On this day 100 years ago, they were married...

[elperromagico]

It was a dynamic partnership.


He: A man who overcame disability to rise first to the governorship of the nation's largest state and then to the highest elected office in American politics.


She: A woman who overcame crippling shyness to become the most active First Lady of her generation and a tireless champion of human rights.


They were together for forty years...


and they remain together today.

[tigereye]

1. That's really nice!

thanks for the great thoughts and pictures!

[Wat_Tyler]

2. I cannot count.

Great post, though.

[ewagner]

3. Very thoughtful....

thanks for the great post

[MarianJack]

4. IMHO,...

...the greatest president EVER!

And the first lady was a Massive portion of his success!

Of course today 51% of "our" standards have become a cowardly coke addicted drunk and a drugdealing ex-hooker, but thank God we're safe from those "hummasechils gittin' hitched!"

[elperromagico]

5. 60.8%. Now that's a mandate.

1932: 57.41%
1936: 60.8%
1940: 54.74%
1944: 53.39%

G. Dub wishes he had mandates like those.

[MarianJack]

6. I Don't Know How Old You Are, elperromagico,...

...but in my life time, several presidents, both parties were re-elected and some MASSIVELY!

Examples;

Eisenhower '56 huge win
Johnson '64 61% of the vote, 44 states and D.C.
Nixon '72 60+% of the vote and 49 states
Reagan '84 58+% of the vote and 49 states
Clinton '96 49% (8+% margin in a 3 way race) and 379 electoral votes

I don't recall (I was too young to remember Eisenhower, I was only 1) any of them strutting like Yosemite Sam screaming "mandate".
Of course, ** is a bully, nd as every bully knows, the truly tough person doesn't have to tell anyone that he's tough. Same way with "mandates".

[elperromagico]

9. Bush feels he has something to prove.

The fact that his margin of victory over Kerry is the smallest of any incumbent seeking reelection means nothing.

Or maybe he's just confused "mandate" with "majority." He does have a majority, albeit a small one.

[Book Lover]

7. You forgot an important part of the puzzle

Q. Who was Lucy Mercer?

A. Lucy Page Mercer, daughter of a well-connected but impoverished Washington family, was engaged as Eleanor Roosevelt's social secretary in 1914 to assist with social responsibilities of the wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. In September 1918, Eleanor discovered love letters from Lucy to Franklin and Eleanor offered Franklin his freedom. In the end, Franklin and Eleanor agreed to stay together and Franklin promised never to see Lucy again.

In 1920, Lucy Mercer married Winthrop Rutherfurd, a wealthy widower. Despite his promise, Franklin and Lucy continued to maintain contact and, after the death of Winthrop Rutherfurd in 1944, to meet. Lucy was present at the Little White House, Warm Springs, Georgia, when President Roosevelt died in 1945.

[elperromagico]

10. I didn't forget her. I simply didn't mention her.

I don't think it's necessary to mention extramarital affairs every time you mention a couple.

None of us particularly like it when Monica is brought up every time Bill and Hillary are mentioned, do we?

[Bouncy Ball]

8. I've visited their house in Georgia

and the warm springs he went to for physical relief/therapy.

I looked at the bed where they laid him when he had that stroke and died.

The painting a woman was doing of him is still there in the house, mostly finished.

I heard Eleanor had some mother in law troubles. Most of us do.

Fanstastic couple. Long may their memory live in the American conscious.