Was Calvin Coolidge a good President?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

One of the few politicians who would be delighted to know his ultimate reputation is 'err...he was ok, I think'.

[Dr. Cynic]

He was lazy. A lazy President who ignored the warning signals of the coming depression that were going off around him, and he seemed to have great disdain for people in general.

[Phony Moderate]

Is it fair to say that the internet is largely responsible for the surge in his reputation?

And no, btw.

[Rockefeller GOP]

Is it fair to say that the internet is largely responsible for the surge in his reputation?

And no, btw.

No, it's not.  Considering he was a good man who fought for civil rights (in vein, thanks to Congress) and governed responsibly and is still ranked near the bottom of Presidents by most historians, he deserves whatever praise he can get, wherever it may come from.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Most presidential historians rank by consequentiality, rightly or wrongly. That's why top ten lists are dominated by some shady and perhaps controversial characters who still have effects reverberating today - Jackso, Polk, Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt etc. Coolidge was never a man interested in building a 'legacy' and indeed a few decades after his presidency, all remnants were eroded away. That small government, austere and Prohibitionist, vaguely isolationist, highly protectionist model he craved was washed away by FDR and his successors; the modern GOP (even those who speak highly of the man) has no desire to return to that party.

He firmly didn't understand or even care about how the very role of President had shifted beneath his feet. Consider the contrast between Reagan and his hero Coolidge when disasters struck. After the Mississippi floods, Coolidge didn't really get that he was expected to be something more than a distant figurehead. Was it an admirable stance, as he maintained, to avoid politicking by staying away? Possibly - but as future President Reagan would show upon the Challenger disaster, such aloofness was rapidly becoming fatal for the role of POTUS. In foreign policy and immigration, again, Coolidge laid no lasting impact. His Immigration Act lasted the longest time, but that would be dismantled in the Johnson administration - now recognising the Act as an anachronistic racist failure.

Again there is much to admire about the character about of Calvin Coolidge - his steps against racism (aforementioned Immigration Acts aside)and lynching were extremely laudable. I get why he is loved by a certain type of person. I even get his 'wit' - although it reminds me of social awkwardness more than anything else. But was Calvin Coolidge a man of consequence, a president who will be go down in the ages? No, of course not. And, quite frankly, that is just how he would prefer to be remembered.

[Türkisblau]

A horrible President but definitely fit in well with his time.

[SWE]

No, but he looks almost saint-like next to most of his successors.

[RFayette]

Coolidge was fantastic.  Interesting that he gets a net "FF" vote on Atlas, showing the sizable independent/Libertarian/GOP coalition on this one. 

I admired Coolidge's humility and temperament; he didn't want a legacy, nor did he want to run people's lives.  He wanted to be President to give people more freedom, and his policies helped sustain solid economic growth. 

[Dazey]

This forum is further to the right than World Net Daily.

[Sumner 1868]

This forum is further to the right than World Net Daily.

?

[Dancing with Myself]

Yes he was.

He was very much a gilded age President in hindsight.  Not much lauded or loved by most of his day but he was very successful. A lot like Chester Arthur was, but Coolidge was way more successful than most people credit him for. In terms of accomplishments he was majorly successful and deserves to be in the high regard among GOP Presidents.

He was the epitome of the laissez faire attitude. He didn't care about interfering with things he let them play out and that proved the right decision. By lowering the tax rates and letting industry grow the nation prospered for it. Sure he made mistakes but to blame him solely for the depression? That's ridiculous.  If anyone in particular to blame for the depression Presidency wise it's Hoover because he made the situation far worse with the tariff and tax rate increases.

Coolidge's character outshines everything. Unlike Billy C or Obama who were social and media butterflies Coolidge was to use a cheesy phrase "the OG of the Cool cats.." He didn't care for the life of the President, in fact he was probably one of our more Private Presidents. He lost a lot of his wind out of his sails due to the death of his son. If that hadn't have happened who knows what would have happened with him he could have easily ran again if he wanted too. The death made his depression much worse and his attitude more dim. It would have been interesting seeing him handle the depression.

Harding was a fine President too but the weaker second choice was in hindsight the star move the Republicans made in '20.

[Ebsy]

Yes he was.

He was very much a gilded age President in hindsight.  Not much lauded or loved by most of his day but he was very successful. A lot like Chester Arthur was, but Coolidge was way more successful than most people credit him for. In terms of accomplishments he was majorly successful and deserves to be in the high regard among GOP Presidents.

