What are some lessons President Obama could learn from FDR?
It’s hard to say because what gave Roosevelt the opportunity to have that large of an impact were two great crises that happened in the United States while he was president. First was the Great Depression of the 1930s; the second was World War II. American presidents have an unusual scope for changing the direction of the country when it’s in the middle of a crisis. President Obama entered office during a time when it looked as though the country might be on the brink of a new Great Depression. However, it hasn’t turned out that way. The country is in a recession and seems to be struggling to pull its way out. Without the challenge of the recession, President Obama wouldn’t have managed to get the economic stimulus package through Congress. But because this crisis isn’t anywhere as deep as the crisis during the 1930s, he’s really limited in what the political system will let him do. Q: You mentioned that successful presidents are well-suited to their time in history, and that a preside
