Investors Business Daily ran a terrific piece last week featuring Calvin Coolidge, who happens to be one of my favorite presidents besides Ronald Reagan.Coolidge was a highly popular president during the 1920s boom. He assumed the presidency in 1923 following Warren Harding’s death, won a landslide in 1924, then chose to not run again in 1928, despite what looked like certain victory.
He was a pro-business, tax cutting, supply-sider who believed in limited government regulation.
Coolidge also stressed religious values, though not necessarily religion. He cleaned up after Harding’s Teapot Dome mess, as well as other scandals. While Governor of Massachusetts, he fired police union leaders who illegally went on strike (brings to mind Reagan and air traffic controllers).
The IBD article goes on to note that Coolidge was media savvy and used radio quite effectively. He was also an impressive figure at press conferences, and had two key PR advisors from Madison Avenue.
Right at the beginning of President Reagan’s term in 1981, the Gipper hung the Coolidge portrait in the Cabinet room. I’ve always been a big admirer of Coolidge, as well as his supply side Treasury Secretary, Andrew Mellon.
Liberal historians have treated him poorly down through the years, but Coolidge was an excellent president.
Bravo to IBD for running the profile over Presidents Day weekend.
