Who was President when you were born and what year were you born?

For me: President: Jimmy Carter, Year: 1979

1949

Yes, an oldie but goodie ;)

Even older--1948!:crazy:

1952 ... Eisenhower had just been elected, but Truman was still in office.

late 1952 - Eisenhower had already been elected. :)

"Class of '49." And damn proud to have been born during a Democratic administration.

Class of '49.

not Andrew. 1966.

eom

1957

Born in 1958

I think I'm a month older than you, though. Nixon hadn't been elected yet.

:hi:

Peter

:hi:Peter!

:D

In Brazil, some thug better left unnamed (we had a military coup in 1964)

Pre-election. ;-)

Hoping for another JFK as soon as he can get there.

1952

1958 - The International Geophysical year

The world was about to change. Of course it always does.

"Beware the military-industrial complex"

Was there a downside to Ike? I'm really not familiar with the political scene of the 50's. Just curious.

All people have a "bad" side that corresponds to their "good" side like a mirror image. Ike is often thought of as a smiling, kindly, mildly senile uncle. He wasn't. Smart man, somewhat detached as a political leader when compared to his military style. The degree that he relied upon LBJ, a democrat, is largely overlooked. Fascinating man. But, for one thing, he was okay with the MI planning little things like the murder of Patrice Lummumba. The Bay of Pigs was set in motion under him. He's too often cited as the president who got us into Vietnam .... again, false: had FDR lived, we would have been fine; Truman made the error on Vietnam.

You lost me on your last sentence. Truman got us into Nam?

Thanks for the info, BTW. I honestly didn't know about Ike's help from LBJ.

is a good book, which has the documents that indicate that in WW2, FDR was positively impressed with Ho Chi Minh, who was actually an ally fighting those occupying "Indo-China." He worked with the American intelligence agency that was the precursor of the CIA; they referred to him as "our man in the jungle." Evidence suggests that FDR would have supported Ho's being the elected leader of Vietnam after the war.
But FDR died. Truman was a very different type of leader. He is quoted in memos as saying that Asian people were "not ready" for democracy. He thus supported the French attempts to remain in control of the economy of Vietnam. The USA actually financed most of the French attempt.
For another fascinating example of the differences between FDR and Truman, look at the "incident" with Leland Olds, who FDR brought to Washington to head the Federal Power Commission. (FDR had hired Olds while governor of NYS; Olds brought electricity to rural farms and urban poor.) Anyhow, the FPC had 5-year terms. The oil/energy companies hated Olds, and viciously attacked him as a "socialist." FDR stuck by him; Olds got a 2nd term. FDR died. At the next re-nomination, the oil companies from Texas had LBJ (!) head the committee. LBJ stuck a knife in his back, in what I think was the ugliest episode of LBJ's career. Truman got rid of Olds.
If Truman was willing to sacrifice Olds, because of the "socialist" crap, it follows that he wasn't going to go to bat for an Asian who had been schooled in socialism in European schools.
Robert Caro has a series of books on LBJ. I think the most recent is "Master of the Senate." Despite what people may feel about him, LBJ understood the Senate, and had real power while Ike was in office. Both Ike and LBJ were complicated men. They seemed to work well together, at a time when democrats and republicans occassionally put the good of the nation before selfish interests.

Thanks for this. I'm going to do some reading. It's amazing what I don't know, and what we aren't taught in schools. I appreciate it.

First, thanks for taking the time to read mt ramblings! (grin) I find these things fascinating, and wonder what it would have been like if there was a "DU" back then? Instead, it takes years .... decades really .... for a lot of important information to become public. It takes a serious effort to really examine the actions (and implications) that leaders like Truman, Ike, LBJ, and even Nixon took. I'm always struck by how fortunate we were/are that JFK was in office at the time of the Cuban missle crisis. Go two presidents either before or after him, and there would have been war.
See? Now you have me babbling again! I hope you do take the time to read through some of these books. Great talking with you.

He let Under God be put into the pledge and In God We Trust on the currency. I don't think he did much to prevent the Red Scare/McCarthy hearings.

1965

:D

1949

MzPip
:dem:

1980

The funny thing is that I bet I remember 1981 as much as Reagan does.......Ok, I'm sorry, Its a serious decease, I just hate the man that much.

1951

i think.

I was 10 or 12 before it hit me that, though Reagan was elected in 1980, Carter was still president when I was born.

I'm wish I had him as a childhood memory instead of Reagan & Bush I.

Right over their heads. Good one

1979

My mother even had one of those oh-so-tasteful rhinestone IKE pins.

Born in february 1963

I was born in September,1932

Looked like I had the gold medal till you showed up.
Welcome to DU.
:hi:

it sure as hell beats the alternative.

for Eisenhower and a 1958 baby too...

:)

And we forgive you:hi:

nt

I met a very nice African American woman at Yale whose mom and dad had a picture of LBJ on their wall back in La.

If it hadn't been for a little place called Vietnam, he might be remembered as one of our great Presidents, in line for the $10 bill or whatever.

I was born on August 22nd 1964, exactly 9 months after JFK was shot. I had many questions for my parents..LOL

I'll be sending you B-Day greetings on

3/22/05.

-Dw

I was born 2/22 . . . jesus, am I really that ditzy? :crazy:

:hi:

Born in September, 1988.

Carter was elected in 1976 and sworn in in early 1977.

How memorable!

and my twin and I were born in July 1964 during the Johnson administration.

My mom used to say Kennedy was shot once and she was shot twice.... and in her case there was a lone gunman and there was no grassy knoll involved.

n/t