ELECTION #35, 1924. The NASTY-METER is 2.

QUOTE from Calvin Coolidge: "I don't recall any candidate for president who ever injured himself very much by not talking."

The campaign for president in 1924 was rather uneventful. Americans were having a good time, the economy was booming, there were no wars, many people were drinking illegal booze and enjoying it, and they didn't want to change anything. The election results would prove that to be true.

The CANDIDATES in 1924.

REPUBLICAN: CALVIN COOLIDGE.

Warren Harding died in a San Francisco hotel room on August 3, 1923. As VP Calvin Coolidge succeeded to the presidency. His VP running mate was Charles Dawes, budget director and former bright young political operative for William McKinley.

DEMOCRAT: JOHN W. DAVIS.

The Democratic Convention was broadcast over the radio, a first in American politics. Over one million people listened and were treated to endless days of squabbling from Ku Klux Klan members. The KKK had made major inroads into southern and western circles and wanted a platform amenable to their racist agenda. But after an astonishing 103 ballots (a record that still stands)anti-Klan forces prevailed and nominated John W. Davis, former solicitor general under Woodrow Wilson. His VP mate was Charles Bryan, governor of Nebraska and brother of William Jennings Bryan.

The CAMPAIGN in 1924.

Say what you want about Calvin Coolidge, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut (see quote above). About all Coolidge did say was that he was "for the economy, After that, I am for more economy." The Republican campaign slogan "Keep Cool with Coolidge" seemed to sum it up.

Democrat John Davis was not a good speaker and knew he would never be elected - he wrote later in life, "I went all around the country telling people I was going to be elected and I knew I hadn't any more chance than a snowball in hell."

Radio played a major role for the first time. Coolidge was told that Wilson and Harding had basically ruined their health by traveling too much so maybe he should stick to the radio to save his own health. He did plus he got in a lot of naps.

The WINNER was CALVIN COOLIDGE and he became the 30th president of the U.S.

Coolidge got 15,719,921 popular and 382 electoral.

Davis got 8,386,242 popular and 136 electoral.

LaFollette got 4,831,706 popular and 13 electoral.

It was a two-to-one landslide for Coolidge. Supreme Court Chief Juctice Oliver Wendell Holmes summed up everyone's feelings quite nicely: "While I don't expect anything very astonishing from Coolidge, I don't want anything very astonishing."

Hi__________________

This is from Pete Bungum. Barack Obama has been our president for 3 1/2 years. He seems to be a polarizing figure and I'm trying to find out why some people HATE him so much and why some people really LIKE him . I've done research to identify what President Obama "stands for" and "what he has accomplished" as President. This is an effort by me to identify exactly what it is about this man that makes some people feel the way they do.

The people who complete this survey should be able to identify the specific reasons for their feelings toward President Obama. It will tell the person why they HATE  him (or why they LIKE him.) Follow the directions below.



Hi ________

This is from Pete Bungum. I'm wondering if you would help me on this research project. It has to do with politics but don't let that scare you off. I'm not trying to make anybody upset but simply trying to find some answers to questions I have about why there is so much HATE and DIVISIVENESS in this country. Yes, this poll/survey is about President Obama as he seems to be the recipient of this HATE and DIVISIVENESS. I have asked many people why they feel this way about Obama. Most say they do not want to talk about it -  those that do talk seem to be most upset about Obamacare but 99% claim that it is not that he has black skin. On the other hand many people LIKE President Obama - I'd like to know why they LIKE him and this poll/survey will also do that.

Having said that I would really like to have you do this. My plan is to get this, by email or letter, to at least 50- 100 people or more. What I've done is identify 47 possible reasons as to WHY people feel the way they do about Obama. I've divided the 47 statement into 5 categories. The 5 categories will help me more easily compile the resuts in order to reach some conclusions.

The final section of  this poll/survey is called the "CONCLUSION." If you do not want me to know who you are just cut off the CONCLUSION part and send it to me by U.S. mail. There is no way I will know.
 If you don't care if I know send your completed poll/survey by U.S.mail to - 516 Jordan Drive, Anamosa, 52205 or by email to (pgrab1960@aol.com)

As I said I'm not trying to make anybody mad or upset. I simply want some information as to why people feel so strongly, one way or another, about President Obama. It is almost equivalent to the love or hate that FDR went through in the 1930s and 1940s.

If you choose to do this I say "Thank You" in advance. If you choose not to that is fine also.

TALK FOR CHUCK.

First Ruth Ann and I want to again express our condolences to Marlys, Brett, Andrea, Kirsten, Cheryl, Jack and grandkids Annie, Sam, Josh, Peter, Sarah, and Charlie. You indeed have lost a great man as a husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather and he was truly a a very funny and witty man. And, of course, we siblings of Chuck have lost our first brother.

