Is anyone else watching the Ken Burns series on the Roosevelts on PBS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watching the fifth episode now. It is so sad to me that, as one of the historians said, no one with physical disabilities to the extent of those faced by FDR would be elected today. His power was protected by him disguising his disability and by Americans (and press) willing to grant him that disguise. Nowadays, the press would cover every ugly aspect of it, and Americans would treat him as truly disabled. It makes me rethink the age debate that sees to crop up every presidential election cycle.

What a strong man he was. All those hundreds of speeches he made... just think, he was standing all those times with his heavy metal braces locked. He was in pain the whole time, yet he gave such forceful, powerful speeches. I admire him so much. Eleanor too. Such good people.

They were an amazing couple.

Amazing that people from the wealthy class would fight for common workers.

I cringe whenever George Will comments. Does he even understand the irony of a newspaper conservative like himself commenting on a liberal visionaries that successfully helped workers better their lives.

I was surprised at his statements about the Roosevelts believing that government can and is obligated to provide a better life for its citizens. He sounded supportive of it. He certainly doesn't believe that imperative in our present day life.

George Will provides no tangible suggestions. He is worthless as a commentator. Send him to fox where he belongs.

[Anonymous]

George Will is a highly educated commentator and you don't like him because he switched from NBC to Fox and he is a conservative.

Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Eleanor Roosevelt's visits to the hospitals where wounded and burned military men were being treated was quite nobel. I last 5 minutes on a ward at Ft. Belvoir filled with soldiers who were actually fairly well along in their treatment.

I also thought it was impressive that so many of the Roosevelt men served in World War II and not in cushy behind-the-scenes post but on the battlefields. I commented to my husband last night that they were the last generation of honorable men. There are still honorable men but far fewer than we had then.

Before the rants begin about honor and "killing babies" or whatever you DCUM pacifists spouts at me, I would also include in the honorable men of World War II men, one of whom I used to work for, who were actual pacifists but did things like participating in starvation projects so that the US could determine how to treat malnourished people they knew would emerge from the war.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Watching the fifth episode now. It is so sad to me that, as one of the historians said, no one with physical disabilities to the extent of those faced by FDR would be elected today. His power was protected by him disguising his disability and by Americans (and press) willing to grant him that disguise. Nowadays, the press would cover every ugly aspect of it, and Americans would treat him as truly disabled. It makes me rethink the age debate that sees to crop up every presidential election cycle.

What a strong man he was. All those hundreds of speeches he made... just think, he was standing all those times with his heavy metal braces locked. He was in pain the whole time, yet he gave such forceful, powerful speeches. I admire him so much. Eleanor too. Such good people.

They were an amazing couple.

Amazing that people from the wealthy class would fight for common workers.

I cringe whenever George Will comments. Does he even understand the irony of a newspaper conservative like himself commenting on a liberal visionaries that successfully helped workers better their lives.

I was surprised at his statements about the Roosevelts believing that government can and is obligated to provide a better life for its citizens. He sounded supportive of it. He certainly doesn't believe that imperative in our present day life.

Exactly. It was like Eugene Robinson or Richard Cohen commenting, not a right wing fanatic like George Will. Ken must have given him a script to read from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taped it but haven't watched it yet either, but I LOVE his stuff. The tinkly piano music gets me every time.

And this is exactly why his stuff bugs the shit out of me. Enough with the music! God, we're watching and listening and certainly music is appropriate sometimes, but the whole damn time???

[Anonymous]

Loved the series, but I think it's about time to retire Doris Kearns Goodwin. She's made a career of prattling on about Eleanor being "devastated" over Lucy Mercer Rutherford. From what they say about Kearns Goodwin, she might have learned a thing or two herself about presidential affairs when she worked in the White House.