Herbert Hoover (American Presidents Series) Book

Book Forty-Two of my Presidential Challenge.

Herbert Hoover was a complicated fellow. He was stubborn, never letting facts get in the way of his political philosophy of laissez-faire. He was deluded, believing that local government and voluntarism could solve the Great Depression when it clearly couldn't.

His belief is voluntarism given his career is particularly perplexing. His pre-Presidential career involved him personally getting food and supplies to many in need during WWI. However, almost all of the funds that provided the same were from governments, not private charity. Time and again, Hoover seemed to omit this fact from his mind. During the Great Depression, this chicken would come home to roost.

Hoover reminded me most of Andrew Johnson in terms of pure stubbornness. Nothing is more dangerous than a deluded man who is sure that history will vindicate him.

But here's the $1,000,000 question: Did Hoover cause the Great Depression? Absolutely not! Did he make it worse? Oh, for sure! His instincts were horrible on this front. All of the charity he had shown to European nations during WWI seemed to vanish in the wind. He seemed to believe that there was something fundamental about Americans that would reject government action on this scale. Added to this, Hoover was in denial about how bad conditions really were until it was too late made the Depression much, much worse.

Would we remember him fondly but for the Great Depression? Another big no. He was already burning many legislative bridges prior to the Depression and was well on his way to mediocrity at best when all of the proverbial shit hit the fan.

I will say this for Hoover, his heart was in the right place. He was a self made man and saved many, many lives during WWI. He was just too stubborn to admit when his political philosophy hit a brick wall. Flexibility is a strength that I have discovered in all of the great Presidents. Lack of imagination and rigidity is found in the worst.

And is Hoover the worst? No way! I think Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan easily have him beat, but I've got to tell you guys, he could very well be number three. That's just the way the presidential cookie crumbles: If you overcome adversity, you're one of the greats (Washington, Lincoln,FDR). If adversity overcomes you, you're not (Van Buren, Buchanan, Johnson, Hoover).

Oh yeah, the book! Great stuff. It shows his strengths and weaknesses and makes me want to learn more.