Teddy Roosevelt

I am half way through "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt", by Edmund Morris. I had previously read "Theodore Rex", the second of the planned trilogy biography of Teddy Roosevelt, by Morris.

I have to say that reading about Teddy makes me feel inadequate. By 23 he had graduated from Harvard with academic honors, traveled Europe, the Middle East, written a book about naval warfare, two volumes of nature research, was an accomplished taxidermist, was listed on a registry of biologists, mastered several languages, been elected state assemblyman in NY state ... The list goes on and on.

One could say, well of course, people born to great wealth are free to do things mere working folks could never do. While this is true on one level, on another level it makes Mr. Roosevelts accomplishments more bewildering. If he had wanted to he could have never worked a day in his life. He had an income of over $8,000+ per year without working, which could have bought a life of relative lazieness, not to mention the kind of jobs his connections could have landed him. He wouldn't have been the first heir of a wealthy family to make nothing of his life.

I used to wonder why Roosevelt was on Mount Rushmore. I mean Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson seem like obvious choices, but why Teddy. Well after reading a book and a half, I have changed my mind. He certainly seems like he belongs up there among his equals. Hard to imagine that people thought of him as an accidental president initially.

I wonder if someone like Teddy would be elected today. He had a poor speaking voice and was strange looking. He also liked to gallop through local Washington parks shooting at things and whooping. It would be hard to imagine that kind of behaviour happening today.