The news media of the 21st century is very different from that experienced by Theodore Roosevelt at the turn of the 20th century or Franklin Roosevelt in the Depression and World War II era.
One scholar’s opinion: Longtime FDR scholar and author, Geoffrey Ward, recently expressed his opinion that neither Roosevelt would have reached the White House today.
“I’m not sure they could have been president now. TR was very eccentric, and FDR was physically helpless, and in the modern world in which everything is fair game…I think TV cameras would compete with each other to see who could get the most ‘helpless’ footage of FDR.”
Upcoming Roosevelt documentary: Acclaimed film producer, Ken Burns, has produced a new documentary on Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Entitled “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History,” it will air beginning on September 14, 2014 on PBS. It is a 7-part, 14 hour file tracing the Roosevelts from Theodore’s birth in 1858 to Eleanor’s death in 1962.
Mike Purdy’s Presidential History Blog
© 2014 by Michael E. Purdy
www.PresidentialHistory.com
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Not so much discrimination against handicapped now-and legless Charles Potter elected senator in postwar years,George Wallace twice elected while in wheelchair.TR-not sure.
It depends on the party he with which he would be affiliated. If FDR ran as a Democrat, the matter of his condition would be downplayed and rarely discussed or pictured. If he ran as a Republican, it would be highlighted more. Just an opinion on my part, but in 2008 John McCain’s facial skin cancer was discussed at length, yet Barack Obama only released partial medical records with little fanfare. Bob Dole got a lot of attention about his war injury from Leslie Stahl on 60 Minutes. Plus she went on about his age and contrasted that with Bill Clinton. Do you think Hilary Clinton will get the same treatment about her age? Or anything about her medical history? As for TR, yes, he was eccentric, but so was Ross Perot and Ross garnered 20 million votes!