Weeks 5-6: Modern American Presidents

Harry S. Truman’s presidency is most known for the foreign policy of containment, which is to prevent the further spread of communist. In Europe, Truman backed the Marshall Plan, billions of dollars of economic aid to help Western Europe recover from World War 2, plus NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military defense pact between the West European countries, the U.S., and Canada. He also supported free South Korea in the Korean War, after communist North Korea invaded them.

Truman's leadership insights (all quotes are from McCullough's Truman book):

• Bipartisanship. The day after he took the oath of office, he drove to the Hill to "be with his friends" and had lunch with 17 congressmembers from "both parties and both houses, but mostly from the Senate" (he had been Missouri U.S. senator for 10 years before Vice President). "He wanted to tell them in person... that he needed their help in a 'terrible job'." (p. 353) That also shows humility. In his first week in office, he received "a delegation of Republican senators who had seldom ever set foot in the Executive Office in the Roosevelt years." (p. 368) He invited former GOP President Hoover to the White House to talk about European famine relief, the first time that Hoover had been there since he left office (p. 389). By choosing Army Chief of Staff soldier George C. Marshall in 1947 as Secretary of State, he got the support of Republican Foreign Relations Committee chair Arthur Vanderburg, who "pushed the nomination through... without a hearing or opposition" and who called "for a suspension of the rules" to run it through the Senate floor "for unanimous approval the same day." (p. 532) "Marshall stood high with Republicans on the Hill" and he was known for duty, selflessness, and honesty. (p. 534) 66 years old, Marshall was the first career soldier to become State Secretary.
• Common good was stressed. Truman's approach to being President was to not follow the polls, but to just do what was right. "What would Jesus Christ have preached if he'd taken a poll in Israel?" (p. 915) He hated the "rampantly selfish" labor strikes for catch-up pay, after the end of the war's strike moratorium ended. Truman thus worked harder than ever to set a good example (p. 470). "Always moved by the sight of wounded veterans..." he was struck "by the contrast between these respectful young men who had made such sacrifices for their country... and the two contentious old union bosses inside." (p. 498) He actually went before a joint session of Congress to call for emergency drafting of all striking railway workers into the armed forces, which passed the House but died in the senate (p. 505-6). He supported mandatory one-year training for all 18–20-year-old men for a training reserve for emergencies. He favored Eisenhower for the Democratic presidential nominee in 1948 instead of himself, and even offered to be VP on an Eisenhower ticket (p. 584).
• Containment foreign policy accomplishment. He first met with congressional leaders in their office, had respected state secretary Marshall speak to warn about Soviet domination increasing in Europe, Middle East, and Asia. Announced Truman Doctrine (opposing internal and external communist aggression) in 1947 before joint congressional session, got Greece and Turkey funding support. Truman gave credit to others, calling the Marshall Plan the Acheson-Clifford-Marshall Plan. Dean Acheson was Under Secretary of State, and Clark Clifford was White House Counsel. Truman quote: "it was remarkable how much could be accomplished if you didn't care who received the credit." (p. 564) The cost stunned congressional leaders Rayburn and Vandenberg, so Marshall made "a cross-country speaking tour, to convince business and civic groups." (p. 565) NATO treaty was ratified by the Senate in July 1949 by an 82-13 vote. After North Korean invasion of South Korea, Truman met with congressional leaders, who gave him "their undivided support," told him to "proceed on the basis of presidential authority alone" without any need for a congressional war resolution, to provide U.S. air and naval support for South Korea (p. 780).
• Fight for what you believe in. The underdog in 1948 election, Truman called the GOP controlled Congress back into special session to enact their own platform that sought to "halt rising prices... meet the housing crisis," provide "aid to education" and enact "civil rights legislation," "which they say they are for." (p. 643) Campaigning, he called Republicans "gluttons of privilege...cold men...cunning men." He said "the Democratic party represents the people... puts human rights and human welfare first." (p. 658) He said that Republicans only listened to "selfish" and greedy men with offices in Wall Street, big business, special interests. (p. 661) He said Republicans only cared about the National Association of Manufacturers, real estate trusts, "the selfish interests." He claimed GOP congressmen were united in "giving tax relief to the rich... letting prices go sky high... whittling away all the benefits of the New Deal." Speaking to racially integrated crowds and shaking hands with a black woman, Truman said that his concern was for "the little fellow" whom he wanted to see get "a square deal." (p. 677)

