Let's look first at "assertive foreign policy." TR certainly pursued an assertive foreign policy; it may have been tolerated overseas because the U.S. wasn't yet a really important world power, and acclaimed at home for the much same reason. Be that as it may, TR's policies did help to make the U.S. into an important world power, particularly in South and Central America, which have now largely been abandoned. How many high school students, capable of finding Germany or France on a map of Europe, could find Ecuador or Peru on a map of South America? How about Colombia or even Panama? My guess is that most wouldn't have a vague idea where to look. For that matter, how many members of the Congress could find three out of the four without help?
Back in simpler times, now more than a century ago, TR glorified the martial attributes of his country. He saw virtue in war, which “purified character by testing it." He considered that physical combat would diminish softness in modern life, vulgarity of the new rich, and the “effete literature of expatriate intellectuals." This captures TR's spirit, I think, better than any other short statement could. Would it be possible for Senator McCain to say, in leading his rough riders on a charge up San Juan Hill, "Gentlemen, the Almighty God and the just cause are with you! Gentlemen, Charge!" I don't know, maybe. Picturing Senator Obama doing something like that requires more imagination than either he or I could rightfully claim to possess.
Would — could — Senator McCain take such a position now? Even if there weren't a hot mike around? TR, sabre drawn, galloped his horse leading his troops up San Juan Hill; Senator McCain flew an attack bomber in Vietnam. One difference is probably little more than the available technology, although TR's spirit seems to have been a tad different.
According to Senator McCain's official website, he wants a stronger military than we now have, better trained, better paid, better able to fight the sort of battles it will be called upon to fight, and more people, particularly soldiers and marines, to do it. TR would probably like that.
TR wanted all the power he could get to do what he and those who elected him deemed in the best interest of the country, and was not disposed to let the notion of strict construction get too much in the way. TR's distant cousin Franklin felt much the same way, and threatened to pack the Supreme Court to bring the Court around to his way of seeing the limits (practically none) of the Commerce Clause. Senator McCain favors a strict constructionist judiciary. However, TR and FDR appear to have seen things a little bit differently. They had visions, different perhaps, but visions nonetheless, for the U.S. I wonder whether the same could truthfully be said of Senator McCain. I haven't seen much evidence of it yet, but there still remains a way to go until the general election.
Article comments
1 - Lee Richards
Congratulations on one of the most thoughtful and well-written articles I've read recently.
Two huge differences: TR was a vigorous 42 and his own man, McCain a less than vigorous almost 72 and beholden to interests and influences as all our current politicians are.
2 - Dan Miller
Thanks, Lee, I very much appreciate the kind words and will go out and buy a bigger hat :>.
Still, TR is an interesting choice as Senator McCain's "conservative role model," and should he live up to the standards set by TR, he will be a pretty good president.Yep, one of my bigger concerns about Senator McCain is his age -- hell, he's five years older than I am. That's one of the reasons I will be very interested in his VP choice. One of my other concerns is that Senator McCain seems to lack TR's spirit and his sense of fun -- his exuberance and joy for life. TR was definitely a mixed bag, and in his last years became less admirable than when he was president. As Blum put it,
Dan
3 - bliffle
Good article.
Yes, it's hard to imagine McCain as similar to TR. Aside from the similarity of military roles there seems to be little in common with their views. Even the military relationship is strained, as McCain, being merely a pilot, was more like a foot soldier than a leader of troops.
4 - Dan Miller
Thanks, Bliffle
We seem more often to disagree than to agree, and that's one of the fun parts of the blog.
Dan
5 - Baronius
Dan, you got Lee, Bliffle, and me to agree on something. Very nice article.
Look at McCain's anti-big business rhetoric, complaining about corporate greed. I think you'll see some TR in it. Likewise, with campaign reform, McCain seems to see the Constitution more as an obstacle to be overcome than a set of principles to be adhered to.
You see Teddy Roosevelt as someone who could play the chess game of politics. Well, he was also someone who could overturn the board when he was losing. And I definitely see that in John McCain. (I'm speaking as an alienated conservative here.)
6 - Leonardo
"Government should take care of those in America who can not take care of themselves." Really? Mr. McCain?
Try this;
"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." - The great communicator himself, Ronald Reagan.
I read somewhere that "Governments are instituted to protect rights of the individual." I think it's call the United States Constitution.
Liberty for Life...
7 - Dr Dreadful
It's in the Declaration of Independence, Leonardo, not the Consitution.
And would you mind explaining exactly how your third quote doesn't reconcile with your first?