ChainsawJedis
Tj Hare
Rookie
Posts: 116
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« on: May 05, 2015, 07:45:15 PM » |
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Most Similar - Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur was the son of an itinerant preacher, moving so much throughout Vermont and New York that political opponents accused him of being born outside the United States. In many aspects he had a moderate, unremarkable personality. He was agreeable without being overly credulous. He was a sensible, down to earth man when it came to his thinking. However, he was also a heavy drinker. Although he was notorious for graft earlier in his political career, as President he pushed a sweeping reform of the civil service. Mark Twain wrote of Arthur, "No duty was neglected in his administration, and no adventurous project alarmed the nation."
Similar: Harry Truman
Harry Truman largely grew up in rural and small-town Missouri. His family struggled financially. He was well-read but had a very rural-tinged accent, outlook, and demeanor. He also had a famously hot temper. He wasn't the most outgoing of people, yet he was affable and very loyal to old friends. He was an early riser and worked very hard throughout his life. Truman understood people very well, forming an immediate distrust of the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin after World War II and acting accordingly. Truman had a definite taste for whiskey, but not to the extent that it affected his work. He also tended to place people from Missouri in high positions, and some of them abused this trust.
Similar: Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson grew up in a very poor family in North Carolina, and later Tennessee. His family was considered "white trash" and he held a lifelong grudge against those who he considered upper-class. However, he went out of his way to give assistance to old friends and to men of humble means. While he was reserved, he possessed a powerful speaking voice and was respected as an orator. His profane temperament and self-importance ensured his isolation as President -- a situation that Johnson exacerbated with his obstinacy in the face of overwhelming Congressional opposition.
Least Similar: George W. Bush
George W. Bush was born into an elite family and largely grew up in Texas. He was a competitive, outgoing man. Not renowned for his intellect or verbal ability, he did possess a certain cunning which confounded his political opponents. His daily routine was highly scheduled and he took his health and fitness very seriously. He had a severe drinking problem as a young man, leading to total abstinence as he got older, and was known to have complicated feelings about his father. It's possible that Bush brazenly lied in the run-up to the Iraq War, though he also may have suffered from an episode of confirmation bias.
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