William Howard Taft: Presidency

William Howard Taft was American politician, 27th President of the United States (in office from 1909 to 1913). Explore interesting quotes on presidency.
William Howard Taft: 64   quotes 1   like

“The President so fully represents his party”

William Howard Taft Essential Writings and Addresses. Edited by David H. Burton. Faitleigh Dickinson University Press (2009). Chapter 1: Political Analyses. Subchapter: The President and His Powers, page 149-150. https://books.google.de/books?id=KiWFtHXQDOIC&pg=PA149&lpg=PA149&dq=that+they+make+him+responsible+for+all+the+sins+of+omission+and+of+commission+of+society+at+large.&source=bl&ots=Zy5G9PEz2_&sig=kGqYf643TGdpt-tT-9CWD2ex9LI&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBxbPsi6fQAhXsKcAKHcV4AH0Q6AEIJjAC#v=onepage&q=that%20they%20make%20him%20responsible%20for%20all%20the%20sins%20of%20omission%20and%20of%20commission%20of%20society%20at%20large.&f=false
Context: The President so fully represents his party, which secures political power by its promise to the people, and the whole government is so identified in the minds of the people with his personality that they make him responsible for all the sins of omission and of commission of society at large. This would be ludicrous if it did not have sometimes serious results. The President cannot make clouds to rain and cannot make the corn to grow, he cannot make business good; although when these things occur, political parties do claim some credit for the things that have happened in this way. He has no power of state legislation, which covers a very wide field and which comes in many respects much closer to the happiness of the people than the Federal Government.

“The truth is that in my present life I don’t remember that I ever was president.”

Correspondence (1925), quoted in James Chace (2004), 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs

“I have come to the conclusion that the major part of the work of a President is to increase the gate receipts of expositions and fairs and bring tourists to town.”

Letter of Archibald Butt to Clara F. Butt (1 June 1909); reprinted in The Intimate Letters of Archie Butt (Doubleday, Doran, & Co., 1930).

“Presidents come and go, but the Supreme Court goes on forever.”

Quoted in Henry Fowles Pringle (1939), The Life and Times of William Howard Taft.
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