He was the epitome of the laissez faire attitude. He didn't care about interfering with things he let them play out and that proved the right decision. By lowering the tax rates and letting industry grow the nation prospered for it. Sure he made mistakes but to blame him solely for the depression? That's ridiculous.  If anyone in particular to blame for the depression Presidency wise it's Hoover because he made the situation far worse with the tariff and tax rate increases.

Coolidge's character outshines everything. Unlike Billy C or Obama who were social and media butterflies Coolidge was to use a cheesy phrase "the OG of the Cool cats.." He didn't care for the life of the President, in fact he was probably one of our more Private Presidents. He lost a lot of his wind out of his sails due to the death of his son. If that hadn't have happened who knows what would have happened with him he could have easily ran again if he wanted too. The death made his depression much worse and his attitude more dim. It would have been interesting seeing him handle the depression.

Harding was a fine President too but the weaker second choice was in hindsight the star move the Republicans made in '20.

He doesn't get sole blame for the Depression, but to parade around saying that his laissez-faire approach was an accomplishment when in fact it not only allowed but actively enabled for the greatest disaster in this nation's history to occur is disgusting historical revisionism.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Read my screed, tb. Calvin's 'achievements' were transient and without impact.

[morgieb]

No (not a libertarian circlejerker)

What exactly was your issue with him?

Well I generally disagree with laissez-faire style of economic policies, and he contributed significantly to the depression. And he never really achieved anything of note from memory.

Personality wise he seems OK, and anti-lynching legislation is always a good thing, but otherwise I'm not really a big fan. Still there were a fair bit worse around his time.

[Dazey]

Harding, policy wise, was actually a better President - started the first federal relief program, to help widows and orphans.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Yes, but not as good as libertarians think he was.

[Dancing with Myself]

Yes he was.

He was very much a gilded age President in hindsight.  Not much lauded or loved by most of his day but he was very successful. A lot like Chester Arthur was, but Coolidge was way more successful than most people credit him for. In terms of accomplishments he was majorly successful and deserves to be in the high regard among GOP Presidents.

He was the epitome of the laissez faire attitude. He didn't care about interfering with things he let them play out and that proved the right decision. By lowering the tax rates and letting industry grow the nation prospered for it. Sure he made mistakes but to blame him solely for the depression? That's ridiculous.  If anyone in particular to blame for the depression Presidency wise it's Hoover because he made the situation far worse with the tariff and tax rate increases.

Coolidge's character outshines everything. Unlike Billy C or Obama who were social and media butterflies Coolidge was to use a cheesy phrase "the OG of the Cool cats.." He didn't care for the life of the President, in fact he was probably one of our more Private Presidents. He lost a lot of his wind out of his sails due to the death of his son. If that hadn't have happened who knows what would have happened with him he could have easily ran again if he wanted too. The death made his depression much worse and his attitude more dim. It would have been interesting seeing him handle the depression.

Harding was a fine President too but the weaker second choice was in hindsight the star move the Republicans made in '20.

He doesn't get sole blame for the Depression, but to parade around saying that his laissez-faire approach was an accomplishment when in fact it not only allowed but actively enabled for the greatest disaster in this nation's history to occur is disgusting historical revisionism.

I wasn't parading or bragging about anything .I was just describing the guy, he was the epitome of that attitude. I could easily say the same about FDR being the pinnacle of liberalism or TR being the pinnacle of Progressive. It's a label to describe the man.  I don't agree with that philosophy overall so I'm not trying to make it sound so good but I'm not taking props away from Calvin either because he got the job done when it comes down to it. He was in charge when the economy in the basic realm was solid and stable. That in my opinion anyways defines a successful president. That's the purpose of this thread, opinions.

Yes L-faire in hindsight is an easy choice to blame but it was the norm to govern then.  Could have done better domestically? Yes he definitely could have. No arguments from me there.

That's all I have to say about this.

[Dazey]

Yes, Massive FF.

So, I've been called a racist on here for saying i think immigration from ALL countries to 200,000...But Coolidge is a "FF" when he signed into law a bill limiting Southern and Eastern Europeans from immigrating here and totally restricting African, Asian and Middle Eastern people from coming here. A guy who codified racism into our immigration policy is a 'freedom fighter'?