# Think Tank > History >  Calvin Coolidge?

## Adamsa

What do the people here think of him?

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## Green Mountain Boy

He's one of my favorite presidents.

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## BuddyRey

I know almost nothing about him, except that he was Pres. from 1923 to 1929, and people referred to him as "Silent Cal."

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## ThePieSwindler

Thrown into the dustbin of history because he "did nothing".. when in fact it was just that that made him such a magnificent president. When recession set in in the early 20s, he called for lower taxes and fewer regulations, and got us out of it pretty damn quickly. He was an old school, Old Right small government conservative. Coolidge, Harding, and Grover Cleveland are some of the most underrated Presidents in US history.

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## hard@work

I chuckled when I read this because Ron Paul does indeed share many positive traits with Coolidge.

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## 0zzy

> Thrown into the dustbin of history because he "did nothing".. when in fact it was just that that made him such a magnificent president. When recession set in in the early 20s, he called for lower taxes and fewer regulations, and got us out of it pretty damn quickly. He was an old school, Old Right small government conservative. Coolidge, Harding, and Grover Cleveland are some of the most underrated Presidents in US history.


That's what I hear. I am very interested in presidential politics, and found this site with a lot of info:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=

Here is a video of Calvin Coolidge: (with audio!)
http://www.archive.org/details/coolidge_1924

more stuff on him:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...vin%20coolidge

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## austin356

The best President of the 20th Century.

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## Mr. Coolidge

He sits okay with me.    Some iffy policies, but more good than you'll find with probably any other 20th century president.  At the least, read the bolded part.

--Helped get immigration restrictions/quotas passed
--Repeated cuts in the income tax, in spending, and in the federal deficit
--Increased the estate tax, and created the gift tax
--Had a solid understanding of our federal system: 


> "*As Governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge supported wages and hours legislation, opposed child labor, imposed economic controls during World War I, favored safety measures in factories, and even worker representation on corporate boards. Did he support these measures while president? No, because in the 1920s, such matters were considered the responsibilities of state and local governments*."


--Preferred a non-interventionist foreign policy
--Against joining the League of Nations
--In favor of joining the World Court, but with U.S. not bound by its decisions
--Advocated diplomacy over war: 


> ...The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928...committed signatories including the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan to "renounce war, as an instrument of national policy in their relations with one another."


--Continued the policy of not recognizing the U.S.S.R.
--Continued the policy (started by Wilson) of supporting the Mexican government against rebels there
--Continued occupation of Haiti and Nicaragua, but withdrew from the Dominican Republic

Here is what he had to say about farm subsidies: 


> He vetoed the proposed McNary-Haugen Farm Relief Bill of 1926, designed to allow the federal government to purchase agricultural surpluses and sell them abroad at lowered prices. Coolidge declared that agriculture must stand "on an independent business basis," and said that "government control cannot be divorced from political control." He favored Herbert Hoover's proposal to modernize agriculture to create profits, instead of manipulating prices. When Congress re-passed the McNary-Haugen bill in 1927, Coolidge vetoed it again. "Farmers never have made much money," said Coolidge, the Vermont farmer's son, "I do not believe we can do much about it."


Here is how he handled natural disaster relief: 


> Coolidge has often been criticized for his actions during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the worst natural disaster to hit the Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Although he did eventually name Secretary Hoover to a commission in charge of flood relief, Coolidge's lack of interest in federal flood control has been much maligned. Coolidge did not believe that personally visiting the region after the floods would accomplish anything, but would be seen only as political grandstanding, and he did not want to incur the federal spending that flood control would require. Congress wanted a bill that would place the federal government completely in charge of flood mitigation; Coolidge wanted the property owners to bear much of the costs. When Congress passed a compromise measure in 1928, Coolidge declined to take credit for it and signed the bill in private on May 15.


Here is his reason for not running again in 1928: 


> ...He announced his decision to reporters, in writing, with typical terseness: "I do not choose to run for President in 1928."


  Okay, more of an explanation: 


> "If I take another term, I will be in the White House till 1933 … Ten years in Washington is longer than any other man has had it—too long!" In his memoirs, Coolidge explained his decision not to run: "The Presidential office takes a heavy toll of those who occupy it and those who are dear to them. While we should not refuse to spend and be spent in the service of our country, it is hazardous to attempt what we feel is beyond our strength to accomplish."


**These are from just skimming through Wikipedia.

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## A. Havnes

Putting on my necromancer robes and resurrecting this dead thread.  My brother and I were arguing over who the best POTUS was, and I tend to point to Coolidge, although he made a few blunders during his time.  I ran a search to see if RP forums had anything to say about him and found this.

Calvin Coolidge's presidency is very similar to how I feel Ron Paul's would've been.  Small government, marked more by inaction (in a good way) that endless war, expanding social programs, and a government that uses any loophole it can to spy on its citizens.  Arrested?  Take fingerprints and send them to the FBI.  Found not guilty or charges dismissed?  Don't get rid of the fingerprints.  Use a buzz word on the phone?  Tap that line!  See you at a rally?  Find you on social media and track your interests and stuff.

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## A. Havnes

I don't know why, but the forum is being really weird and my posts are double-posting and the site is taking forever ot load.

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## Anti Globalist

The last great president we've had.

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## tebowlives

dup

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## tebowlives

> Thrown into the dustbin of history because he "did nothing".. when in fact it was just that that made him such a magnificent president. When recession set in in the early 20s, he called for lower taxes and fewer regulations, and got us out of it pretty damn quickly. He was an old school, Old Right small government conservative. Coolidge, Harding, and Grover Cleveland are some of the most underrated Presidents in US history.


