Matthew Booten | Politic-Ed

William A. Wheeler: The Last Politician With Integrity

30May

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

William A. Wheeler: The Last Politician With Integrity

Politicians today get a bad rep. Instead of serving their constituents, most politicians only serve themselves. Yet William A. Wheeler, the 19th Vice President under Rutherford B. Hayes stands apart from the rest. Whilst there is - and always has been - debate on whether politicians should dictate their own salaries, William A. Wheeler was one of the few politicians to actively campaign against it. He believed in this so much that he even refused a salary increase in 1873 after Congress pushed through highly controversial legislation some have called the "Salary Grab Act". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Politics Crisis of 1876 Vice Presidency Later Life & Death Legacy

Daniel D. Tompkins: Sacrificing His Fortune For You!

2May

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

Daniel D. Tompkins: Sacrificing His Fortune For You!

The fourth Governor of New York who also served as the Sixth vice president under James Monroe, Daniel D. Tompkins was an extremely wealthy man during his early lifetime. But by the time he died in June 1825, he was near-penniless owing to his immense spending during his time as Governor of New York. No, it wasn't on big houses, but funding the state militia during the War of 1812 when the state legislature refused. Indeed, he spent so much funding the militia that by the time he became vice president, he was nearly penniless and never recovered financially... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life A Start in Politics Governor of New York Vice President Death & Legacy

William R. King: The First Gay Vice President?

4Apr

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

William R. King: The First Gay Vice President?

The 13th Vice President, serving under Franklin Pierce, William R. King had an unusually close relationship with future president James Buchanan, with both men living together and being referred to as the other's "better half". Perhaps unsurprisingly, many modern historians believe that the two men - both lifelong bachelors - were in fact lovers. And it's not just modern historians that thought that... so did many contemporary political rivals. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life A Start in Politics National Politics Vice President Death & Legacy A Gay Vice President?

How to Start Your Own Country in 7 Easy Steps!

14Mar

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

Explainer

How to Start Your Own Country in 7 Easy Steps!

Like many kids, an early childhood fantasy of mine was ruling my own country. Bootenlandia I called it. Though this sadly never came to fruition, I've always wondered exactly how you could start your own country. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1. Acquire Some Land Though it may sound rudimentary, the first step to starting your own country would be to find some land. Save for a few unrecognized micronations, every country on earth has land it can call theirs (even if it occasionally disputed). In fact, the 1933 Convention on Rights and Duties of States, which in effect spells out the requirements to be classed as a "country" states that a country must have a defined territory as one of its main requirements. Sadly, declaring your mom's ba...

15 Most Conservative Cities in The United States!

14Feb

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

Analysis

15 Most Conservative Cities in The United States!

An old political adage goes that cities are more liberal whilst rural areas are more conservative. But as with most things in life, there are exceptions to this. Some cities are more conservative than liberal. So what are the most conservative cities in the United States? Though each city has conservatives in it, we have based the following list on a myriad of factors including tax rates, local government policies and voting records in both local and general elections. In no particular order, the most conservative cities in the US are... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 15. Enid, Oklahoma 14. Burleson, Texas 13. Alabaster, Alabama 12. Plano, Texas 11. Wichita, Kansas 10. San Antonio, Texas 9. Bristol, Tennessee 8. Tyler, Tex...

3Jan

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

Charles Curtis: The First Native American in The Executive Branch

Today, many claim that the Republicans are racist. Though this can certainly be debated, you might first want to learn about Charles Curtis, the Republican 31st Vice President of the United and member of the Kew Nation of Kansas. Working his way up from a humble Congressman from the newly minted state of Kansas, Charles Curtis was later elected a Senator and eventually joined the VP ticket of Herbert Hoover's 1928 presidential campaign and again in their unsuccessful bid for reelection. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life Congressman First Term Senator Senator Vice Presidency Later Life & Death

Let’s Face it – Star Wars is All About Politics…

6Dec

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

Analysis

Let’s Face it – Star Wars is All About Politics…

Ostensibly about two orders of mystical lightsaber-wielding monks and the triumph of good over evil, the Star Wars franchise is actually more of a political thriller, a cautionary tale of how a democracy can slowly be corrupted and turned into a dictatorship. If you take the entire franchise as a whole, you can see that a failure from the mistakes of the past almost inevitably leads to those same mistakes being repeated once again, often to devastating effect. After all, the entire saga takes places within a lifetime - 66 years to be exact... (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Prequels Whilst there are dozens of comics, novels and other media that chronologically predate the Prequel trilogy (though comparatively little since Disney's acquisi...

How John Nance Garner Became Texas’ Most Colorful Politician

22Nov

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

How John Nance Garner Became Texas’ Most Colorful Politician

One of only two men to serve as both the leader of the House and Senate, with a political career spanning 42 years, John Nance Garner became a sort-of father figure to the members of the Democratic Party and gained a reputation for being a gifted backroom politician. But despite serving term terms as the 32nd Vice President during Franklin Roosevelt's first two terms, John's seeming disloyalty - that is, his criticism of Roosevelt running for a third term in 1940 - saw him thrown off the 1940 ticket and replaced with Henry A. Wallace. When he left the office of Vice President, he ended his life of public service, instead retiring to his home in Texas and becoming a sort of unofficial political advisor to any Democrat who needed it. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle ...

How Samuel P Bush Laid The Groundwork For The Bush Political Family!

18Oct

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

How Samuel P Bush Laid The Groundwork For The Bush Political Family!

Though his name has since faded from the minds of most Americans, without Samuel P Bush, the Bush family as we know it today would've never come to be. And whilst he never held political office himself, the relationships he forged as a businessman and industrialist allowed his son to make a fortune on Wall Street, his grandson to become vice president and later president, and his great-grandson to become president as well! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ancestry Descended from a family primarily of English and German ancestry, Samuel P Bush's earliest recorded ancestor was John Bush Sr., who was born in the English village of Messing, in Essex circa 1510. Fast forward three generations and 83 years, the Bush family were still living in Me...

How Bill Brock Rebuilt The Republicans After Watergate

13Sep

By Matthew BootenNo Comments

History

How Bill Brock Rebuilt The Republicans After Watergate

Though his name has since faded into obscurity, Bill Brock was instrumental in rehabilitating the Republican Party's image after Watergate, turning from the "party of crooks and thieves" in most people's eyes into a party the people would vote for. Without Bill Brock, the Republican Party would've never bounced back so quickly after Watergate and retake the Oval Office after only four years of Democrat Jimmy Carter, eventually leading to 12 years of Republican presidents! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Early Life William Emerson Brock III, better known to the public as simply "Bill Brock", was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on November 23 1930 - the height of the Great Depression. Despite this, the Brock family was relatively prosperous....