# What do you associate each U.S. President with? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089 "2014-02-11T21:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/1 "2014-02-11T21:30:53Z")
I was thinking about President Truman, and how basically his whole presidency is dominated by his decision to use atomic bombs on Japan. That led me to trying to come up with one event that defined each President’s time in office. A few of them are easy - Lincoln with the Civil War/abolishing slavery, Hoover and the Great Depression - but some are pretty hard. So, which Presidents do you closely connect with particular events in your mind? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/2 "2014-02-11T21:57:34Z")
It’d take a bloody book! There are so many! Washington alone is associated with a whole book’s worth of events. Which one could possibly be most significant? I’ll go with “He could have made himself King, and didn’t.” George Washington was one of the very few people in history who had absolute power, and wasn’t corrupted absolutely. (He was corrupted a little…) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/3 "2014-02-11T22:40:17Z")
Just off the top of my head - Washington - American Revolution. Jefferson - Louisiana Purchase. Jackson - Trail of Tears. McKinley - got shot. Taft - was fat. Wilson - League of Nations. Lincoln - saved the Union. Harding - Teapot Dome. Andrew Johnson - impeached. T. Roosevelt - Pure Food and Drug Act. FDR - New Deal. Truman - Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Eisenhower - embodiment of the 50s, if that counts. Kennedy - Cuban Missile Crisis, and getting shot. Johnson - Great Society, especially civil rights. And Viet Nam. Nixon - Watergate (duh). Ford - Whip Inflation Now. Carter - malaise, general incompetence. Reagan - the economic boom of the 80s. Bush Sr. - First Gulf War. Clinton - lying, lying, more lying, and getting impeached. Bush - war on terror. Obama - Obamacare, and being black. I’m sure the others had significant events associated with them, but nothing that leaps to mind. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/4 "2014-02-11T22:40:22Z")
FDR: Depression/WWII Madison: Father of the Constitution Buchanan: Gay, or bachelor, you decide Monroe: The Doctrine Grant: Alcoholic, also the guy who put down the rebellion, but that was before his election. Clinton: BJ Bush: Iraq Jackson: Indian killer, hillbilly Jefferson: Louisiana Purchase, also writing the Declaration of Independence McKinley: Shot Garfield: Shot JFK: Adultery Nixon: A crook Obama:Care TR:Bully Wilson:WWI, PhD, His wife was the first female president. Johnson: Vietnam, Civil Rights Eisenhower: Also civil rights, “I Like Ike”, the poodle skirt, sock hop era, and also, unpresidentially, D-Day Just throwing some ideas out there. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/5 "2014-02-11T22:49:24Z")
A few additions: Truman: Integration of armed forces Teddy Roosevelt: Panama Canal Nixon: Trip to China, EPA G. W. Bush: General and complete incompetence Carter: hostage crisis W. H. Harrison, died after 32 days in office Clinton: peace and prosperity Polk: Mexican-American War Reagan: drawing a blank Andrew Johnson: Impeached. Screwed up reconstruction Ford: Pardon of Nixon ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/6 "2014-02-12T00:02:45Z")
Up through Grant: Washington - loved a good barbeque Adams - wanted more fireworks Jefferson - invented the Lazy Susan Madison - probably epileptic Monroe - wounded in the Battle of Trenton Adams II - as a teenager, traveled as an interpreter to Russia, then made his way back on his own to his father in Paris Jackson - killed a man in a duel Van Buren - O.K.! Wm Henry Harrison - Tippecanoe John Tyler - only President buried without U.S. national honors (he was in the Confederacy at the time) Polk - only President to keep all of his campaign promises Taylor - only president whose 1st name starts with Z Fillmore - the Do-Nothing president Pierce - died from cirrhosis of the liver Buchanan - ancestor of my last long-term employer Lincoln - made Carl Sandburg swoon Johnson - was drunk when he took the oath of office Grant - was sober when he took the oath of office ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/7 "2014-02-12T00:37:29Z")
Eisenhower - started the interstate highway system Kennedy - We’re going to the moon! Johnson - picked up his beagle by the ears - there was outrage Nixon - not only EPA, but OSHA, too. Ford - flu shots Carter - wear a sweater Reagan - Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/8 "2014-02-12T01:16:05Z")
Washington - father of the country Jefferson – Louisiana Purchase Madison – War of 1812 Monroe – Era of Good Feelings Jackson – Shutting down the Bank of the US Van Buren – OK Harrison – dying Tyler – First VP to become P Polk – Mexican War Taylor – Cherries and milk Pierce – death of his son Lincoln – obvious Johnson – worst president ever/impeachment Grant – scandals Hayes – Paraguay Garfield – dying Arthur – my alma mater/civil service reform Cleveland – “Ma, Ma, where’s my pa?” Mckinley – Spanish American War Teddy – Conservation Wilson – keeping us out of the war Harding – “If you were a girl, you’d be in the family way all the time. You can’t say no.” Coolidge – wonderful, dry sense of humor. Hoover – The Depression FDR – The New Deal Truman – Give 'em hell, Harry Eisenhower – sending the troops to Little Rock JFK – Assassination LJB – Great society Nixon – Watergate, opening China Ford – the pardon Carter – Tehran Reagan – the beginning of the death of the middle class GHWBush – Gulf War Clinton – Lewinsky GWBush – 9/11 Obama – Health care reform ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/9 "2014-02-12T01:49:04Z")
