Affect Change

I recently over heard something that I am not sure made me proud, happy or hopeful. A girl near where I was busy doing something was telling her friends someone she knew wasn’t going to vote for “him” (I am not sure who him is but loved the line despite this) because he looked frumpy. Her response was that what does it matter what he looks like as long as he can effect change. Now this pleased me to no end not only because she was younger if not my age and she saw that. Now I am not going to try to get to political in this post but more look at Presidents elect.

Did you know that since the invention of the television and presidential debates being moved on to the tv, that our Presidents have gotten taller? Did you know that even with the invention of the camera most people (especially in the rural areas) wouldn’t even know the President on the street if they walked right by him? If you look at our presidents some of them are not pretty to look at, and quite a few were obese. Since Kennedy elections were just as much about having the Presidential look as their platform. (They say dress for the job you want right.)

Presidents who were a little less then Presidential looking.

Grover Cleveland, wasn’t married when he became president. He married Francis Fulsome during his first term just after she graduated from Wells College. They also were the first to have a child born in the White House, Ruth.

Grover Clevland 22nd & 24th Presidents of the United States

William Henry Harrison was thought to be too old when he was elected so to prove them all wrong he made a three hour speech in the cold, got pneumonia and died. Shortest Presidency ever.

William Henry Harrison 9th President and not too pretty to look at

Andrew “the jacka**” Jackson is the reason the Democratic Parties symbol is a donkey. He liked the Republican insult for him so much he made the party symbol. He supposedly married his wife because “she could smoke with the best of them” and even met the French Ambassador in his bathrobe.   

Andrew Jackson 7th President of the United States

William Taft was known to be so large he couldn’t fit in the bath tub. More then one legend surrounding him has him getting stuck.

William Howard Taft 27th President of the United States

The longest serving president Franklin D. Roosevelt was crippled by polo and couldn’t stand for very long. When he was elected most didn’t know he was bound to a wheel chair even into his death. A lot of hiding and strategic moves were done to make him look well. He died in office and a law was passed limiting a President to two terms.

Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd President 

Abraham Lincoln got some help with his look when a little girl wrote to him after seeing his picture in a paper and said he would look better with a beard. He took it to heart and became president. In fact he wouldn't have become President if the South hadn't been so divided between the two other candidates (Lincoln wasn't even on the ballet in many of the Southern States) and one of the other nominations hadn't been such an out spoken Abolitionist. That man later be came Lincoln's good friend in office and his Secretary of State.

Abraham Lincoln 16th President without his famous beard

George Washington was said never to smile because of his fake teeth.

George Washington 1st President of the United States.

So looks aren’t important because it is what you do with the power that determines how you stand. Some of those men were not eye candy. George Washington could have made himself King but he set the standard for what Presidents should be. Jackson was not only a war hero but put banks (briefly) in control of the government and set in motion the Federal Reserve. Grover Cleveland lost the year after his first term but they hated the new guy so much four years later he was re-elected for a second term. Roosevelt set up social security and guided us through a World War. Harrison well he did nothing but prove you shouldn’t give a speech for 3 hours in the snow. Lincoln faced America during the hardest time and paid the price for it. It isn’t the look it is how you can handle the challenges and create change.