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A review by rach
An Honest President: The Life and Presidencies of Grover Cleveland by H. Paul Jeffers
4.0
A well-written and well-rounded account of Grover Cleveland's life and politics. I've been curious about Grover Cleveland ever since my childhood obsession with the Disney movie "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band", which centers around Cleveland's second run for office, which he eventually lost to Benjamin Harrison. To this day, when anyone mentions Cleveland's name (it isn't often), I break out into his campaign song from the movie.
It's really very sad that not much is widely known about Cleveland these days, other than the basics: only president to serve 2 non-consecutive terms; first to get married in the White House; first to have a child born in the White House. The title of this book really sums him up: above all else, he was honest. He believed any public office, especially that of the presidency, was to be treated as a sacred trust for the people, and he strove to do nothing that was not in the best interests of the people. He is the kind of president we need today, but in today's political machine, he would never have been elected, because he never actively strove to be president, and after his two terms, he had to decline re-nomination on several occasions. He just felt that being president was something he had to do when it was asked of him.
I'm glad I went to the effort to request this one through inter-library loan.
It's really very sad that not much is widely known about Cleveland these days, other than the basics: only president to serve 2 non-consecutive terms; first to get married in the White House; first to have a child born in the White House. The title of this book really sums him up: above all else, he was honest. He believed any public office, especially that of the presidency, was to be treated as a sacred trust for the people, and he strove to do nothing that was not in the best interests of the people. He is the kind of president we need today, but in today's political machine, he would never have been elected, because he never actively strove to be president, and after his two terms, he had to decline re-nomination on several occasions. He just felt that being president was something he had to do when it was asked of him.
I'm glad I went to the effort to request this one through inter-library loan.