Sex, Buffalo, and the White House

In honor of Presidents’ Day, I was delighted to see that Buffalo's gift to the White House was honored on a very prestigious list.

Okay, it was a list of the top Presidential Sex Scandals.

But at least on one list, Grover Cleveland is in some pretty prestigious company.

FDR.

JFK.

Thomas Jefferson.

Let’s face it, a sex scandal list is the only top-10 list Grover Cleveland would be on.

He wasn’t exactly considered one of our better presidents.  Not a bad one either….just kind of average.

But he was certainly interesting.

And not just because of the sex thing.

Although….that was really interesting.

After all, he was elected president despite the fact that he had fathered an illegitimate child.  One of the greatest campaign slogans ever was used against him.  “Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa?”  Then after he won, his supporters added a second line.  “Gone to the White House.  Ha! Ha! Ha!”

He also had a little cradle-robbing thing.  When his best friend died, he promised he would take care of the man’s daughter.  He did.  He married her.  He was 49, she was 21.

They say Bill Clinton was a great student of history.  Clearly he studied Grover Cleveland.

Who, by the way, had quite the meteoric rise.  In three years he went from mayor of Buffalo to governor of New York to president of the United States.

Unlike our elected officials today, he got things done.

Even if he had to do them himself.

Before he was mayor of Buffalo, he was Erie County Sheriff.  Back then, the sheriff was responsible for carrying out executions or paying a deputy $10 to do it.  So Cleveland did it himself.  Twice.  Both were hangings.

Can you imagine a presidential candidate today doing that?  Even Rick Perry never flipped the switch himself….and we all know that man loves to kill prisoners.

On the political front, Cleveland was known as a reformer. 

He cleaned up corruption in Buffalo.  (at least for a while)  That got him elected governor.  Where he cleaned up Albany.  (at least for a while)

And that got him elected president in 1884.  Where he cleaned up Washington.  (at least for a while)

But he wasn’t re-elected in 1888.  Even though he won the election.  How did that happen?  Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College.  (So he was the 19^th century version of both Bill Clinton and Al Gore)

But he wasn’t finished.  He came back.  He was elected again in 1892.  The only president to serve non-consecutive terms.  (I have this Arnold Schwarzenegger image of him leaving the White House and saying “I’ll be back”.  He didn’t.)  But the First Lady did tell a staff member to keep the furniture the way it was, because they’d be back in four years.

But Cleveland didn’t do so well in his second term, so not only was he not re-elected in 1896, he wasn’t even nominated as the Democratic candidate.

That year, the Republican was elected.  William McKinley.  And we all know how well his trip to Buffalo turned out.

But think about that for a minute.  The former mayor of Buffalo was replaced in the White House by the man who would be assassinated in Buffalo.  And honored with a monument in front of Buffalo City Hall.

And think about this.  If McKinley hadn’t been assassinated, would Teddy Roosevelt have become president?

So one of our greatest presidents became president because of Buffalo.  Replacing the man who replaced the president from Buffalo. 

Who wasn’t a great president. 

But he’s a great story.

Happy Presidents Day, Grover Cleveland!

I was driving down Transit Road this afternoon and when I passed Grover’s, it was mobbed.  Which makes sense.  After all, it's Presidents Day…and what better way to honor the only president who came from Buffalo than with burgers and beer.  In a bar named after him.  Where he probably did his share of drinking when it was his hunting lodge.

So let’s talk about Grover Cleveland.   In just three years he went from mayor of Buffalo to governor of New York to president of the United States.

He’s not considered a bad president.  But not considered a particularly good one either.  Most surveys have him pretty much middle of the pack.  But there are some interesting things about him.

I know, you’re expecting me to write about the sex scandal.  And I won’t ignore it….after all, he was elected president despite the fact that he had fathered an illegitimate child.  Then there was the child bride thing….while president, the 49-year-old Cleveland married the 21-year-old daughter of his late friend.  (when Bill Clinton was president, everyone talked about how he idolized JFK….clearly Cleveland was his role model)

But there’s more to Grover Cleveland than his hormones.

For one thing, he was the kind of guy who got things done.  Before he was mayor of Buffalo, he was Erie County Sheriff.  Back then, the sheriff was responsible for carrying out executions or paying a deputy $10 to do it.  So Cleveland did it himself.  Twice.  Hangings, both times.  Imagine if Rick Perry could say he did that….think of the applause he’d have gotten in those debates.

Then there’s Cleveland’s reputation as a reformer.  When he became mayor, Buffalo’s government had a reputation for corruption.  (who says history doesn’t repeat itself?)  But Cleveland cleaned things up.  And as his reputation grew, they took notice in Albany.  Which led to his election as governor.  Which led to reforms in state government.  Which led to the presidential election of 1884.  Which he won.

Which led to reforms in Washington.  Even though Cleveland was a Democrat, he kept Republicans in their jobs if he thought they were doing those jobs well.  He was actually an anti-patronage politician.

But in 1888, he lost his bid for re-election.  Even though he won.  Huh?  Let me explain.  Cleveland actually won the popular vote against Benjamin Harrison, but narrow victories in several key states gave Harrison enough Electoral College votes.  (So not only was he the 19^th century version of Bill Clinton, he was Al Gore without the hanging chad)

But when he left the White House, Cleveland said “I’ll be back”.   Okay, before you think Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, he didn’t really say that.  But the First Lady actually told a staff member to keep the furniture the way it was, because they’d be back in four years. 

And they were.  Making Cleveland the only president ever to serve two non-consecutive terms.   But his second term wasn’t as effective as his first.  He also made many enemies in his own party, so he wasn’t nominated as the Democratic candidate in 1896.  The Republican candidate won that year’s election.  His name was William McKinley.  Who…as we all know….came to Buffalo for the Pan American Exposition in 2001.  And we know how that turned out.

Which is actually another interesting tidbit.  The former mayor of Buffalo, replaced as president by the man who would be assassinated in Buffalo.

One last tidbit…..when Cleveland died in 1908, his last words were “I have tried so hard to do right”.  When it comes to last words, those are pretty good.

So happy Presidents Day, Grover Cleveland.  Buffalo’s gift to the White House.  You’re welcome, America.