The publishing of this post has everything to do with my finishing this book on Monday afternoon and nothing to do with the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. That is coincidence. As former FBI Director James Comey said - Impeachment would let the American people off the hook and have something happen indirectly that I believe the they're duty-bound to do directly.
Donald Trump has already been completely removed from office. But I digress.
This is an excellent read chronicling the drama of party intrigue and betrayal, backroom deals, presidents who died in office by means of natural causes and at the hands of an assassin. Presidents undermined by opponents and subordinates, presidential departures and presidential ambitions of some particularly talented individuals thwarted. There is more than a fair share of corruption and graft in the historical timeline - a veritable double-dose. It reminds us that our nation has had some really terrible, horrible, very bad chief executives.
David Priess takes a deep dive into pertinent provisions of the U.S. Constitution to explain how the Founding Fathers struggled with how much stability to offer a chief executive without making the position ineffective. As well, how to avoid the tyranny of a presidential monarch.
The author makes the historical context relevant by means of good storytelling and a bit of dark humor. If you think that the last couple of elections have been laden with drama you need to wrap your mind around the historical record.
In particular, I was previously unaware of the circumstances surrounding the Electoral College drama in the contest of New York Governor – Democrat Samuel Tilden against the Republican many American came to know as ‘Rutherfraud’ B. Hayes.
If you like politics and history this is an eye-opening and terrific read.
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