Chuck and I lived in the same house from 1940 to 1954. He left for the U.S. Navy when I finished 8th grade. As a result of being in the same house for 14 years I have many memories of the two of us growing up, most all of them from ages 6 to 14 for me. I want to share some of these memories - I'm going to start with some of the fights we had as young kids - they are kind  of  funny now - but they  were not very pleasant for me "poor little innocent Peter." Then I'll tell some more pleasant ones. Many of you have heard these before but they're worth telling again as I'll never be telling them again.

For some reason Chuck and I didn't always see eye-to-eye. I want to read from my autobiography on what I wrote about  our years together in Mantorville and Dodge Center. This will help  explain why we didn't always get along. Here are some examples:

1. Read p. 6 of autobiography - Mantorville fights
 He wasn't the most tactful person with me and I don't know why because as you just heard I was such an innocent kid. I must have been about 7-8 when this happened. All the older kids were gone and Dad and Mom had to go someplace so Chuck volunteered to babysit for me, John and Mark. I begged Dad and Mom not to let Chcuk babysit but they agreed to let him do it anyway. He promised he would be nice to me. As they drove down the driveway he turned to me and said "Pete if you don't do what I tell you I'm going to rearrange your face and body." I got the message and went to bed early that night. That was a good display of tactfulness in action.
3. This one was at age 7-8 also. The upstairs bedroom and hooked screen door. p.6
4.And then the best ones. SHOW CHUCK'S PLAQUE. .
-The story of the butter knife.
The story of the bed castor.

Not all of my memories about  Chuck involve FIGHTS.  Let me share a few of some other  memories I have of Chuck.

0. I remember in 2nd grade at Mantorville school when, during noon hour in the gym, a kid named Wesley Keller was picking on me and unfortunatel for Wesley Chuck saw him doing it. Chuck came and got a hold of Wesley and lifted him off the floor and told him to knock it off. Wesley didn't bother my anymore.
1.You've probably heard the football story about me in 7th grade being substituted for Chuck. It was in Dodge Center and the story goes like this.

2. I remember what a great trumpet player he was. He had more misical talent than all the rest of us 9 kids put together. I was always kind of jealous of his talent. He could easily have made a living being a trumpet player in an orchestra or a band. At their 50th anniversary  in '08 at Jack and Kirstens house I told this story of Mom and me and his trumpet

3. I remember what a great athlete he was, especially in football. He played on the famous  1952 Dodge Center team that was undefeated, untied and unscored upon. Actually I did to. I remember one time when he was noseman on defense he took the opponents center and grabbed him by the shoulder pads and threw him aside like he was bale of hay. It was funny to watch - that poor center. He probably stiil has nightmares about flying through the air at Dodge Center that day. There were 2 guys from that 1952 team who playued for the Gophers - Dave Myers went in 1952 and was a kicker and Everett Gerths, who stared as an 8th grader in 1952 played linebacker from 1957 to 1960.  I wish Chuck had played football at Luther he could started for all 4 years. As far as I'm concerned I think he could have played for the Gophers also. 

4. I remember at the Dodge County Rest Home when he dressed up like a doctor with a white gown on and went to this guy's room, The guy's name was Tommy Lawler and he complained a lot about his huge hernia hanging out of his stomach. Chuck walks into the room, tells Tommy he is a doctor and was going to operate on his hernia. So Chuck pulls out this Japanese bayonet, the one Paul brought back from Japan. I guess Tommy didn't complain too much about his hernia hurting after that.

5. I remember the smiling dog. Chuck and Marlys and kids had this dog that Chuck could make smile. He sinply told the dog to smile and he would pull his lips back and show his teeth. It was funny.

6. I remember Chuck struggling with his weight all his life. Even as a kid he was overweight. I don't know why he got the fat genes and the rest of us didn't. I've been grateful that I didn't have to confront that in my life.

7. I remember a  quote of his at a Iowa-Minnesota football game in Iowa City - only Chuck could come up this one. The Hawks were ahead and Minnesota was marching down the field trying to catch up when they had a 4th and 3 at the Iowa 30 yard line. They chose to go for the first down instead of going for the field goal. The Gopher quarterback took the snap and for some reason fell down. I didn't see the play so I asked Chuck what happened and only Chuck could up with this answer,"He tripped on a blade of grass."

8. I remember the many times we got together in our adult years when we were both raising kids and after . We had so many good times and shared many laughs. What great memories we have of Chuck and Marlys and Kirsten, Andrea and Brett


9. My best memory of brother Chuck is his fantastic sense of humor and quick wit. He could have been a comedian along with many other things in life. He probably had the most abilities of any of us 9 kids
I still laugh when I think of his antics and some the funny words that came out of his mouth.

10. I'm going to miss this bigger and older brother - miss him a lot as we all will.