FDR Could Not Be Elected Today

Unlike some other people I don't really mind hypotheticals. In fact, I often find them stimulating.

In any event, I don't believe it is merely hypothetical to say Franklin Roosevelt could not be elected President today. I am continuing to read James MacGregor Burns' book on FDR, this the volume covering the years 1940-45. This marvelous book traces in considerable detail the various issues of those White House years. Burns is highly adept at creating a thorough, fascinating and accurate tale. FDR and his friends and "enemies" come to life in a most useful fashion.

I am in the year 1944 now, and thus coming slowly to the end of the book. What interests me is the "Economic Bill of Rights" put forth by FDR in his "Fireside" State of the Union "chat" in January 1944. The speech contained nothing truly new in the way of programs but did set forth a clear vision of the need for economic as well as physical security. Government, claimed FDR, had a responsiblity to help develop financial security for every American.

What a preposterous idea!, far-right wingers would say today. The government has no such responsibility!, I hear them saying. Yet, if Americans don't know what to plan for, how can they confidfently spend money to keep our economy going? This is the dilemma we face today. We have a crisis of confidence, or as some have keepnly observed, a crisis of the spirit. But the idea of confidence is important. Without confidence in the future, people will not commit the funds necessary to make major purchases. And even medium-priced itesm will suffer in sales.

So individual economic security is simple common sense. FDR knew this and had the courage to say so. Maybe that is why today he has a monument dedicated to him and the Senators who opposed him at the time are relegated to the dust-bin of history.