Will we ever have another FDR ?

[kentuck]

Under what conditions would a leader such as FDR emerge?

What type of conditions would poor people have to suffer to get the attention of such a leader? What type of unemployment would justify jobs programs like the WPA or the CCC? Does money in the hands of those that will spend it create jobs? How so?

What type of Democrat could get passionate about the conditions facing the American people the same way that Roosevelt did? Yes, there were desperate people back then. But there are desperate people now. Just because we don't see them every day does not mean they are not there. They are.

Why was FDR so revered by so many Democrats from those times?

[villager]

1. Evidently, not from the Democratic party....

Alas...

[customerserviceguy]

2. I don't see it happening

For starters, nobody's ever going to serve more than just under ten years, and that's only if the person is a VP who inherits the office from a dead or resigned President with just under two years left in his/her term. Then, they have to get "re-elected" twice. FDR had a bit more than twelve years to accomplish what he did.

Also, people trusted a President more in those days. All we had were newspapers, magazines and radio as media to shape public opinion. I doubt FDR would have withstood three 24/7 cable news networks and the Internet. Suspicion of the 'other' party's President starts way before the Inaugural Address these days.

If a person can have a relatively satisfactory two-term presidency where most of their own supporters are happy, that's the best anyone can hope for from here on.

[jwirr]

9. Good analysis. I am old enough that my parents were the voters

in those days. Dad always reminded us that it took FDR more than 2 terms to make the changes he did. I also think that times were worse back then for more people. Remember there was no safety net. No government works programs before then and a much smaller army. Those people were indeed desperate. For individuals now that is happening but it is not almost all individuals. You can look around you and find people who are doing pretty good yet. You can see seniors out to lunch at almost all the restaurants in my community everyday. In my dad's day going out to lunch was going to the grocery store to buy a loaf of bread, lunch meat and bananas that you ate in a park.

[Drale]

3. Much like Babe Ruth, FDR was a larger than life person

even during his life and his legacy only grew after his untimely death. There will never be another Babe and there will never be another FDR.

[Auggie]

4. I believe the 30's were more empathetical than today

It's not the leaders... it's the people. They want a rock star or a cowboy.

I don't think a FDR-type Democrat would have a chance.

ON EDIT -- why would anyone un-recommend this thread?

[kentuck]

5. "why would anyone un-recommend this thread? "

You really want to know? I think I have my own personal trolls? :-)

[Auggie]

7. I know, I know...

fucking assholes.

:)

[bluestate10]

13. FDR did nothing about segregation in regular public life, in

the military, or in national police forces. FDR did nothing about gay rights. FDR did not build the federal highway system, that was left to Eisenhower. FDR introduced a mere mini shell of the Social Security system that exists today. FDR did not pass laws that provided health care to desperately poor people. In fact, we have had many Presidents like FDR, that is in a nutshell, the problem.

[lumpy]

15. He wasn't Jesus Christ .

nt

[bluestate10]

16. Nor is President Obama. The OP took a side-hand swipe at President Obama.

In fact, President Obama in three years has passed as much monumental social legislation as FDR passed during his entire Presidency.

[Ter]

17. You wanted to do something about gay rights in the 30's or 40's?

He probably never even knew what a homosexual was.

[white_wolf]

19. Seriously.

You couldn't do anything about it in the 30s or 40s.

[bluestate10]

21. FDR did nothing about full rights for negroes, or the right for negroes

to marry whomever they wanted to marry. FDR did nothing about equal pay for women, or equal rights for women. Every President does not do something that some view as doable during his day.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Probably not in my lifetime. n/t

[Taverner]

8. Only if we have another Socialist movement

[roamer65]

10. No. This country will not exist in ten years.

Maybe one of the regional remanents will have such a leader.

[OHdem10]

11. When things get so bad that a Democratic Moverment is formed

then they(the people in the movement) will demand
real Democrats for all offices.

[Skink]

12. Once the first generation of people with absolutely no money saved for retirement tries to retire.

we'll get a progressive in office.

[izquierdista]

14. Why was he revered?

Because there was no news organization pointing out his drinking, smoking, womanizing, and his polio. Instead, they covered his politics and policy.

[Kablooie]

18. If Michelle Bachman wins she might surprise you.

She won't be anything like FDR, but I'm sure she will surprise you.

[bluestate10]

20. According to some on DU, if President Obama was FDR, he would with

one stroke of his pen would

racism in public accommodations.
Eliminate death from being poor due to no health care system at all.
Build a federal highway system that stood for decades as the envy of the world.
Introduced Medicare and Medicaid.
Granter equal rights to women.
Grated equal rights to negroes (the term in FDR's day).
Eliminated jim crow laws in the south.
Prohibited lynching of men, women and children because they had the courage to stand up for a small piece of respect.
Granted basic human rights to gays.
Granted the rights of gays to marry.
Built a hospital system for veterans.
Granted equal pay to women for doing the same job as a man.

President is no FDR, because while President Obama has made progress on a smattering of the change on that list, FDR did not lift a finger to take on any of the change listed above.

[brentspeak]

22. Considering that Obama is helping the GOP achieve its goal of destroying what's left of the New Deal

You're quite correct in saying that "Obama is no FDR".