What's the Gag With TR?

Recently your faithful correspondent has heard, more than once and from more than one yakker, the question, "What the hell was so great about Theodore Roosevelt? He was over rated." ... The question just shows the ignorance of history and the idiocy of the average talk show host, whether liberal or conservative: Republican or Democrat.

TR was a man who stood for the people of the nation without being a socialist or communist. He was a man who cared more about the populace than the the business interests. TR was a man who was willing to put his life on the line for a cause he believed in -- the Spanish-American War -- instead of sitting in Washington D.C. and urging on the troops. TR raised a group of volunteers and led said volunteers against the Spanish. He didn't just stand in Washington urging others to spill their blood. ... TR, once he became President, was a Trust Buster (meaning he was against monopolies) and started the Food and Drug Administration to prevent Big Meat from selling the populace the meat from sick and cancerous cattle and pork, and Big Pharma from selling us nostrums made of nothing more than molasses and sulfer as cures for anything from the flu to cancer. TR negotiated the end of the Russo-Japanese War and won the Noble Peace Prize for his efforts. TR cared about the nation, even to the point of losing one son during World War One while other pols protected their sons in colleges or government jobs. ... TR saw in the United States something more than an economic entity. He saw a nation or free men and women striving to build something greater than a nation.

The modern politician seems to see his/her service as an elected official as a means to get a pretty good retirement and/or a way to get a road/bridge/freeway named after themselves.

If George Bush, who yours faithful correspondent grudgingly supports, had been half the man of TR in character, Mr. Bush's daughters would have at least joined the Navy as WAVES or the Air Force as WAFS during the "War on Terror." Instead the silly girls moo about teaching underprivileged children in the US.

Here's the deal on the modern radio yakkers' take on TR. Most modern radio talk show hosts see the United States as an economic entity instead of a nation. It's the old gag about what is good for business is good for the US. TR, on the other hand, realized that Big Business was only concerned about Big Business, not what is good for the Grand Republic TR was concerned about, whether rich or poor, the most important thing about the nation were the freedoms that the national government guaranteed, through the Constitution, to the populace.

Finally, consider this. When TR died there were established throughout the Untied States, many Theodore Roosevelt Clubs with many members. The clubs were established by people who knew and appreciated the legacy of TR. And that was the last time that clubs were established under the names of ex-presidents except for the Bill Clinton Blow-Job club. Which should tell the reader something.