“No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired … more generally respected.” Alexander McClure
Have you ever completely misjudged someone you didn’t really know? Maybe they had a less than stellar background and it didn’t occur to you that people can change? Or maybe you simply heard things you didn’t like about that person, and although you hadn’t met them, you automatically dismissed them as someone you wouldn’t get along with? Unfortunately, I’m guilty as charged over here.
That’s kind of how I felt about Chester Arthur. When I read about him in The Destiny of the Republic, I thought “Uhg! Who is this guy? He didn’t deserve to be president!” But after reading more about him and actually learning more about who he was as a person, I’ve changed my tune a bit.
It turns out Chester Arthur, our president of the week, is quite the interesting fellow. And if you can look past his mutton chops, you might kind of like him. Sure, the little qualifying experience he had was thanks to connections and not his own merits. But, that’s politics for you.
