Dan, I have a fondness for Fillmore, strictly because of his first name. My mother’s birth name was Millard, a portmanteau of her parents names — Mildred and Bernard. (She legally had the name changed later in life.) Sadly, Fillmore is regarded as one of the worst presidents in American history, largely because of his slave policies, but since he is also one of the least memorable presidents, few people know what he did or did not do.
Jerry, who can forget his famous last words: “The nourishment is palatable.” Until the current embarrassment, and Nixon, the only ex Pres to come back even worse than before, as pres. candidate for the Know-Nothings.
And yet we try to pretend Wilson was noble.
Your grandparents were perhaps less thoughtful than they were considering themselves…as both my mother, a Camilla, and the only Mildred I’ve known personally really hated/hate being called Millie, so even the obvious alternate might not be preferable.
Fred Blosser
How long before Trump diverts money to add his mug to Rushmore?
Biden was less bad than I expected, albeit his backroom wheeling/dealing didn’t go away…to be bookended by probably the most moronic person to hold the office (the next most, Jr. Bush, even has a slight edge on him, and managed two terms in succession). I handed him a flyer criticizing Biden when he was a Senator, for his performance during the Anita Hill testimony to his then current support for an Anti-US-flag-burning Constitutional amendment, when he spoke at George Mason U…he was certainly gracious enough even when mentioning it onstage. Obama was graduated from my high school the academic year before I transferred in; I can safely say, neither of us has done Enough, though he did have it tougher in enough ways, and did more career-wise (to say the least). We also listened to jazz LPs at the same Honolulu record store’s listening booths…might’ve been there the same time or times in the summer of ’79.
Our best ex-president has been Carter, though a pity about his presidency. Though TR and Van Buren did some good in their post-presidency runs, as distinct from Millard.
And JFK had the wit to bow to Thomas Jefferson, albeit they shared flaws (to be kind), and JFK needed to do more (and in a few ways less, such as furthering US engagement in VietNam), but Johnson kept that self-destruction in place, while coming pretty close to being the best US 20th C president in a few ways.
Millard Fillmore
The Last Whig!
Dan, interesting choice!
Dan, I have a fondness for Fillmore, strictly because of his first name. My mother’s birth name was Millard, a portmanteau of her parents names — Mildred and Bernard. (She legally had the name changed later in life.) Sadly, Fillmore is regarded as one of the worst presidents in American history, largely because of his slave policies, but since he is also one of the least memorable presidents, few people know what he did or did not do.
Jerry, who can forget his famous last words: “The nourishment is palatable.” Until the current embarrassment, and Nixon, the only ex Pres to come back even worse than before, as pres. candidate for the Know-Nothings.
And yet we try to pretend Wilson was noble.
Your grandparents were perhaps less thoughtful than they were considering themselves…as both my mother, a Camilla, and the only Mildred I’ve known personally really hated/hate being called Millie, so even the obvious alternate might not be preferable.
How long before Trump diverts money to add his mug to Rushmore?
“Not My President Day.”
Fred, Trump fantasizes about his mug on Rushmore.
Or cut into Denali, now properly renamed Mt. Drumpf.
I once celebrated all presidents on this day, even (begrudgingly) Nixon, Reagan, and both Bushes. No more.
Jerry, despite his flaws, I admire Thomas Jefferson.
We pretend Andrew Jackson deserves to be on our currency.
Samuel Tilden
Oh wait, the Republicans stole his Presidency that he had rightfully won.
Well, Al Gore then. Oh wait…
I like the New Yorkers- Cleveland and the two Roosevelts.
Jeff, does Trump count as a New York President?
First term, yes. Second, Florida all the way.
FDR
Deb, I have a couple volumes of FDR biography waiting to be read.
I would lean toward FDR more if not to for the internment camps and a few other stupid ideas.
Biden was less bad than I expected, albeit his backroom wheeling/dealing didn’t go away…to be bookended by probably the most moronic person to hold the office (the next most, Jr. Bush, even has a slight edge on him, and managed two terms in succession). I handed him a flyer criticizing Biden when he was a Senator, for his performance during the Anita Hill testimony to his then current support for an Anti-US-flag-burning Constitutional amendment, when he spoke at George Mason U…he was certainly gracious enough even when mentioning it onstage. Obama was graduated from my high school the academic year before I transferred in; I can safely say, neither of us has done Enough, though he did have it tougher in enough ways, and did more career-wise (to say the least). We also listened to jazz LPs at the same Honolulu record store’s listening booths…might’ve been there the same time or times in the summer of ’79.
Our best ex-president has been Carter, though a pity about his presidency. Though TR and Van Buren did some good in their post-presidency runs, as distinct from Millard.
And JFK had the wit to bow to Thomas Jefferson, albeit they shared flaws (to be kind), and JFK needed to do more (and in a few ways less, such as furthering US engagement in VietNam), but Johnson kept that self-destruction in place, while coming pretty close to being the best US 20th C president in a few ways.
Alas, all human.
Hm…did the qualifier on Donny get the Moderation nod?
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-17-2025 Heather Cox Richardson makes the Style Pathbreaking case, at least, for Geo. Washington…
Please fix my late-night name typo…thanks.