President Eisenhower’s presidency was a time of peace and prosperity. He ended the Korean war, and kept the U.S. out of Vietnam (France had wanted U.S. support for maintaining its colony.); he also denounced colonialism in the Middle East, which collapsed England, France, and Israel’s attack against Egypt (which had nationalized the Suez Canal). Prosperity was reflected in fiscal conservatism, a balanced federal budget, and a growing middle class. The Interstate Highway System was built, and the communist witch hunter Senator Joe McCarthy was denounced by the Senate. Eisenhower was successful though Democrats controlled the Congress for six of his eight years.

President Eisenhower's leadership style. Info and quotes are taken from: Three Days in January, by Bret Baier. William Morris, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; 2017.

Some aspects of Eisenhower's leadership before becoming President:

• He had "a style of leadership that was not top-down... to build up the members of the team so they could shine." He would "listen to them." (p. 10)
• His leadership style based on his rural life was "a rare frankness... what you see is what you get." (p. 20)
• He had a "calm strength under pressure." (p. 22) He handled rage by having an "anger drawer" where he dropped names of people who angered him, and then he stopped thinking about it.
• He would study, listen, and reflect.
• He would have conversations with others that demanded mutual respect. He was "naturally respectful of those with whom he worked and a synergistic collaborator." (p. 47)
• Leadership is "the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." (p. 36)
• During 25 years in the Army, he was known for "dutifully taking on every task assigned to him." (p. 41) D-Day leader.
• His "leadership involved portraying an attitude of optimism and confidence in victory, even in the darkest circumstances." (p. 45)
• He was "capable of changing a fixed position if a better option was presented to him." (p. 47)
• Great "human qualities...He merely has to smile at you and you trust him at once." (p. 48)
• He "had a talent for seeing the big picture and for moving the pieces on a complex chessboard to his advantage." (p. 48)
• Personal visits to military units before D-Day were important. Visits let him "keep a close eye on preparations and to lift morale." They showed "the commander's concern for them." (p. 51)
• He had great humility. He would wander among the troops, he had "informality and friendliness with troopers... All were put at ease." (p. 54)
• He took responsibility. Just before D-Day, he wrote a note for if the invasion failed, saying he made his decision "based upon the best information available... If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone." (p. 54)
• He felt that the Presidential "office should seek the man, not the man the office." (p. 68)
• Be gracious to those you defeat. After defeating Taft for the GOP presidential nomination in 1952, his "first act was to embrace his chief rival- rushing across the street as soon as he was nominated to speak to Taft." (p. 71)
• A leader should serve everyone. He refused his advisors' recommendation to write off the South and not campaign there: "I'm running for president of all the country, aren't I?" (p. 73)
• When campaigning, "he tried to meet the public as fellow citizens, using words of personal meaning and endearment. He also enjoyed using props..." (p. 75)

Aspects of Eisenhower's leadership as President:

• "Is it good for America?" is the "one question aides said Ike always asked." (p. 293)
• "Gently in manner, strong in deed," was on his desk paperweight.
• "Surround yourself with the best people and you'll be better for it." He liked "practical tacticians... people who could do things." (p. 91)
• Convince people that you are "above politics." Find "surrogates to do the dirty work." (p. 96)
• "he never attacked people personally..." (p. 96) He told one staff member: "don't ever again, in any document submitted to me, include a word which questions a man's motives." (p. 147)
• "he always tried to put himself in the other person's shoes." (p. 96)
• Ignore demagogues like Joe McCarthy to starve them of publicity. Work behind the scenes to eliminate them (such as with senators to censure him).
• "partisan political effect was not only at the bottom of the list ... it did not exist as a motivation at all." (p. 110) Eisenhower faced a Democratic controlled Congress for 6 of his 8 years.
• He had a "plainspoken manner" but he had a problem "speaking extemporaneously" and ending up talking about two unrelated things in the same sentence. (p. 121)
• Have a hobby to reduce stress. "golf energized him" and to "grease the political wheels" by playing with another politician. He also was a painter. (p. 128)
• He respected congressmen of both parties. They "were at heart public servants... their dedication to the cause of America was usually honorable." He sought "common ground" and was quick to "offer praise" to others (p. 135). "the worst resistance from Congress too often came from his own party." (p. 135)
• "blindness to party ideology was the key to leadership." (p. 139) "Every Tuesday at 8:30 A.M, he officiated a bipartisan meeting of congressional leadership." (p. 138) One House and one senate leader would have breakfast with him an hour before that meeting. He stressed foreign policy concerns, which he thought should be bipartisan. He had a congressional liaison and engaged in "cat herding" activities for congressmen, "the care and feeding of members." (p. 138) He also had bipartisan luncheons. He reached across the aisle.
• He let others take the credit. He would let "others take the stage- and even outshine him." Rather than saying he directed someone to do something, he would say, "I approved the secretary's proposal." (p. 151)
• He was willing to "change his position on issues in leadership meetings once the other side was fully aired." (p. 151)
• His group meetings like NSC were "vigorous give-and-take" meetings "with each person at the table presenting his position, followed by debate," so that President could fully understand "all the consequences." (p. 263)
• Moral clarity, used strong words. On campaign trail, called the Soviet Union communists "barbarians," and worried about the "monstrous advance of communist tyranny." (p. 156) His Farewell Address warned: "We face a hostile ideology global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method." (p. 298-9)
• Recognize the press's orientation. "He didn't care for the press's obsession with personalities and gossip, feeling it played to the lowest nature of mankind." (p. 230) He felt that "the press is too subjective, and too opinionated (at the expense of reporting facts)." (p. 231)

Lyndon Johnson was Senate Majority Leader in the 1950s, Vice President, and then President after Kennedy’s assassination. As President he enacted the Great Society, which included the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the poor, and an anti-poverty program. He also got us involved in the Vietnam War, and he did not seek renomination after campus protests and urban riots (some sparked by Martin Luther King’s assassination).

Lyndon Johnson’s Leadership Lessons (quotes are from Goodwin book, Leadership in Turbulent Times), relevant to his presidency:

• Even as a college senior he showed "youthful enthusiasm and sincerity of purpose," and gave a speech backing a railroad commissioner candidate that was a ten minute "stem-winding, arm-swinging talk." (p. 69)
• He always found a mentor. Example- his university President, as he served like an appointments secretary.
• Encountered poverty by teaching Mexican-American kids. He showed "empathy and generosity." (p. 76)
• Great storyteller. Backed 1964 Civil Rights Act with story as a Senator having a black staff member who had trouble taking the Senator’s dog on a drive back to Texas due to segregated facilities.
• Initiative took. He ran the show for Congressman as a staff member. His constituency work showed his "instinctive ability to locate the gears and levers of power in any institution." (p. 81)
• Tremendous work ethic. He also would "simply out-campaign his rivals." (p. 88) As U.S. House member, he got one of three first in the nation slum clearance and public housing grants (for Austin); he "was up and down our corridors all the time. It was his go-getterness..." (p. 93) said Housing Authority official.
• Learn about your colleagues. As Senator, he had "a composite mental portrait of every Democratic senator." He did favors for them so that they "incurred debts" to him. (p. 197) He realized that as age slowed down senior senators, "they feared humiliation, they craved attention." (p. 196)
• Compromise is important. Got the 1957 Civil Rights Act passed, limited it to voting rights, required jury trial, got public western dam. After becoming president, got tax cut through by courting conservative Senator Harry Byrd, inviting him to White House, pledging to cut federal budget and doing so.
• Retaining subordinates- kept Kennedy appointees on after becoming President. He showed them "a deep humility, sharing his doubts, continuously requesting patience, advice, and assistance." (p. 307)
• Simple, focused agenda. Civil rights and tax cut were first two issues.
• Used outside interest groups to pressure congress members. He got civil rights leader, liberal ADA founder, a union leader to contact U.S. House members to back discharge petition to get House Rules Committee to grant a rule to the 1964 Civil Rights bill. Bill then passed House.
• Seek bipartisan, national unity bill. Urged civil rights leader to work with Senate GOP leader Everett Dirksen, to make this "an American bill and not just a Democratic bill." (p. 323). Johnson "appealed to Dirksen's hunger to be remembered." (p. 324) When bill became law, in a big signing ceremony, he gave the first of 75 signing pens to Dirksen.
• Work with Congress members. Johnson set up 14 task forces on issues such as Medicare and federal aid to education (K-12), put congress members on them, and even had "secret sessions with key members." (p. 330) In his first ten months in office, "Johnson invited every member of Congress to the White House." (p. 331)
• Seek inclusive message. Backing 1965 Voting Rights Act at joint congressional session, Johnson said "we are met here tonight as Americans- not as Democrats or Republicans." "What happened in Selma" is not states’ rights but "the issue of human rights." "And we... shall... overcome." (p. 334)
• Give credit to others- he went to Truman's hometown of Independence, Missouri to sign Medicare bill, as Truman had first backed that program.