Washington-- The Revolution Jefferson-- Sally Hemmings Lincoln-- Emancipation Polk-- Kept his campaign promises W. H. Harrison-- Too stupid to put on a coat Cleveland-- Non-consecutive terms T. Roosevelt-- General badassery Taft-- Fat Wilson-- The League of Nations Hoover-- Sucked FDR-- Four terms Eisenhower-- Nuts! JFK-- the Moon L. B. Johnson-- Vietnam Nixon-- Watergate Ford-- His Accidency Carter-- Habitat for Humanity Reagan-- Trickling on the poor G. H. W. Bush-- Iraq Clinton-- Lewinsky G. W. Bush-- Iraq Obama-- ACA There are some holes in there towards the beginning, since I don’t know much about most of those guys beyond “they were there”. And several of the things I associate most with presidents weren’t from their presidency per se. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/10 "2014-02-12T02:30:19Z")
Franklin Pierce,James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, William Harding and George W. Bush - Incompetence John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt - Progressive domestic social policies. Jimmy Carter - Human rights Dwight Eisenhower - The Interstate Highway system Andrew Johnson,US Grant, Millard Fillmore and Richard Nixon - Failure Harry Truman - Th A-bomb Thomas Jefferson,James Madison,Andrew Jackson,Zachary Taylor,Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Ronald Reagan - Slavery and/or racism (the first four were slave owners. Wilson fired all Black civil service in Washington when he came to office. Coolidge signed the Asian Exclusion Act when he didn’t need to. Ronald Reagan was an opportunist who used the GOP’s Southern Strategy to get elected) Teddy Roosevelt - The Panama Canal William Taft - Fat, Supreme Court Justice Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky and NAFTA George Washington - First President The rest are a mixed bag ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/11 "2014-02-12T02:36:07Z")
Nixon–resigned. Carter–made me register for the draft. Reagan–spent Social Security. Bush, Sr.–didn’t get Saddam. Clinton–played the saxophone. Bush, Jr.–got Saddam. Obama–got Bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/12 "2014-02-12T10:39:09Z")
Without looking at the rest of the thread: (I strayed slightly from the OP’s intent: Some of these are about the man himself, not events that occurred during his time in office). Washington: Father of our country; crossed the Delaware. Adams: Alien and Sedition Acts; Boston Massacre. Lincoln: Civil War; freed the slaves; his own assassination. FDR: World War II. Kennedy: Bay of Pigs; his own assassination. Nixon: Watergate. Carter: Attacked by giant swimming rabbit. (The world must never forget). Reagan: Iran-Contra. Clinton: Boned an intern; lied about it. George W. Bush: 9/11, Second Iraq War. Obama: Killing of bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/13 "2014-02-12T22:43:45Z")
_ **For now, I’ll stick to Presidents who ONLY Make me think of one or two things** _ John Adams- Alein and Sedition Acts James Monroe- Monroe Doctrine William Henry Harrison- dying after just 30 days in office James Polk - Mexican War Millard Fillmore- Compromiuse of 1850 James Buchanan- only bachelor President Andrew Johnson- impeachment Rutherford B. Hayes- dirty dealings in electoral college James Garfield- was ambidextrous, and got shot Grover Cleveland- served two non-consecutive terms Warren Harding- Teapot Dome Herbert Hoover- the Great Depression Jimmy Carter- Iran hostage affair George H.W. Bush- First Iraq War ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/14 "2014-02-12T22:55:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Eisenhower-- Nuts!. You’re probably thinking of [Anthony “Nuts” McAulife](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_McAuliffe) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/15 "2014-02-12T23:25:06Z")
help a reader out. put in chronological order. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/16 "2014-02-12T23:59:20Z")
Some dopers seem to have pretty weird definitions of “one event”. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-associate-each-u-s-president-with/681089/17 "2014-02-13T00:11:54Z")
Anyways I’ll do a few: Obama: obamacare Bush: Iraq Clinton: success of the DLC Bush: iraq Reagan: cold war rhetoric Carter: energy crisis Nixon Watergate Johnson: civil rights Kennedy: shot in the head Eisenhower: interstate system FDR: new deal Hoover: depression Coolidge: compared sex life to a chickens Harding: teapot dome. I don’t even really know what that scandal is. Just that it happened on his watch. Wilson: WWI Taft: fat Teddy: rise of progressivism