George Washington, Thomas Jefferson : Farming
It may not be entirely fair to call this a hobby. It was a common way of making a living, with an agricultural society being the norm during the 18th century. Washington owned a secluded farm in Mount Vernon, VA, which he regularly tended to before becoming president. Thomas Jefferson owned the Monticello estate, which contained an expansive plantation. Jefferson was also active in architecture and writing.
Andrew Jackson: Rowdy Behavior
Jackson was infamous for being the rowdy sort, as demonstrated by his participation in duels. Apparently, he was a bit of a heavy drinker. This is not altogether surprising, as he was considered to be the president for the "common man". It could be inferred that voters who were drawn to Jackson's upbringing and political values were also attracted to this element of his personality.
An illustration of Jackson's infamous duel
Ronald Reagan: Horseback Riding
Reagan was an aficionado of riding horses, so much that he made time in his busy schedule for escaping to Camp David and going for a ride. Also, he had a great love of jelly beans.
Ronald Reagan on a horse
Bill Clinton: Saxophone
In 1992, hoping to win the Democratic nomination for president, Bill Clinton played the saxophone on Arsenio Hall's prime-time television show. This event proved to be a boon for Clinton's popularity, especially amongst a younger audience. This wasn't just a one-time trick, however. He has remained committed to the saxophone and music throughout his life.
Clinton's performance
Sources:
http://americashorsedaily.com/the-quarter-horse-who-protected-reagan/#.VzVsxWQrJj0
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-12-27/features/1992362178_1_clinton-arsenio-hall-hall-show
American Pageant Textbook
USHAP Lectures
It is very interesting that considering how often we think of presidents we rarely think of them as people and having hobbies. But yet they are and do. I know that Obama is an avid golfer, but yet people often perceive it as a bad thing. Why in some cases does having a hobby, like Clinton's Saxophone help his ratings, but for others like Obama's golfing hurt his?
ReplyDeleteIn Obama's case, I would reckon that it stems from the common accusation that he has done very little in his time as president. Maybe the public believes that he should have been working instead of playing golf. This is obviously an unfair statement, as we all know how many hours the President works, but it was a product of the public perception. Clinton's performance was definitely a calculated risk, and it probably didn't strike a chord with an older, more conservative generation, but the amount of relatability amongst the younger generations made it worthwhile.
DeleteI also thought you chose a particularly interesting and appealing topic. How do you think this affects our perception of the president? Does it increase, in our minds, the power of the presidency? My inference is that it makes the President more appealing as a fellow man rather than as merely a political figure. This is precisely the reason why Kennedy was so popular during his time; people saw him as an young, ordinary person with whom they could relate rather than as some symbol of old power.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/jfks-image-for-better-or-worse-098894
Yes, I touched on that a little with the Clinton bit, but it's worth expanding on. These actions do have the effect of making the president seem more like "one of us". In fact, that's exactly what Clinton was going for when he agreed to play the saxophone on TV. And we can see it with Jackson's behavior, and Washington's, and even Reagan's love of horseback riding. They all contributed to the positive reception that many of these presidents enjoyed when they were elected.
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