I know this is old but it wasn't Coolidge, it was another you mentioned, Harding (​March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) who was President during the mini depression

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## Anti Globalist

> Thrown into the dustbin of history because he "did nothing".. when in fact it was just that that made him such a magnificent president. When recession set in in the early 20s, he called for lower taxes and fewer regulations, and got us out of it pretty damn quickly. He was an old school, Old Right small government conservative. Coolidge, Harding, and Grover Cleveland are some of the most underrated Presidents in US history.


Thats why I have Grover Cleveland as my avatar and one of Coolidges quotes in my sig.

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## acptulsa

..



> 'Proposals for promoting the peace of the world will have careful consideration. But we are not a people who are always seeking for a sign. We know that peace comes from honesty and fair dealing, from moderation, and a generous regard for the rights of others. The heart of the Nation is more important than treaties.'--Calvin Coolidge

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## Ender

> I know this is old but it wasn't Coolidge, it was another you mentioned, Harding (​March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) who was President during the mini depression


Yep.

Harding pulled the country out of a depression and was one of the best presidents, ever.

Unfortunately he died in what some consider too mysterious & convenient to be a natural death & was then tied to some of the illegal antics going on in DC, that he had nothing to do with. Now he is usually placed at the bottom of the list of great presidents.

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## Anti Globalist

> Yep.
> 
> Harding pulled the country out of a depression and was one of the best presidents, ever.
> 
> Unfortunately he died in what some consider too mysterious & convenient to be a natural death & was then tied to some of the illegal antics going on in DC, that he had nothing to do with. Now he is usually placed at the bottom of the list of great presidents.


Thats usually the case.  The great presidents are listed as the worst and the worst are listed as the best.

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## Matt Collins

Jefferson was pretty good.. but he did some things that weren't so good.

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## Swordsmyth

If Coolidge were President today we would have CDS victims on the site instead of TDS victims.

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## Anti Globalist

> Jefferson was pretty good.. but he did some things that weren't so good.


Was buying the Louisiana Purchase one of those things?  I've seen some people say he shouldn't have done that.

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## Matt Collins

> Was buying the Louisiana Purchase one of those things?  I've seen some people say he shouldn't have done that.


He did it with the advise and consent of the Senate.... they still had to approve it.

And it made sense at the time.

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## Sammy

Calvin Coolidge is my favorite President!

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## Anti Globalist

> Calvin Coolidge is my favorite President!


He is my second favorite President after Grover Cleveland.  Though in terms of personality I identify more with Coolidge.

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## r3volution 3.0

The inflationary monetary policy that led to the Great Depression played out during Coolidge's time in office.

It was the work of a fellow named Benjamin Strong at the New York Fed.

This policy was coordinated through the White House, because it was for the benefit of the British, but I don't know if Coolidge was involved. 

That aside, he was pretty good; he didn't do much of anything domestically (sans monetary policy), which is what you want in a politician.

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## Krugminator2

Googled Coolidge. Interesting to see what "historians" think caused the Great Depression. This indirectly involves Coolidge. I am seeing wealth inquality listed more and more as the cause of the Depression, which is beyond ridiculous.




> The richest one percent of Americans owned over a third of all American assets. Such wealth concentrated in the hands of a few limits economic growth. The wealthy tended to save money that might have been put back into the economy if it were spread among the middle and lower classes.



http://www.ushistory.org/us/48.asp[

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## acptulsa

> If Coolidge were President today we would have CDS victims on the site instead of TDS victims.


And you'd be one of them.

I can hear you now.  "Coolidge doesn't _do_ anything!  Now Hoover, that guy's _proactive_!  He's an _Alpha_!"




> Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil. Our great hope lies in developing what is good.'--Calvin Coolidge
> 
> 'Governments do not make ideals, but ideals make governments.'--Calvin Coolidge
> 
> 'We need more of the Office Desk and less of the Show Window in politics. Let men in office substitute the midnight oil for the limelight.'--Calvin Coolidge
> 
> 'A sound and wise statesmanship which recognizes and attempts to abide by its limitations will undoubtedly find itself displaced by that type of public official who promises much, talks much, legislates much, expends much, but accomplishes little.--Calvin Coolidge
> 
> 'If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it.'--Calvin Coolidge
> ...


Go ahead and say Calvin was wrong.  You know you want to.




> 'There are those who would discard this plan and substitute they know not what. They would turn from a certainty, tested by time, approved by experience, to some vague experiment. They point out imperfections, for even Americans have not fully realized their ideals. There are imperfections. But the ideal is right. It is everlastingly right. What our country needs is the moral power to hold to it.'--Calvin Coolidge


Where's that thread of yours where you're rewriting the Constitution...?

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## Swordsmyth

> And you'd be one of them.
> 
> I can hear you now.  "Coolidge doesn't _do_ anything!  Now Hoover, that guy's _proactive_!  He's an _Alpha_!"
> 
> 
> 
> Go ahead and say Calvin was wrong.  You know you want to.


LOL
You don't understand me at all.
And you TDS victims are the ones constantly whining that Trump doesn't do more, I'm the one who keeps pointing out that he can only do so much on his own.






> Where's that thread of yours where you're rewriting the Constitution...?


LOL
The consensus here is that if the Constitution isn't the cause of our government problems it at least failed in its purpose to prevent them.
The Constitution had not failed nearly so much in his day and he had no way to foresee how bad things would become.

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