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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMy Great Aunt Lena turns 100 next year. Talked politics and such the other day
I hope that doesn't jinx her that I said she's going to be 100
She still drives, she still can do hers (and in a pinch others) taxes -- she was a tax accountant
6 years ago she had to be coaxed down off a ladder because she was going to paint her house
She is what the family calls 'a pioneer woman'
Lena, like my grandfather and all his siblings (save one) are/were Democrats.
My grandfather (mothers family) NEVER voted for a Republican (in partisan elections) in his life -- EVER
Lena was born when Wilson was president. My grandfather when Teddy was in the White House.
I asked Lena if she could rate the presidents of her lifetime in order.
1. This was easy. She prides herself on being a 'Roosevelt Girl' (her words). She worked for his election and re-election in Stark County, IL even when she couldn't vote. She said Roosevelt is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th greatest president in her lifetime (this is important for her later ratings) Lena can tell you almost everything you wanted (and not wanted to know about the man.)
2. If not Roosevelt then Truman. She liked Truman, he got things done, decent man. Felt he ran against one of the few passable Republicans to run for the presidency. But Truman is far greater than Dewey
3. LBJ. She liked Lyndon. Again, accomplished a lot of good things. She remembers vividly Johnson going up into the hills of Kentucky to talk with the poor who lived there. It was the event that started his War on Poverty. She wishes more presidents would go into poor areas and just listen. She admits Vietnam was a mess. He never should have gotten so tied up in it
4. She hemmed and hawed a bit. She went with Obama which surprised me because she was madder than hell at him for the longest time and couldn't utter his name after his comment where he said Roosevelt sat on his hands for 9 months and let the economy get worse.
For people who have seen the All in the Family and Maude... think Maude's opinion of Franklin Roosevelt. Lena seldom raises her voice, but bad-mouth FDR and you have a fight
She thinks he's gotten some good things done and she's never seen such a difficult congress in her lifetime.
She thinks if she had been president she'd have strangled 'that idiot from Kentucky.'
If Truman had been president he'd have chased that idiot from Kentucky and the orange faced crier from Ohio from the white house with a stick
5. She went with Wilson
6. John F Kennedy. She said had he lived longer she would have probably placed him above Wilson... maybe Obama too
7. Bill Clinton. She's not a fan. Felt he capitulated to the Republicans too much. He needed to use his presidency more aggressively to counter Republicans
8. Carter. Her quote, "Never saw a man who could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like Jimmy Carter." She was disappointed how he went from a 31% lead in June to barely eking out a victory over that 'Ford character'. His loss to Reagan and so on. "Had a lot of good ideas, but couldn't get them done and micromanaged too much."
If you haven't noticed the trend... The first 8 are all Democrats... Just in case you missed it.
To her there are only 3 types of Republicans... Poor, Passable (Dewey was passable) and Because (I'll explain this later)
9. The passable Eisenhower. She never voted for him, but he was passable.
10. Nixon
11. George Bush I
12, Ronald Reagan
13. Calvin Coolidge (the real culprit behind the crash of '29)
14. Hoover. "Great vacuum." She also added, "He had a vacuum between his ears. It sucked up dirt and junk. Greatest thing Hoover ever did; he was such a failure that it made it easier for FDR in '32."
15. George Bush II.
16. Harding. A man she loathes. She can tell you every useless and horrid thing about Harding.
Ford does not make her list... "The man never got elected to a damned thing. He was appointed both times."
Contrary to what some here at DU believe, yes you can vote for someone other than a Democrat and still be a great Democrat. Great Aunt Lena is a testament to that.
Every Presidential election she could vote in, she voted Democratic. Every Senate race except one she voted Democratic. Every congressional race Democratic. Almost every state office Democratic.
