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In reply to the discussion: Elizabeth Warren Comes Down Hard Against Global Warming, Separates Herself From Hillary Clinton [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)And it took his haberdasher of a Veep, bless his heart, to desegregate the Armed Forces.
He was a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson, another very imperfect "progressive"--but that's how FDR managed to get ahead by getting a gig as his Asst SECNAV. Do you suppose FDR agreed with the Palmer Raids? Or Wilson's rather obscenely racist views about black people, or slavery (not morally wrong, simply economically unviable)?
Even idols have weak spots and that whole race thing was a pretty big 'un. Particularly if you are a member of one of those unfortunate races that got the short end of the FDR stick. I suppose if you weren't, then everything was coming up roses for you--but where you stand depends on where you happen to sit, and if you're sitting in some shithole camp in the middle of nowhere, imprisoned because of your heritage, or on a bench labeled "Colored," your view might be a bit jaundiced.
I guess some of those "fundamental human rights" you're such a fan of applied to some Americans more than others, could that be it?
Just saying.
Though FDR hit that speech outta the park, even a horrible President says high-minded shit during a SOTU. I'm sure you could find some soaring hyperbole in a Bush or Nixon speech if you picked through them.
Now, I'm certainly not saying that the sum total of FDR's many terms didn't benefit our nation overall, but my point here is you can pick anyone's record apart and beat 'em up on this issue or that. You can even try to claim that a stance on a particular issue is a "deal breaker" and just "so awful" that no one might countenance it. The upshot is that trying to play the "Bad Democrat" game based on single issues --even more so where the politician isn't acting as their own agent but is subordinate to a POTUS -- is, well, cheap and cheesy, and it speaks more to the motivations of the detractor than the actual record of the politician under discussion.