PBS: FDR's Path to the White House (1884-1933)

[marmar]

Apr 7, 2026 #FDR #History #President

As the longest-serving president in U.S. history and leader through two of the nation's worst crises — the Great Depression and World War II — Franklin Delano Roosevelt set the standard for the modern presidency. Our two-part biography traces America's 32nd president from his early years as the pampered scion of a wealthy family, to his devastating paralysis from polio, to his twelve years in the White House.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Louis Howe

[NNadir]

2. One of the books I'm currently reading is Joseph Lelyveld's...

Last edited Wed Apr 8, 2026, 01:02 PM - Edit history (1)

...His Final Battle: The Last Months of Franklin Roosevelt.

I've been interested in this topic since I went to an exhibition on his decision to run for a 4th term at his Presidential Library at Springwood in New Hyde Park a few years back.

The exhibit included a display of his medical records. He was in heart failure. His doctors knew it; his family knew it; his colleagues pretty much knew it. He ran again because it was widely believed no other Democrat could win.

The book has some nice descriptions of what proved to be an inspired decision, choosing Harry Truman as his running mate. He did not necessarily actually choose Truman himself, so much as he understood that his successor could not be Henry Wallace. He of course approved Truman after the otger possible candidates had been discussed among party figures, primarily William O. Douglas and Jimmy Byrnes.

The issue of his physical health is very different than the disastrous issue of the Pedophile's mental health. We have never had an insane President before, but the book makes it clear that Presidential doctors are never straight up with the public.

It worked out in FDRs case for the best. I consider that FDR, in choosing not to retire although he very much would have liked to do so, gave up hopes of a slightly longer life for his country. His willingness to remain in office led to an earlier demise than might have otherwise been the case. He might have lived until 1946 or 1947 if he didn't run again.