She has almost 80 years of voting, canvassing, rally attending, hat and button wearing, song singing, etc on her resume
Now the 'Because' Republican
Yes she did vote twice for Republicans. She couldn't remember the year except it was in either the late 70's or early 80's. There were two people on ballot as Democrats in Illinois for state office (she thinks they were the nominees for Attorney General and maybe Sec of State) They were LaRouchies and she just couldn't stomach them getting elected to anything - Democrat or not.
The Republicans who ran were the 'Because' Republicans. Because the Democrats for those two offices were vile
monmouth4
(9,708 posts)whathehell
(29,067 posts)I love talking to people of that era...They know everything!
Funtatlaguy
(10,879 posts)as I am her eating, drinking, exercise habits.
To what does she credit her longevity?
rpannier
(24,330 posts)and away from those people who really annoy her
Her siblings mostly lived fairly long lives
Though their parents died fairly young (their father never made it to 45 and their mother died at 51)
Joe (the eldest) was 93, Leo (my grandfather) 94, Madge (third child) died at 72, Julia died at 21 but she was always a sickly girl, Theo was only 61, her (Lena's) grouping all lived or are living beyond 80 (Grace and Albert died) Lena and Molly still plugging away
Maybe it's being Democrats
I hope
For the most part they were certainly a colorful lot
sarge43
(28,941 posts)We don't have enough of these on the ground oral histories. They're invaluable.
She is a remarkable person.
rpannier
(24,330 posts)Not recorded which is too bad
My grandfather and his set were quite the crew 4 boys 2 girls (before 1910) and then there was the second set that came later (after 1914)
Great Aunt Madge was probably the greatest character of the crew
She had little tolerance for drinking. Her husband came home one night drunk and couldn't get the door open. She opened the door hit him with a frying pan and left him unconscious on the porch
The following day when he got up he thought he tripped on the stairs
He couldn't figure out why others in town thought it was so funny until a few days later when a friend told him he didn't trip.
She hated Calvin Coolidge. She told my grandmother (they were friends before grandma married granddad), "I heard when he was mayor someone punched him in the face. Didn't hit that old fool hard enough!"
When I was about 10 we were staying at Great Aunt Madge's and my mom said, "They say the business of America is business."
Great Aunt Madge slammed the table with her hand, "Goddammit Ju (mother is Julia)!" she shouted. "I know you did not just quote that sonofabitch! Not in my house! Not under my roof you didn't!"
Scared me. Especially how quiet the place was for about 30 seconds. A house full of people and not a sound
We've kept as much as we could, but we should have recorded their remembrances
rpannier
(24,330 posts)I need to get someone to get her to tell about the day Kennedy was assassinated and the days after.
That's an amazing set of stories
And of course, the depression and the good President Roosevelt did for America
Jeffersons Ghost
(15,235 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)ones who overlap my life. I would have had to vote against the La Rouchies also.
malaise
(269,054 posts)Rec - Keep it up Aunt Lena
GeoWilliam750
(2,522 posts)By and large she seems like a very sensible lady with whom I would spend a great deal of time agreeing.
rpannier
(24,330 posts)He was president and gone before she was 6. I think her disdain for Harding helps put Wilson in a better light
Her older sister Madge hated Coolidge. It wasn't until Hoover was in the WH that she really understood politics.
I think she'd have liked to have rated Kennedy higher
Her stories about the day Kennedy was assassinated and the few days after are rather chilling
Soxfan58
(3,479 posts)We should all talk and especially listen to the (forever young) people in our lives. She seems like a treasure.
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)they have so much wisdom. My sincere regards to her.
whathehell
(29,067 posts)They were around for the things we've only heard or read about...I used to love listening to my grandmother who, today, would be about one generation older than this woman...She was amazing.
mountain grammy
(26,624 posts)Ninety years old and sharp as a tack.. She was a child of the depression, and, like many west Texas children, poor and food deprived. She was an adult by the time FDR died. She's been a Democrat all her voting life and can't understand why everyone isn't. Your Aunt Lena is a gem.. treasure her.