Presidents and the Media

David Greenberg, a columnist for The Wilson Quarterly, wrote an article called Beyond the Bully Pulpit which described how Teddy Roosevelt used the media to become the 26th President. Greenberg listed and briefly illustrated how important media was to TR. For example, he used his time in the Rough Riders to make himself appear as the great American Hero for the Spanish- American War (1898), causing him to become a familiar face in households nationwide. This caused him to be popular in many states, therefore when he became President, after the unfortunate death of President McKinley, many Americans approved of the position he was given. The American public even reelected him because Teddy was a man they could trust, unlike their past leaders, such as Hoover and Coolidge. Roosevelt acknowledged this, and used the media to show his appreciation. He wrote in the newspapers stating that he was the peoples voice, hired reporters to take pictures of him, and talked to the citizens for impute. Even after the reign of Teddy Roosevelt, his use of the media never died. Many presidents after him saw the power that the media had on the public, and used it to their advantage. Ronald Regan used his fame, George W. Bush published fear, and Barack Obama wrote in big letters “CHANGE”.
Ronald Regan was the 40th President of the United States and served from 1981-1989. He passed many laws and helped Americans stay calm during a time when the outbreak of World War III was imminent. However, before he was elected president, Regan was a Hollywood icon, and the portrait of an American Hero. Ronald was always the good guy in every movie he stared in, which made him well liked. However, one appearance made him an American legend. Regan’s character in western films made the American crowd go wild. He acted as a cowboy on horseback, who always got the bad guys, which was an image many Americans were familiar with. Roosevelt during the American-Spanish War was described by one reporter, “Without a doubt the most conspicuous figure in charge… Mounted high on horseback, and charging…Roosevelt made you feel that you would like to cheer” (23) and that is how Americans saw Regan. The American public thought that the man on horseback was going to be the man who was going to save them from the evil outlaws who were threatening their land (communists, a recession, oil, etc). Therefore, when Regan became interested in politics and decided to run for president, he was sure to win. Ronald Regan used his fame to get the majority of the votes, similar to how Roosevelt won an election as VP and reelection for President. Both Presidents used the media to make themselves be portrayed as American Heroes, making the public believe that these men might be the ones to help their country. However, in some cases, these leaders never live up to their image.
At one time George W. Bush made the right decisions and was seen as an American Hero. He was president during the tragedy that was 911, and he made the right call saying that the U.S. had to send troops in order to find the men responsible for this act. Bush did not need help from the media to help him persuade the American public about this decision, because every station was showing the Twin Towers going down regardless if the info was from Fox News or CNN. Most American were distraught by this event and approved the Invasion of Afghanistan. Similar to Roosevelt, George W. Bush became the hope that the people needed during this tough time. However, unlike Roosevelt, who openly told the public what he was going to do, George W. Bush liked to do it through propaganda. As the war in Afghanistan went on, oil prices (and the cost of living) went up, and the country was on the brink of a rescission. Therefore, Bush decided to make America an imperialistic nation again, by invading Iraq. He knew that he could not invade a country without reason; hence he stated that WMD factories where located in Iraq, and published this in newspapers all over the nation. This caused panic within the states, and before the American citizens knew it, U.S. troops had landed and taken control over Iraq, including the oil fields. Overtime Americans figured out the true intentions of invading Iraq, and became furious at their leader. If Bush was like Roosevelt, he would have just told the citizens about his plan, but he did not because he was too afraid that it would bring down his popularity. Roosevelt claimed, “I don’t care how honest a man is, if he is timid he is no good” (26). TR meant if a man was afraid of what his fellow men thought, than he had no business leading a nation. Roosevelt published the truth in the newspapers about what he thought, and told the public as well, because he had faith that his country would support him. Bush, on the other hand, thought only about his status in society, causing him to lie to the people who trusted him the most. This caused all Americans to lose hope in their leader, and hoped that the new election would bring a person forward who they could trust.
Roosevelt once stated that the citizens of the United Sates viewed the President as a man who, “Symbolized their government …and hoped he embodied their aspirations and their best thought” (27). By the late 2000’s America wanted a leader that did just what Roosevelt thought a President should be. In 2008, a man stepped forward stating what the American people needed desperately, change. Barack Obama, who became the first African American President, saw the pain that every American was feeling at this point, such as, unemployment, foreclosure, and war. Therefore, for his campaign slogan, Obama promised change. He posted it everywhere, declaring that he was change, and a new direction for the country. The public thought Barack Obama was going to be “the engine and leader of social change” (25), almost like Roosevelt. Obama went out to the public and talked to the citizens’ one on one, to see what the real issues were. He even used these in campaign ads on the television and in his speeches. He seemed to be the Teddy Roosevelt of the 21st century. The mass production of “change” caused Obama to win the election. Unfortunately, Obama was not as forceful at the federal level as everyone hoped. Americans are still waiting for change and for a person they can trust, along with a leader who will not manipulate them through the media. In other words, the United States needs a modern day Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to use the media to his advantage to gain trust from the American citizens. He went by this by portraying himself as an American hero, publishing what he thought was right, and being the face of change when the nation needed it most. However, in the decades to come, Presidents would use his techniques to get what they wanted. Ronald Regan used his notoriety to become president, George W. Bush used the newspapers to produce lies, therefore he could get control over oil, and Obama, the man of “change” used all sources of media to show the public that he was the change the country needed. Yet, all these Presidents failed to be the leader that the people thought they would be. Therefore, a new group rose up, and used the media more than any President, the People. The People grew tired of government officials abusing the media, such as stating things that they were never going to fulfill. The Citizens were the new Teddy Roosevelt’s for today. Similar to Teddy, the People stopped at nothing to get their points across. They posed as American Heroes by protesting against banks and lawmakers, who thought they ran the world. They published their own newspapers and websites, stating what they thought, and what was really going on in the world. Roosevelt once said, “One cannot think of him except as part of the public scene, performing on a public stage” (25). Every President in last few years had only thought about themselves and how little their decisions affected the “public stage” (25). That is why the Public is the 21st century version of Teddy Roosevelt. They saw what was really happening in the world, and showed it to everyone. The People even demonstrated their points to the government who seemed to ignore the fact that a good government was one that listened and acknowledged its people.