Presidential Legacies: The Progressives (1901-1909)

William McKinley’s death ended the Gilded Age. A younger generation took over. No one represented that generation more than Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was young, vigorous, and progressive. The Progressives spent years in the Wilderness. The two major parties finally noticed them in 1892 when James Weaver polled well in the presidential election. In 1896, the Democrats under William Jennings Bryan co-opted the Progressives. Bryan was creamed in 1896 and 1900 and he scared voters into McKinley’s camp. By the mid 1910s, each party had Progressive and Conservative wings. By the 1920s, Progressivism was dead. People despised Progressive President Woodrow Wilson and the Progressives were blamed for World War I, the Palmer Raids, and reforms people did not necessarily want.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909): Roosevelt was a reformer and a progressive. Despite his own party’s protestations (and Glen Beck for that matter), he was no radical. With the exception of Conservation, Roosevelt steered a middle course between do-nothing conservatives and liberal overreaction. As a result, it can be argued TR was a moderate as president.

When Upton Sinclair published The Jungle, people demanded action against the meat packing industry. While socialists wanted a government takeover, and more conservative elements thought the government had no right regulating business, Roosevelt passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. The government would regulate, but not run these industries. Roosevelt protected the consumer while angering the right and the left.

Likewise, he steered a middle course during the Anthracite Coal Strike. Roosevelt forced a settlement on the owners. However, he steered a middle course during the negotiations. Government had always sided with business, so neutrality was a departure. TR made sure people had coal for the winter. That was his concern.

Roosevelt departed from his middle path with the environment. He believed in conservation. This should not be confused with modern environmentalism. TR wanted to preserve nature for future generations while today’s environmentalists believe that the Earth’s resources are finite and need protecting. Roosevelt did not believe this.

Roosevelt’s legacy consists of more than Consumerism and Conservation. Roosevelt oversaw a burgeoning world power. The Spanish American War made America an imperial power. Roosevelt decided that power brought responsibility. So, he pursued policies some consider controversial. When Japan decimated Russia in a war, Roosevelt mediated the peace. The Treaty of Portsmouth was a middle path agreement ending the war. Both Japan and Russia left New Hampshire unhappy. Roosevelt got the Noble Prize. Shortly thereafter, Roosevelt sent the American fleet to the Far East to intimidate Japan. The Japanese were an expansionist power with their eyes on the Philippines. The Great White Fleet was sent to remind Japan of American Power. Additionally, he issued the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, better known as The Big Stick Policy, designed to keep Germany out of the New World. However, it allowed American intervention in Latin and South America. Lastly, Roosevelt built the Panama Canal. He overthrew the Panamanian government to get it built. American national interest overrode all other concerns.

Theodore Roosevelt ushered in the Progressive Era. While TR was a reformer, he was not the wide eyed Progressive portrayed by some. Instead, he steered a middle course designed to help Americans. He remained neutral in labor matters and sided with consumers as opposed to big business. When it came to conservation, Roosevelt did not take the middle course. He set aside more land for future generations than any other president. Additionally, his foreign policy was similar to Ronald Reagan’s. National security overwhelmed all other concerns. After leaving the White House, TR ran for president again in 1912. During that campaign, he took a hard left turn.
Whether that left turn was real or an effort to differentiate himself from Taft and Wilson will never be known.

MLB All 1950s Team

C- Yogi Berra- Yankees
C- Roy Campanella- Dodgers
1b- Gil Hodges- Dodgers
2b- Jackie Robinson- Dodgers
3b- Eddie Mathews- Braves
SS- Ernie Banks- Cubs
OF- Mickey Mantle- Yankees
OF- Ted Williams- Red Sox
OF- Stan Musial- Cardinals
OF- Al Kaline- Tigers
RHP- Robin Roberts- Phillies
LHP- Warren Spahn- Braves
SP- Early Wynn- Indians
SP- Bob Lemon- Indians
SP- Whitey Ford- Yankees
RP- Hoyt Wilhelm- Giants

MLB All 1940s Team

C- Ernie Lombardi- Reds
1b- Johnny Mize- Giants
2b- Bobby Doerr- Red Sox
3b- George Kell- Tigers
SS- Lou Boudreau- Indians
OF- Joe Dimaggio- Yankees
OF- Ted Williams- Red Sox
OF- Stan Musial- Cardinals
RHP- Bob Feller- Indians
LHP- Hal Newhouser- Tigers
SP- Satchel Paige- Negro Leagues/ Indians
SP- Harry Brecheen- Cardinals
SP- Dizzy Trout- Tigers

