million. Manufacturing had
climbed by a third since 1921 and iron and steel
production had doubled. Finally the revenue acts of
1921, 1924, and 1928 represented strong growth despite
tax reduction. Something was working."

The twenties are remembered for the stock market crash, but the fact is it was a time of tremendous innovation in the economy.

[orangeblueorangeblue]

But Harding!

[VAg8r1]

Coolidge decided not to run for reelection in 1928 even though he almost certainly would have been reelected in a landslide. Perhaps Cal realized that the apparent prosperity of economy was built on a house of cards and he didn't want to preside over the inevitable collapse.

[wgbgator]

Hey, what a coincidence that the author of a revisionist history of the New Deal also wrote a hagiography of Cal Coolidge.

[HudsonGator]

Originally Posted by wgbgator

Hey, what a coincidence that the author of a revisionist history of the New Deal also wrote a hagiography of Cal Coolidge.

Indeed, here is a little more about the author:

R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author of The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn't Work: Social Democracy's Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; The Clinton Crack-Up; and After the Hangover: The Conservatives' Road to Recovery.

http://spectator.org/people/r-emmett-tyrrell-jr/all

[wgbgator]

Originally Posted by HudsonGator

Indeed, here is a little more about the author:



http://spectator.org/people/r-emmett-tyrrell-jr/all

Well, I meant Amity Schlaes, the author of the Coolidge bio and The Forgotten Man.

[Spurffelbow833]

Coolidge dealt with personal tragedy while in office. His 16 year old son died of sepsis that developed from a blister he got on his foot while playing tennis.

[HudsonGator]

Originally Posted by wgbgator

Well, I meant Amity Schlaes, the author of the Coolidge bio and The Forgotten Man.

Sorry about that

[wgbgator]

Coolidge did appoint Harlan Stone to the SCOTUS, instrumental in moving the court leftward and upholding later New Deal legislation. So thanks, Cal.

[wgbgator]

There should be a movie with Silent Cal and Silent Bob. It couldnt be worse than any other Kevin Smith movie, and probably way better than Zach and Miri Make a Porno.

[rivergator]

Originally Posted by Burke

Coolidge has always been a joke among lefties. A do-nothing president, etc.

In other words, someone who did his job mostly instead of looting the country for the benefit of anyone who would vote for him.

Now there is a new biography out about him. Makes you yearn for the good old days.

http://www.nysun.com/national/waking...coolidge/88199

"Coolidge . . . cut the top income tax rate to 25%, three
percentage points lower than Reagan's historic 1986 tax
cuts, and the economy grew. Coolidge reduced the
national debt to $17.65 billion from $28 billion with a
combination of economies and tax cuts. He actually
balanced the budget. When, in 1929, he returned to his
Massachusetts home he left the federal budget smaller
than it was when he had arrived in 1921. Of equal
importance, the economy was now solidly growing.

"The unemployment rate that stood at 5.7 million in July
1921 had dropped to 1.8 million. Manufacturing had
climbed by a third since 1921 and iron and steel
production had doubled. Finally the revenue acts of
1921, 1924, and 1928 represented strong growth despite
tax reduction. Something was working."

The twenties are remembered for the stock market crash, but the fact is it was a time of tremendous innovation in the economy.

So all the good stuff that happened in the 1920s was Coolidge's doing, but he had nothing to do with the crash of '29?

[rivergator]

and i can't resist:

[Burke]

Coolidge didn't run the Federal Reserve, which caused the crash of '29.