. . . we’re sharing a little tidbit from our newly published Party Like a President: True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery, and Mischief from the Oval Office.
Everyone knows Washington, Lincoln, and the other presidential elites—they’re the ones that hog the monuments and the PBS specials. But some of the lesser-known prez’s are worth knowing, too. So today, we’re honoring (according to some) the least well-known president of the 1900s—Calvin Coolidge, otherwise known as “Silent Cal.”
Ha.
But you probably also didn’t know that Coolidge was hilarious—he had the kind of dry, ironic humor that would make him a Twitter sensation if he was around today. Some highlights:
- After waking from his nap, he would routinely ask, “Is the country still there?”
- Coolidge was famous for cutting out early from photo ops and formal events—so much so that someone once asked why he bothered with dinner parties if he hated dealing with crowds so much. His response: “Well, a man must eat.”
- While campaigning in the ‘20s, Coolidge was barraged with questions about reelection, Prohibition, and the state of the union. One particular campaign stop, he repeatedly answered, “No,” to all questions. When the reporters packed up to go, Coolidge shouted at them, “Don’t quote me!”
- Side note: Does NBA player Russell Westbrook take his interview cues from Coolidge?
- An author once approached Coolidge with the prospect of writing his biography, to which the president replied, “Better wait ‘til I’m dead.”
We hope you have a happy Presidents’ Day! If you want to celebrate as Calvin might have, speak only in ironic witticisms and tuck yourself in at 8 p.m.
Party Like a President is available now wherever books are sold including the following online retailers.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Powell’s | Workman
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