MLB All 1930s Team

C- Mickey Cochrane- A’s/Tigers
C- Bill Dickey- Yankees
1b- Jimmie Foxx- A’s/Red Sox
1b- Lou Gehrig- Yankees
1b- Hank Greenberg- Tigers
2b- Charlie Gehringer- Tigers
3b- Pepper Martin- Cardinals
SS- Arky Vaughn- Pirates
OF- Mel Ott- Giants
OF- Al Simmons- A’s
OF- Joe Medwick- Cardinals
OF- Joe Dimaggio- Yankees
RHP- Dizzy Dean- Cardinals
LHP- Lefty Grove- Red Sox
SP- Red Ruffing- Yankees
SP- Carl Hubbell- Giants
SP- Lefty Gomez- Yankees

#29 The Doors

The Doors’ career lasted under a decade, yet they are one of the most popular bands of all time. They formed in 1965 when film student Jim Morrison met keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Morrison impressed Manzarek with his writing ability, so they formed a band along with guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The band decided to forgo a bassist. Instead, Manzarek played the basslines on his piano bass.

The band wrote most of their own stuff. Morrison’s lyrics were often dark, cryptic, and poetic. The Doors played the LA Club scene, including the prestigious “Whiskey a Go Go”. They were fired from the Whiskey for a profanity laced version of “The End” which included Morrison’s version of Oedipus Rex.

After landing a record deal, The Doors filmed one of the first music videos for “Break on Through.” Then came “Light My Fire” written by Krieger. This hit #1 and made them superstars. It helped them score a spot on Ed Sullivan. The show asked Jim to change the lyrics because they did not like the drug reference in the line “Girl we couldn’t get much higher.” Jim sang it anyway and the band got banned from Sullivan. When told they could not play Sullivan again, Ray Manzarek countered, “We already did Ed Sullivan.”

After their initial success, the band branched out in their music. However, Jim’s downward spiral had begun. He became an alcoholic which led to riots, drug binges, on stage collapses, arrests, and the infamous Miami incident. Eventually, it caught up to Morrison in Paris. In 1971, he was found dead in a bathtub. Whether he OD’d and was left in the tub or died in the tub is a matter of speculation.

The Doors attempted to continue without Morrison. They eventually broke up in 1973 before reforming in 2002 as “The Doors of the 21st Century” without Densmore and with The Cult’s Ian Astbury on vocals. That lasted until 2007. Densmore got an injunction against Manzarek and Krieger for using the band name while touring. In 2008, the two toured under the moniker, “Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors” and in 2009, they were joined by Densmore. They are members of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Rock n Roll Moment: On March 1, 1969, Jim got busted for whipping it out in Miami.

Essential Doors:

The Doors (1967)
Strange Days (1967)
LA Woman (1971)

Door’s Top 10:

Break on Through
Light My Fire
Love Me Two Times
Hello, I Love You
Touch Me
LA Woman
Roadhouse Blues
Alabama Song
The End
Riders on the Storm

#30 AC/DC

You have to love AC/DC. They do rock one way--loud. They are probably the only long lived band not to have a ballad of some sort. AC/DC music is straight forward, loud, and full of piss and vinegar. What’s even more amazing is the band survived the death of their front man and grew even more popular with his replacement.

AC/DC are from Australia. The brothers Young (Angus and Malcolm) formed the band in 1973. The band’s first lead singer, Bon Scott, was a rock and roll hellion. He drank himself to death after the band’s most successful album, Highway to Hell. Scott's death nearly broke the group.

Instead of disbanding, AC/DC recruited Brian Johnson for lead vocals. Johnson’s vocals are the most unique in rock and Johnson’s AC/DC debut, Black in Black, is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. AC/DC became superstars and remain so to this day. Although considered Heavy Metal pioneers, they consider themselves a regular rock band. AC/DC are Rock n Roll Hall of Famers and recently teamed with Walmart to release the multi-platinum album, Black Ice.

Rock n Roll Moment: As a youth, Bon Scott spent 9 months in juvenile detention for “giving a false name to police, having escaped legal custody, having unlawful carnal knowledge, and the theft of 12 gallons of petrol.” As an adult, Scott drank himself to death. The coroner declared it “death by misadventure.”

Essential AC/DC:

High Voltage (1976)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)

AC/DC’s Top 10:

Dirty Deeds
Back in Black
You Shook Me All Night Long
Highway to Hell
Girls Got Rhythm
Shoot to Thrill
Hells Bells
It’s A Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock n Roll
Thunderstruck
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

Thurman Munson

Thirty years ago today, Thurman Munson passed away in a plane crash. Munson was the leader of the two time world champion Yankees. He was a gritty player and a gifted player. He was the first Yankee captain since Lou Gehrig and would be the last until Derek Jeter. That says it all.