Ronald Reagan’s presidency was a conservative one, and a time of peace and prosperity. He greatly increased defense spending, cut individual income tax rates by 25% over three years, and attempted to cut domestic spending. He won re-election by carrying all except one state (plus D.C.), and his Vice President Bush succeeded him.

Ronald Reagan's Leadership Lessons:

• He had vision and moral clarity about the evils of communism. He spoke of the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," urged the new reformer Soviet leader to “tear down this wall” when visiting Berlin, and in a radio address once joked about bombing Russia. The year that he left office, the East European counties became independent of the Soviet Union, and two years later the Soviet Union itself broke up as the non-Russian Soviet Republics became free of Russia.
• Be optimistic. He pointed out that people coming to settle in America saw the country as a "shining city, on the hill." His Morning in America reelection campaign film shown to the Republican national convention was a classic, feel-good ad.
• Be flexible, compromise- picked liberal Pennsylvania Senator Richard Schweiker in 1976 as his running mate (but President Ford still won renomination). Half a loaf is better than none. His likeable, aw-shucks response to President Carter’s efforts to paint him as a war monger who didn’t care about old people showed that he wasn’t a conservative extremist.
• Great communicator. Actor, radio broadcaster, television editorials, great debater.
• Decency, likeable. He told Irish jokes to Democratic House Speaker, because they were both Irish. During the Iran-contra scandal investigation, he let investigators access his diaries. He granted interviews to critical media. He joked about being shot in the chest during the assassination attempt by telling his wife Nancy at the hospital, “Golly, honey, I guess I forgot to duck,” and seeing the room full of doctors while going under anesthesia he quipped, “Gosh, I hope you are all Republicans.”

George Herbert Walker Bush is especially known for the successful Gulf War, when Bush assembled a world-wide coalition to expel Saddam Hussein’s Iraq from Kuwait. Bush’s Leadership Lessons (info and quotes from Jon Meacham's Destiny and Power book:

• He came from a higher income family, was a navy pilot in World War 2, and his motivation was always "duty, honor, country." (p. xvi) Family biblical motivation: "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (p. 27)
• Good of the country was more important than political self-survival. He was more centrist in a conservative party. While U.S. House member from Texas, he voted for the 1968 Fair Housing Act. He privately urged Nixon to resign during Watergate. He favored making marijuana possession a misdemeanor, he supported the Equal Rights Amendment for women, and he opposed a pro-life constitutional amendment in 1980. Bush raised taxes in the face of a recession and a growing budget deficit. His wife wrote in diary: "George is doing what is responsible and right for the country and to heck with politics." (p. 418)
• He showed loyalty and calmness during the Reagan assassination attempt. He refused as VP to land on the White House grounds: "only the President lands on the South Lawn." (p. 277) Contrast that with the visibly rattled State Secretary Al Haig, who rushed to the White House press room to assure the public that “I am in control… I am next in order of succession after the VP” (actually, the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem come before him).
• Acted bipartisan, with some GOP lawmakers complaining that he had "the Democrats down to the White House too much." (p. 363)
• He was defeated in his 1992 reelection bid by one-sided media coverage, as 96% of media coverage "focused on economic weakness and shortcomings" though the recession was over by then (p. 512)

Bill Clinton's Leadership Lessons:

• Bright, as a college student he was a Phi Beta Kappa and a Rhodes Scholar.
• Very personable, met many people, liked people, built great networking.
• Learned from arrogance of first term Arkansas governor, apologized to voters, showed humility, won constant gubernatorial elections.
• Campaign style was people oriented, going to every possible political and church event, shaking every hand, talking to everyone.
• Gubernatorial policies focused on education reform and taking on teachers' union.
• New Democrat as presidential candidate, pro-death penalty, anti-crime, anti-welfare, abortions should be "safe, legal, but rare."
• Weakness- not taking sexual harassment seriously enough, ignoring power imbalance between boss and subordinate. Also, arrogance ("I did not have sexual relations with that woman"), lying in grand jury, covering up affair.

