FDR was a great man. He would never become president today because of the media.

[EEO]

Mainly because of his inability to walk on his own, but I am sure they would harp on that and anything else they could find.

Example talking point:

"Can a man who can't walk on his own lead our country?"

What others can you think of that define our despicable Yellow Journalism media?

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. he used the word "liberal" often and proudly.

[BlueJazz]

2. Falx News would be sure to film every frame of FDR trying to get into his car....and then laugh...

...about it and make jokes.

[unblock]

3. they wouldn't be so explicit about that

at worst they would use coded language to keep reminding everyone obama is black.

but really, reminding someone is in a wheelchair isn't the same thing and can more easily backfire. there are sadly, plenty of bigots who hate and fear blacks with a passion. people don't have the same kind of hatred for the wheelchair-bound.

no, they would more likely go the commie route.

[treestar]

4. good point

Even they would have to be careful about that.

Rush Limbaugh probably wouldn't censor himself though. He'd have mentioned it several times and cast aspersions on Eleanor's looks.

[lpbk2713]

5. He married a cousin.

A fifth cousin but his detractors would not make any distinction.

And he had personal liaisons they would surely uncover.

[steve2470]

6. They would go the "he's a communist" route and...

at every possible opportunity, show the footage of him being carried or assisted or on crutches. No words, just the images.

[wyldwolf]

8. and the left would go the 'He's DLC' route

[steve2470]

9. yep nt

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Nope

[wyldwolf]

14. They actually DID accuse him of being the 1930s version. This is documented fact

No amount of "progressive" revisionism and FDR lionization can change it.

[Le Taz Hot]

17. I've no idea who "they" is

but I'm a progressive and FDR is the opposite of Third-Way Republican-Lite DLC and I've never seen another progressive say what you are asserting.

[wyldwolf]

19. your first clue to the answer to your question is post #8

In my examination of the historical record, it is clear that Roosevelt endured vicious, unrelenting attacks from his left that often exceeded the level of vitriol directed at President Obama, and correspondingly, Roosevelt was not viewed by liberals of his day with the adulation and reverence liberals view him today.

In fact, it's pretty remarkable how closely the attacks Roosevelt experienced from his left echo the attacks that liberals make against Obama today. There was criticism of Roosevelt for being too close to Wall Street, criticism of the New Deal's pragmatism and non-ideological approach, criticism of the New Deal for not going nearly far enough, criticism of the New Deal and Roosevelt as preferring conservatism to liberalism, and so on.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/08/11/891631/-UPDATED-Liberal-Criticism-of-Franklin-Roosevelt-and-The-New-Deal#

Full of quotes and referenced sources.

[Le Taz Hot]

20. You lost me when you equivocated Obama with Roosevelt.

You have a bias against "the left" that is well documented and you seem to thrive on pissing contests. I don't. You're like "debating" against some rwnj -- you're full of accusations -- each one more jaw-droppingly wrong than the last -- with the hopes that one might stick to the wall for a minute.

[wyldwolf]

21. facts never stood in the way of 'progressive' fundamentalism before so I didn't expect them to now.

[MohRokTah]

15. Yep, the Left DESPISED FDR while he was in office.

FDR had enemies to his left and his right.

[wyldwolf]

22. It's amazing - one episode of The Roosevelts actually showed archived footage of it...

... and still some here deny it.

[MohRokTah]

23. The left reviled FDR as much as they do Obama now.

Possibly more.

The left never thought he went far enough on any domestic policy (sound familiar?).

[FrodosPet]

16. And call him a warmonger

After all, Germany was not threatening the U.S. mainland. And Pearl Harbor was merely a natural reaction to our interference in Japan's internal affairs.

[jwirr]

7. His affair with Mrs Rutherford, his and Eleanor's separate lives, questioning their family values.

[EEO]

33. A bunch of puritanical, hypocritical children in this country.

None of that has any bearing on his qualifications.

[jwirr]

35. Agreed and it definitely does not determine what kind of president a man will be etc. but that

would not stop the rw today from using it.

[Major Hogwash]

10. Sadly, this is true.

And many pundits have stated the very same thing ever since 1960.

[Archae]

11. He did have a couple quirks.

His locking up Japanese-Americans, based on hysteria and greed, will never be completely forgiven.
He also tried to "pack" the Supreme Court.

[EEO]

24. He also helped put in place the military industrial complex. As with most presidents, a very...

complicated legacy.

[still_one]

12. Actually there was a group trying to overthrow him during his presidency

[Archae]

26. It surprises me none of them were ever jailed for what they planned.

Nowadays we have far-right groups like "American Spring" trying to do so too, but their numbers are so small we just laugh at them.

[still_one]

31. At the time much of the media didn't take it seriously. Historians have a different view

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. I'd prefer Eleanor. The "too liberal" one.

[Nye Bevan]

25. If a black community organizer with a father from Kenya can be elected President today,

it would probably be possible to elect an FDR.

[Thinkingabout]

27. We reap what FDR sowed today, Social Security has lived for 75 years.

It wasn't his only accomplishment but many would really be in trouble without having this in retirement. Thank you FDR for helping us.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

28. Geoffrey C. Ward said that FDR could not be elected today.

He is the historian who wrote "The Roosevelts" and was featured in it. He said that FDR could not be elected today because Fox News would constantly be saying he was weak because he had polio and can't walk and was unfit for public office.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth attacked him in her middle age and said that because her father Teddy Roosevelt had conquered his illness (childhood asthma) that Franklin should conquer his illness and not be "mollycoddled". I remember that from the next-to-last episode, I believe. I think it was after he had been elected President that she said that.

Franklin told Eleanor that they were to "have no more to do with that damned woman".

Alice sure turned into an asshole. Her half-brother Teddy Jr. was pretty nasty too.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

29. He had lots of female groupies too.

Too many girlfriends for the family values crowd.

[Nye Bevan]

30. That's what would probably make it tough for JFK to get elected today.

Back in his time, he could rely on the press not to report his womanising. Today, if he wanted to be elected he would probably need to try to keep his hormones under control.

[EEO]

32. Poor Bill Clinton.

[Octafish]

34. FDR would win hands-down.

He was more than what he appeared.