George Walker Bush's Leadership Lessons:

• Bipartisan actions as Texas governor, invited both parties' legislators to governor's mansion, had nicknames for legislators to promote intimacy.
• Failed to disclose DUI arrest years earlier, nearly cost him the presidential election.
• Attracted some good cabinet members, Colin Powell and Condi Rice as Secretaries of State, first two African Americans in this top cabinet position.
• Unified country after 9-11. Visited mosque three days after attack, said "we are not at war with Islam." He led an aggressive War on Terrorism, achieved 90% popularity.
• Failed to completely verify intelligence claims of Iraq having WMDs (weapons of mass destruction), long war in Iraq cost his party control of Congress in 2006.

Barack Obama's Leadership Lessons (especially relevant for students):

• Work hard, be the "real deal." President of Harvard Law Review. Showed character of a good unselfish team player when playing basketball with Michelle's NBA star brother. He would lay awake at night thinking about the problem of income inequality.
• Do your homework. Obama outcompeted Hillary Clinton to win the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination by fully organizing delegates in western caucus states after Super Tuesday. He outcompeted Republican presidential nominee McCain by keeping in touch with Treasury Secretary regarding the financial crisis bailout proposal.
• Think before you speak. Obama is articulate, bright, charismatic.
• Learn about other kinds of people, other countries. Obama grew up in Hawaii, lived in Indonesia, visited his father's family in Kenya, was a community organizer in Chicago. Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in his first year as President.
• Hire good people, be gracious to opponents. He recruited Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Clinton was successful in getting the two-thirds Senate vote to ratify a nuclear arms treaty with Russia. He attended his successor Donald Trump’s inauguration, and refrained from criticizing his presidency.

Donald Trump. Like Wilson, he had great potential, but made some disastrous choices:

· Trump’s wisest campaign move was to campaign among blue collar workers in midwestern states. He was a blue-collar billionaire, as he spent time talking with such workers in his businesses and construction projects. He learned about their disappearing jobs and decaying communities. His campaign rallies showed a respect for such common workers. He stunned the political establishment by winning states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, which had not voted Republican for President since 1988.

· His business philosophy was, when you get hit, hit back harder. This philosophy was very unlike the historic Christian philosophy of humility and forgiveness, and led to his constant tweets that were viewed as mean spirited.

· His obsession with forcing subordinates to be loyal to him led him to fire the FBI Director, which prompted the Justice Department to appoint a special counsel to investigate his campaign’s possible links with Russia.

· Trump attempted to have his subordinates try to get the Special Counsel fired, which can be viewed as obstruction of justice of the counsel’s investigation, though the special counsel, the Justice Department, and the Congress did not pursue this charge.

· Trump’s second impeachment was for Insurrection, as he mobilized a mob in D.C. to march to the Capital in protest as the electoral votes were counted on January 6. Trump was a sore loser, who not only refrained from showing up at President Biden’s inauguration, but also never conceded the election and Biden’s legitimacy as President. In December 2022, a special House committee chaired by Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson referred four criminal charges against him to the Justice Department, which also has a special counsel to investigate any federal crime he may have committed in the re-election process.

· Trump had many policy accomplishments, leading many Republicans to conclude that they want to continue Trump’s policy legacy, but with a different person. Trump greatly increased defense spending, permitted veterans to use private doctors if they cannot receive timely VA hospital assistance, negotiated an overwhelmingly passed trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, moved our embassy to Jerusalem, defeated the terrorist state ISIS, helped pass a bipartisan First Step Act for criminal justice reform, and signed the Abraham Accords (peace agreements between Israel and four Arab countries.